Journal of Environmental Sciences Juniper Publishers

  Abstract Water is so essential for living organisms that it is said “ save water, save life ”. Pollution of water, scarcity of water (drought), excess of water (flood) and excessive snow-fall are the different forms in which water becomes unusable/creates problems for the survival of many organisms. Therefore, saving water in its usable form is essential for the existence of life on the earth. One of the ways to save water is its judicial use, which is essential for increasing water productivity. Availability of water in sufficient amount, for those who require it, is necessary for ecological integrity as well as ecological efficiency. While ecological efficiency is related with resource utilization and the extent to which resources are converted into biomass, ecological integrity is crucial for biodiversity conservation. About two-third of the available fresh water is utilized for agricultural activities, and any imprudent/imbalanced use of water in agriculture w...

  Juniper Publishers-Open Access Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources Using Geospatial technologies for Sustainable Urban Development Authored by Abdul Raouf Opinion Urbanization is a natural process, resulting in an ever-increasing number of mega sites worldwide. The rate of urbanization has increased from under 30% in 1950 to over 54% in 2014 (UN, 2014). It has been estimated by the United Nations that about 80% of the global population will be living in cities by 2050. Exploding mega cities bring challenges for city planners and local governments. While a growing number of slum areas is a big challenge for expanding cities, reduction of green spaces and infrastructure development in areas prone to natural disasters is perhaps a bigger dilemma. If not planned carefully, these expanding cities cannot be sustainable due to the risks associated with natural disasters such as floods. These natural disasters can cause damage to personal property, public infrastruc...