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In many developing countries, water demand is increasing while surface- and groundwater resources are threatened by pollution and overexploitation. Hence, a more sustainable approach to water resources management and water treatment is required. In this capacity, bank filtration is a natural treatment process that makes use of the storage and contaminant attenuation capacity of natural soil/rock. However, BF is site-specific and a significant knowledge gap exists regarding the design and management of bank filtration systems, particularly in developing countries. This research aimed to address these gaps and contribute to the transfer of bank filtration to developing countries. This study comprised both column and batch laboratory-scale experiments to determine the effect of environmental variables such as temperature, raw water organic composition and redox conditions on the removal of chemical pollutants such as organic matter, micro-pollutants and heavy metals as well as the mobility of iron, manganese and arsenic under anaerobic conditions. Ultimately, the effectiveness of BF for supplying high drinking water quality was assessed in a case study in Egypt. The study showed that more than 80% of biodegradable organic matter was removed during infiltration at temperatures between 20 and 30 C. However, humic compounds enriched during BF, required post-treatment. Moreover, high humic content of infiltrating water reduced the removal of heavy metal and promoted the release of metal (loids) into the infiltrating water, rendering it more feasible to install BF wells within surface water systems with low levels of organic matter. Moderately-hydrophobic organic micropollutants were most persistent and required infiltration times longer than 30 days for complete elimination even at high temperatures (>20 C). Finally, design parameters such as the number of infiltration wells should be configured to minimise the proportion of polluted groundwater in the pumped water. Overall, this study provides insight into the effectiveness of BF in removing chemical pollutants from surface water and proposes guidelines for the successful application of BF in developing countries where arid conditions and high temperatures prevail.

Groundwater --- Purification. --- Desert resources development. --- Deserts --- Natural resources --- Desert development --- Development of desert resources

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The image of Africa in the modern world has come to be shaped by perceptions of the drylands and their problems of poverty, drought, degradation, and famine. Michael Mortimore offers an alternative and revisionist thesis, dismissing on theoretical and empirical grounds the conventional view of runaway desertification, driven by population growth and inappropriate land use. In its place he suggests a more optimistic model of sustainable land use, based on researched case studies from East and West Africa where indigenous technological adaptation has put population growth and market opportunities to advantage. He also proposes a more appropriate set of policy priorities to support dryland peoples in their efforts to sustain land and livelihoods. The result is a remarkably clear synthesis of much of the best work that has emerged over past years.

Arid regions agriculture --- Desertification --- Desert resources development --- Sustainable development --- Earth Sciences --- Geography --- Arid regions agriculture - Africa, Sub-Saharan. --- Desertification - Africa, Sub-Saharan. --- Desert resources development - Africa, Sub-Saharan. --- Sustainable development - Africa, Sub-Saharan. --- Desert development --- Development of desert resources --- Deserts --- Natural resources --- Aridization of land --- Desertization --- Climatology --- Dryland agriculture --- Dryland farming --- Agriculture --- Crop zones --- Desert reclamation

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An argument that the perception of arid lands as wastelands is politically motivated and that these landscapes are variable, biodiverse ecosystems, whose inhabitants must be empowered.

Deserts. --- Deserts --- Arid regions. --- Desert ecology. --- Desert resources development. --- History. --- Desert development --- Development of desert resources --- Arid lands --- Arid zones --- Dry lands --- Dryland regions --- Drylands --- Lands, Arid --- Regions, Arid --- Regions, Semiarid --- Semi-arid regions --- Semi-arid zones --- Semiarid regions --- Sub-humid lands --- Zones, Arid --- Ecology --- Natural resources --- Arid regions ecology --- Xeric ecology --- Extreme environments --- Arid regions --- Landforms --- ENVIRONMENT/General --- HUMANITIES/History --- Sociology of environment --- Social geography --- Economic geography