Environmental Engineering
I. Ridwan; S. Kadir; N. Nurlina
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The condition of the watershed area, particularly the Tabunio Watershed, is one with priority treatment due to the condition of the land where it is located, which qualifies for the “very high recovery” category with a critical land area of 19,109.89 hectare. Moreover, ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The condition of the watershed area, particularly the Tabunio Watershed, is one with priority treatment due to the condition of the land where it is located, which qualifies for the “very high recovery” category with a critical land area of 19,109.89 hectare. Moreover, the diminishing water absorption also results in flooding during the rainy season and drought in the dry season. Environmental damage in the Tabunio Watershed is exacerbated by the existence of traditional gold mining and has become a concern for many parties. With this in mind, the perceived increase in natural disasters, such as floods, landslides, and droughts from year to year requires an evaluation of land degradation in the Tabunio Watershed.METHODS: The objective of this study was to monitor and simulate the spatial and temporal aspects of land degradation in the Tabunio Watershed. It was suggested that a complete land degradation index be developed to capture the spatial and temporal aspects of land degradation between the years 2005 and 2020. This index integrates land use land cover, vegetation coverage, soil erosion, and soil moisture content.FINDINGS: The proposed comprehensive land degradation index in this study demonstrated that (a) the land degradation index, which successfully monitored the spatio-temporal aspect of land degradation (kappa coefficient > 0.73 and overall accuracy > 86 percent), is regarded as having high accuracy. (b) In comparison to the individual indices, the land degradation index is capable of revealing land degradation in a more comprehensive manner. (c) land degradation index is readily transferable and applicable to other study areas due to the fact that all of its land degradation indices can be quickly extracted from remotely sensed imagery. (d) land degradation index can be used in a wide variety of contexts, which also accounts for the provision of quantitative predictions with regard to the possibility of land degradation. (e) The rate of land degradation will generally increase from 2005 to 2020, with 2010 being the most extreme year.CONCLUSION: The proposed comprehensive land degradation index method is capable of describing the spatial and temporal aspect of land degradation from 2005 to 2020 in the watershed area. Moreover, the proposed approach shows that the level of land degradation from 2005 to 2020 normally increases, recording the extreme years as the 2010s. In addition, in most years, the amount of land degradation was moderate, only few of which had severe or extreme degradation. As a consequence of this, some land degradation management measures ought to be created in advance, guaranteeing the protection of this vital region, which is a source of freshwater. The study provides a substantial understanding of the effect of land degradation on sustainable environment management and development in the watershed.
Environmental Engineering
B. Kartiwa; . Maswar; A. Dariah; . Suratman; N.L. Nurida; N. Heryani; P. Rejekiningrum; H. Sosiawan; S.H. Adi; I. Lenin; S. Nurzakiah; Ch. Tafakresnanto
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To minimize the potential risk of land fires, climate monitoring and hydrology characterization are crucial factors in managing peatlands. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relation between climate variability and water dynamics to develop a peatland fire early ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To minimize the potential risk of land fires, climate monitoring and hydrology characterization are crucial factors in managing peatlands. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relation between climate variability and water dynamics to develop a peatland fire early warning model.METHODS: This research was conducted in an oil palm plantation located in Pangkalan Pisang village, Koto Gasib subdistrict, Siak district, Riau province, Indonesia. Herein, the observed parameters were climate and dynamics of ground water level and soil moisture, which were monitored using data loggers installed on predefined representative locations and distributed over three blocks of 30 hectares in the palm oil plantation research site. Thus, the peat fire early warning model was developed based on the relation between peat water dynamics and the recorded history of peat fire events.FINDINGS: Herein, a recession curve analysis of soil moisture and ground water level revealed the relation between soil water dynamics and local climate. Consequently, this study found that soil moisture was the suitable parameter to estimate peat fire risk owing to its predictability. Furthermore, this study has identified a threshold of low and high peat fire risk in the area with less than 104 percent and 129 percent dry weight of soil moisture content, respectively. Afterward, this soil moisture criterion was transferred into precipitation value to develop a peat fire early warning model for estimating the days left before a high peat fire risk status was attained based on the latest daily rainfall rates.CONCLUSION: This study has developed a simple peat fire early warning model using daily precipitation data. The accurate estimation of countdown days to peat fire susceptibility status in an area would enhance fire mitigation strategies in peatlands.
