Bøker i IHE Delft PhD Thesis Series-serien

Wetlands are among the most productive environments in the world and therefore of immense socio-economic as well as ecological importance. In this research the focus was on the Abras de Mantequilla wetland in the tropical coastal region of Ecuador, a RAMSAR site and case study in the EU-FP7 WETwin project.

In this work, we explore the use of sensors that can relocate as rainfall events develop (dynamic sensors), and increasing the number of sensors involving volunteers (citizens) to improve the efficiency of the sensor network.

The anaerobic biological treatment of methanol-rich gaseous and liquid effluents was tested in two bioreactor configurations in the presence of sulfur and selenium oxyanions. The volatile fatty acids (VFA) produced in these bioreactors were quantified and a mass balance analysis was carried out.

This book presents an improved understanding of the hydrological processes and main drivers of streamflow regime change in semi-arid catchments of the Nile Basin headwaters. It demonstrates that human interventions are the most important causes of change of the hydrological processes and the availability of water in catchments.

Floods and droughts are climate extremes that account for more than 80% of people affected by natural disasters worldwide. This study aims to assess floods and droughts and their impacts on agriculture at the basin scale and attempt to tackle them simultaneously and sustainably by using integrated measures and strategies.

The study assessed the impacts of conversion of wetlands to farming land on the water quality and sediment and nutrient retention.

This research builds on work of policy implementation adjusted to the analysis of commercialization of water services in small towns. In documenting the operations of three different cases in Mozambique, Uganda and Indonesia, it highlights the challenges to fully implement commercialization.

This research developed a new method to measure bacterial growth potential using the native bacterial consortium in seawater. New reagents to extract and detect ATP in microbial cells were specifically developed for seawater.

Sediment deposition threatens the performance of many irrigation systems. In this study, the Delft3D model was adapted to simulate and control the cohesive sediments in irrigation systems.

This book explores how water utilities mobilize pro-poor strategies to address the challenge of ensuring universal access in cities with rapidly expanding unplanned settlements. It goes beyond ideological discussions to examine actual water service provisioning practices, identifying with those responsible: water utilities.

This research was conducted to facilitate the transferability of BF to nations with arid climates. Batch and column laboratory-scale studies were performed to determine the effect of environmental variables on chemical pollutant removal. A 3 step framework was followed to examine the effectiveness of BF in Aswan, Egypt.

This research contributed to the development of an innovative FS stabilisation technology linking sanitation provision to a faecal sludge value chain.

An assessment of the pathogen removal processes of the aerobic granular sludge (AGS) technology is provided. The AGS capacity on removing faecal indicators (E. coli, Enterococci, coliforms and bacteriophages) was determined in full-scale facilities.

Papyrus wetlands provide benefits to millions of people in Africa. The area is decreasing, while demand for food production increases. It is therefore urgent to combine increased agricultural production with wetland conservation. Field research findings and a dynamic simulation model support adaptive management for African wetlands.