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<p>The research reported in this paper involves the use of dialogical argumentation in scientific context with 7-9 year olds as part of teaching and learning in primary classrooms. To develop an understanding of scientific concepts, four suitable collaborative activities on river pollution were used as a stimulus to effectively engage learners in scientific reasoning and use evidence for decision-making through cognitive harmonization. The research, involved four groups of five children each. Data were collected through analysis of children&rsquo / s Water Pollution Questionnaire (WPQ), classroom observation, documentation of field notes, conversations and focus group interviews. The study found that all groups were able to engage in the activities to some extent, but that good quality argumentation develops when children are familiar with working in this manner. This study sought to investigate the opportunities, possibilities and challenges associated with a dialogical argumentation teaching and learning approach in a primary school science class A mapping technique was used to analyze the children&rsquo / s discussions and identify the quality of their different &ldquo / levels&rdquo / of argument. This study confirmed that an argumentation based instruction was an effective way of enhancing learners&rsquo / understanding of river pollution. The learners&rsquo / listening skills improved tremendously and they were actively involve during discussions and provided claims with valid grounds or reasons. They were also very enthusiastic and challenged each other&rsquo / s claims during these argumentation lessons, but most of all was the enjoyment that was visible on their young faces. Further research needs to be carried out over a longer period to determine the effectiveness of an argumentation based instruction.</p>

<p>The research reported in this paper involves the use of dialogical argumentation in scientific context with 7-9 year olds as part of teaching and learning in primary classrooms. To develop an understanding of scientific concepts, four suitable collaborative activities on river pollution were used as a stimulus to effectively engage learners in scientific reasoning and use evidence for decision-making through cognitive harmonization. The research, involved four groups of five children each. Data were collected through analysis of children&rsquo / s Water Pollution Questionnaire (WPQ), classroom observation, documentation of field notes, conversations and focus group interviews. The study found that all groups were able to engage in the activities to some extent, but that good quality argumentation develops when children are familiar with working in this manner. This study sought to investigate the opportunities, possibilities and challenges associated with a dialogical argumentation teaching and learning approach in a primary school science class A mapping technique was used to analyze the children&rsquo / s discussions and identify the quality of their different &ldquo / levels&rdquo / of argument. This study confirmed that an argumentation based instruction was an effective way of enhancing learners&rsquo / understanding of river pollution. The learners&rsquo / listening skills improved tremendously and they were actively involve during discussions and provided claims with valid grounds or reasons. They were also very enthusiastic and challenged each other&rsquo / s claims during these argumentation lessons, but most of all was the enjoyment that was visible on their young faces. Further research needs to be carried out over a longer period to determine the effectiveness of an argumentation based instruction.</p>

The Higuamo River in the Dominican Republic is being polluted by a number of industries. The town San Pedro de Macoris is situated at the river mouth and the negative effects of the pollution are apparent for the fishermen and those living in informal settlements along the water. The waterfront has now been designated for development and the project explores hinders and possibilities for the implementation of practices of participation, as well as the challenges it poses to the planner.