Environmental Engineering
N. D. Takarina; O. M. Chuan; M. I. Afifudin; L. Tristan; I. Arif; A. Adiwibowo
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Coastal ecosystems worldwide have been threatened by changing land use and environmental determinants. These conditions have impacted important marine resources, including fish diversity. Southeast Asia, one region experiencing massive land use change, still has limited information ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Coastal ecosystems worldwide have been threatened by changing land use and environmental determinants. These conditions have impacted important marine resources, including fish diversity. Southeast Asia, one region experiencing massive land use change, still has limited information on how land use and disturbed coastal ecosystems impact fish diversity. This information is urgently needed as fish is one of the most important food resources here. This study aims to assess and compare the environment and tropical fish community between disturbed and intact sites, represented by coasts dominated by settlements and coasts dominated by mangrove forests in West Java, Indonesia.METHODS: Fish sampling was carried out at two sites: Jakarta as the disturbed site and Subang as the intact site; water quality was also measured at these sites. Land uses at the sites were interpreted using satellite imagery. Fish diversity was determined using the Shannon–Wiener index, rarefaction curve, and Lorenz graph. Principal component analysis, analysis of variance, and the x2-test were used to determine environmental factors that affected the fish community at both sites. Akaike’s information criterion was assigned to model the relationship between environmental factors and the fish community.FINDINGS: Coasts characterized by anthropogenic disturbances and the absence of mangrove cover have a lower potential of hydrogen (pH) and reduced fish diversity by up to 53.91%. The intact site had higher fish diversity and made a greater contribution to conservation by providing habitats for fish species with the least concern and vulnerability statuses, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. From the AIC model, the decreasing water pH (AICc = 27.28) was the main determinant that reduces fish diversity at disturbed sites compared to dissolved oxygen (Akaike’s information criterion = 28.13) and salinity (Akaike’s information criterion = 29.95).CONCLUSION: The coastal fish community was affected by differences in environmental factors, land uses, and mangrove cover driven by anthropogenic influences. The AIC model proved capable of assessing the effects of environmental factors on coastal fish communities. This study modeled environmental factors that should be managed and prioritized to restore and conserve the fish community along tropical coasts.
Environmental Engineering
L. Salvaraji; R. Avoi; M.S. Jeffree; S. Saupin; H.R. Toha; S.B. Shamsudin
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Air pollution is associated with population growth and economic advancement. Severe cardiovascular complications that require extensive medical service are aggravated by air pollutants. This study illustrates the trend and correlation of cardiovascular disease hospital admission ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Air pollution is associated with population growth and economic advancement. Severe cardiovascular complications that require extensive medical service are aggravated by air pollutants. This study illustrates the trend and correlation of cardiovascular disease hospital admission with air pollutants in Sabah for the past 9 years (2010–2019). The additional information obtained from this study will be useful to enhance proper environmental management and reduce air pollution in the cities of Sabah.METHOD: Ecological study design was utilized with cardiovascular disease hospital admission and ambient air pollutants in Sabah retrospective data. Data were collected from four districts with established continuous air quality monitoring stations. Collected data were analysed spatially and statistically. Autoregressive integrated moving average modelling was implemented to forecast the cardiovascular disease hospital admission.FINDING: Kota Kinabalu recorded the highest hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease, followed by Sandakan, Tawau and Keningau. The cardiovascular disease hospital admission prevalence rate in Kota Kinabalu was 12.45 per 1,000 population, followed by Sandakan, Tawau and Keningau (4.54; 4.18; and 5.88 per 1,000 population) in 2019. The cardiovascular hospital admissions increased in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau. The nitrogen dioxide (<0.04 ppm), carbon monoxide (<9 ppm), ozone (<0.05 ppm) and PM10 (<100 µg/m3) gases detected are below the national standard limit levels. In the later years of the series, the ozone and fine particulate gases intensify. Carbon monoxide has the highest positive correlation with cardiovascular disease hospital admission compared to other air pollutants. The autoregressive integrated moving average (0,1,1) with carbon monoxide and ozone as external regressors is the model with minimum Akaike information criterion.CONCLUSION: The carbon monoxide concentration in ambient air illustrates a potential risk for the increasing cardiovascular disease hospital admission number in Sabah. The study findings provide evidence-based source for the healthcare management team, policymakers, and community to sustain clean and safe ambient air.
