This study examined the spatiotemporal climate variability over the Ceyhan River basin in Southern Anatolia, Türkiye using historical rainfall and temperature observations recorded at 15 meteorology stations. Various statistical and geostatistical techniques were employed to determine the significance of trends for each climatic variable in the whole basin and its three sub-regions (northern, central, and southern regions). The results revealed that the recent years in the basin were generally warmer compared with previous years, with a temperature increase of approximately 4 °C. The standardized temperature index analysis indicated a shift towards hotter periods after 2005, while the coldest periods were observed in the early 1990s. The spatial distribution of temperature showed non-uniform patterns throughout the basin. The first decade of the study period (1975–1984) was characterized by relatively cold temperatures, followed by a transition period from cold to hot between 1985 and 2004, and a hotter period in the last decade (2005–2014). The rainfall analysis indicated a decreasing trend in annual rainfall, particularly in the northern and central regions of the basin. However, the southern region showed an increasing trend in annual rainfall during the study period. The spatial distribution of rainfall exhibited considerable variability across the basin, with different regions experiencing distinct patterns. The standardized precipitation index analysis revealed the occurrence of multiple drought events throughout the study period. The most severe and prolonged droughts were observed in the years 1992–1996 and 2007–2010. These drought events had significant impacts on water availability and agricultural productivity in the basin.

Using waste products is a promising and sustainable alternative to conventional non-renewable peat and nutrient-rich renewable materials. Their products are gaining importance for closing the loop in the ornamental plant industry. Porous inorganic materials have recently become potential bulking agents (BA) for sewage sludge (SS) owing to their high porosity, surface area, passivation capacity, high recycling potential, and potting soil components. The main purpose of the present work was to investigate the feasibility of pumice (PU) and expanded perlite (EP) on composting parameters, nutrient bioavailability and suitability of SS to serve as an ornamental substrate. The addition of PU and EP at 50% (v/v) resulted in higher porosity, optimal initial moisture content, higher temperature rise (56.24 ± 0.13 °C, 56.21 ± 0.11 °C, respectively), and higher CO₂ evolution (39.41 ± 0.17%, 41.70 ± 0.22% daily peaks). Composting with inorganic BA at EP-50 and PU-50 mixtures was beneficial owing to high nitrogen content (3.82 and 3.70%, respectively) and readily bioavailable nutrients (270 mg kg⁻¹ phosphates and 1835 mg kg⁻¹ potassium). The use of PU and EP was found helpful in improving the slow-release nutrient properties of the compost. The overall results indicated that composting SS with PU and EP is a viable approach to achieve good composting properties and a good nutrient-providing profile if the compost is used as a component for potting soil components or garden soil amendments.

The accumulation of pollutants in the sediment along surface water may negatively affect riparian zones and increase ecological risk. This article investigates the effects of metal sediments on riparian soil via field monitoring and ICP-OES analysis. To this end, pollution levels, seasonal changes, and potential sources of the pollutants were determined for the Melen River watershed, Turkey. The ecological statuses (contamination factor, enrichment factor, index of geo-accumulation, pollution index, modified pollution index, and potential and modified ecological risk indexes) of the watershed were also analyzed. Although no significant seasonal differences in the metal sediments were observed, their spatial distribution in the sediments and riparian soils varied markedly. Cr (11.4 to 136), Co (7.7 to 21.52), Cu (11.4 to 76.6), and Ni (14.06 to 128.2) recorded as mg/kg significantly increased from the upstream to the downstream. The metals possessing the highest risk in the sediment and riparian soil regarding the river health were Cu, Co, and Ni. The risk values were found to be heavily polluted (PI > 3 and MPI > 10), and the risk indexes were above the “desired environment without the risk”. The risk index was found to be more than 50, and the modified risk indexes exceeded 200 at many points. The transportation of pollutants in surface water became evident in the sediment, resulting in adverse effects on the riparian zone and the ecological system.