<p>Användandet av obehandlat avloppsvatten inom jordbruket är en växande företeelse i många delar av världen. Speciellt i vattenfattiga områden där avloppsvattnet ses som en värdefull och pålitlig resurs. Det höga näringsinnehållet minskar behovet av konstgödsel och detta ökar böndernas inkomster. Men med användandet av avloppsvattnet följer vissa hälsorisker. Bland annat har man sett en högre förekomst av inälvsmaskar hos bönder som använder orenat avloppsvatten jämfört med de som använder rent vatten. Den här vattenkvalitetstudien har utförts längs floden Musi i Andhra Pradesh, Indien. Musi rinner igenom staden Hyderabad och mycket av stadens avloppsvatten dumpas i floden. Nedströms Hyderabad används detta vatten för bevattning. Längs med floden är dammar byggda, för att avleda vattnet i bevattningskanaler. Reservoirer bildas då flödeshastigheten minskar. Studieområdet sträcker sig från Hyderabad och 28.7 km nedströms. Hypotesen var att reservoirerna fungerar som biodammar och syftet var att kvantifiera dammarnas inverkan på vattenkvaliteten och utvärdera dess lämplighet utifrån ett hälso- och jordbruksperspektiv. Inom studieområdet är reningen med avseende på BOD, Nematoder och E coli 86,9%, 99,9% respektive 99,9%. Trots att reningen är så hög överstiger Nematod- och E coli-koncentrationerna Världshälsoorganisationens riktlinjer och utgör en hälsorisk för bönder och konsumenter. Syre- och salthalt ökar nedströms och den höga salthalten kan ha negativ inverkan på jordbrukets avkastning. Genom att titta på reningsmönster och förändring av olika vattenkvalitetsparametrar är en av slutsatserna av detta arbete att reningen i dammarna motsvarar den rening som sker i de anaeroba bassängerna i ett biodammsystem.</p> / <p>The use of untreated domestic sewage in agriculture is a growing practice in many parts of the world. It is being looked upon as a valuable and reliable resource in water scarce communities. Wastewater is usually rich in nutrients and the use results in high yields without the need for artificial fertilisers. But with the use of untreated wastewater follows a number of associated health risks, e.g. a higher prevalence of helminth infections has been seen among wastewater users compared to non-users. This water quality study was performed along the River Musi in Andhra Pradesh, India. The Musi River flows through the city of Hyderabad carrying the most of the town’s wastewater. Downstream of Hyderabad the wastewater is used by farmers for irrigation. Along the river weirs are constructed which diverts the irrigation water into canals and reservoirs are formed where the flow velocity slows down. The study area stretches from Hyderabad and 28.7 km downstream. The hypothesis was that the existing irrigation infrastructure acts like Wastewater Stabilisation Ponds and the aim was to quantify the impact of the weirs on water quality and to evaluate the irrigation water quality in reference to associated health risks and agricultural suitability. Within the study area the BOD, E coli and Nematode removals were 86.9%, 99.9% and 99.9% respectively. Despite the high removal the E coli and Nematodes, the concentrations exceed WHO guidelines for unrestricted and restricted irrigation, and there exists an excess risk of intestinal nematode- and enteric infections for farmers. Dissolved oxygen and salinity increases downstream and due to the high salinity farmers could experience reduced crop yields. By looking at removal patterns, and the change in water quality parameters, the conclusion can be made that the reservoirs act like anaerobic ponds in a Wastewater Stabilisation Pond system.</p>

Användandet av obehandlat avloppsvatten inom jordbruket är en växande företeelse i många delar av världen. Speciellt i vattenfattiga områden där avloppsvattnet ses som en värdefull och pålitlig resurs. Det höga näringsinnehållet minskar behovet av konstgödsel och detta ökar böndernas inkomster. Men med användandet av avloppsvattnet följer vissa hälsorisker. Bland annat har man sett en högre förekomst av inälvsmaskar hos bönder som använder orenat avloppsvatten jämfört med de som använder rent vatten. Den här vattenkvalitetstudien har utförts längs floden Musi i Andhra Pradesh, Indien. Musi rinner igenom staden Hyderabad och mycket av stadens avloppsvatten dumpas i floden. Nedströms Hyderabad används detta vatten för bevattning. Längs med floden är dammar byggda, för att avleda vattnet i bevattningskanaler. Reservoirer bildas då flödeshastigheten minskar. Studieområdet sträcker sig från Hyderabad och 28.7 km nedströms. Hypotesen var att reservoirerna fungerar som biodammar och syftet var att kvantifiera dammarnas inverkan på vattenkvaliteten och utvärdera dess lämplighet utifrån ett hälso- och jordbruksperspektiv. Inom studieområdet är reningen med avseende på BOD, Nematoder och E coli 86,9%, 99,9% respektive 99,9%. Trots att reningen är så hög överstiger Nematod- och E coli-koncentrationerna Världshälsoorganisationens riktlinjer och utgör en hälsorisk för bönder och konsumenter. Syre- och salthalt ökar nedströms och den höga salthalten kan ha negativ inverkan på jordbrukets avkastning. Genom att titta på reningsmönster och förändring av olika vattenkvalitetsparametrar är en av slutsatserna av detta arbete att reningen i dammarna motsvarar den rening som sker i de anaeroba bassängerna i ett biodammsystem. / The use of untreated domestic sewage in agriculture is a growing practice in many parts of the world. It is being looked upon as a valuable and reliable resource in water scarce communities. Wastewater is usually rich in nutrients and the use results in high yields without the need for artificial fertilisers. But with the use of untreated wastewater follows a number of associated health risks, e.g. a higher prevalence of helminth infections has been seen among wastewater users compared to non-users. This water quality study was performed along the River Musi in Andhra Pradesh, India. The Musi River flows through the city of Hyderabad carrying the most of the town’s wastewater. Downstream of Hyderabad the wastewater is used by farmers for irrigation. Along the river weirs are constructed which diverts the irrigation water into canals and reservoirs are formed where the flow velocity slows down. The study area stretches from Hyderabad and 28.7 km downstream. The hypothesis was that the existing irrigation infrastructure acts like Wastewater Stabilisation Ponds and the aim was to quantify the impact of the weirs on water quality and to evaluate the irrigation water quality in reference to associated health risks and agricultural suitability. Within the study area the BOD, E coli and Nematode removals were 86.9%, 99.9% and 99.9% respectively. Despite the high removal the E coli and Nematodes, the concentrations exceed WHO guidelines for unrestricted and restricted irrigation, and there exists an excess risk of intestinal nematode- and enteric infections for farmers. Dissolved oxygen and salinity increases downstream and due to the high salinity farmers could experience reduced crop yields. By looking at removal patterns, and the change in water quality parameters, the conclusion can be made that the reservoirs act like anaerobic ponds in a Wastewater Stabilisation Pond system.

The Kaoping River basin is the largest and the most intensively used river basin in Taiwan. It is 171 km long, drains a catchment of more than 3,257 km2, and has a mean flow of 239 m3/s. It serves as a water supply to the Kaohsiung City (the second largest city in Taiwan), several towns, two counties, and a number of large industries (electronic, steel, petrochemical, etc.). Although the mean annual rainfall in this river basin is close to 3,000 mm, over 90% of which appears in the wet season. The period of high flow rate in the stream usually occurs in the late spring and summer due to the impacts of monsoon and typhoon. Non-Point Sources (NPS) pollutants, which are associated with stormwater runoff from agricultural land uses can be quite diffuse and difficult to treat. In this study, land use identification in the basin was performed by properly integrating the skills of geographic information system (GIS) and global positioning system (GPS). Remote sensing image and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of Kaoping River Basin were applied for the land use identification task. An integrated watershed management model (IWMM) was applied for simulating the water quality and evaluating NPS pollutant loads to the Kaoping River. The watershed was divided into catchments and river segments. The land use patterns were defined by the surface coverage of each catchment. The underneath soil can have several layers, and each land use has its vegetation characteristic and erosion coefficient. The model was calibrated and verified with field data from water quality monitoring stations. The calibrated model was used to develop best management practices (BMP). Moreover, the Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) was also applied for the water quality simulation. The model was calibrated and verified with water quality data, and the model was used to analyze the impacts of NPS loading on water quality. The major objectives of this study were to (1) investigate and identify the current contributions of NPS pollutants to the Kaoping River pollution, (2) perform the land use identification and construct the watershed GIS to effectively manage the watershed, (3) perform water quality and soils sampling and analyses, (4) apply multimedia models for NPS pollution evaluation and water quality simulation, and (5) evaluate the effectiveness of the applied remedial strategies on watershed management and water quality improvement. This study identified major land-use patterns in Kaoping River Basin using SPOT images and GIS/GPS/RS techniques. The major findings from the GIS, field, and modeling tasks include the following: (1) Fourteen types of land-use patterns in the watershed area of the basin were classified with the aid of the Erdas Imagine process system; (2) Orchard gardens, rice paddies, sugarcane fields, betel palm farms, and tea gardens dominate the farmland areas in the basin and are scattered around on both sides of the river corridor; and (3) Simulated results indicate that NPS pollution plays a significant role in the deterioration of the downstream water quality of Kaoping River and caused a significant increase in suspended solids loads into the basin¡¦s water bodies. Concern about the deteriorating condition of the river led the Government of Taiwan to amend relevant legislation and strengthen the enforcement of discharge regulations to effectively manage the river and control pollution. Based on the results of this study, application of BMPs [e.g., source reduction, construction of grassy buffer zone, and land-use management] for NPS pollutant control are required. Multimedia modeling results indicate that the application of the following specific BMPs can reduce the effects of NPS suspended solids pollution on the water quality of Kaoping River: (1) Conversion of farmlands on hillsides of the upper catchment to forest; and (2) Conversion of rice paddies and agricultural lands to buffer zones (e.g., grassy strip, detention pond, and constructed wetland) along the riverbank areas of the three sub-basins. With application of these two proposed BMPs, the peak suspended solids concentrations in the wet seasons could be significantly reduced. Results and experience obtained from this study will be helpful in designing the watershed management strategies for other similar river basins.