Water resources, climate change and energy

Facing Global Environmental Change

Integrated Water Resources Management in Practice: Better Water Management for Development , R. Lenton and M. Muller ( Editors ). Earthscan , 22883 Quicksilver Dr., Sterling, Virginia 20166-2012 . 2009 . 228 pages. $78 . ISBN 978-1-84407-650-5 . This book is a welcome addition to the literature promoting integrated water resources management (IWRM). Robert Lenton and Mike Muller make a strong case for better management of water resources using the IWRM approach, widely recognized as the most appropriate way to address a wide range of water-related development and environmental issues confronting mankind today. The presentation of recent achievements and future possibilities in equitably and sustainably managing water resources toward meeting economic and social goals and insure environmental integrity in different parts of the world may be considered a benchmark that bodes well for further progress. The book begins with an introduction to the principles and practices of IWRM, which remain poorly understood, even in the water sector and development arena. This chapter also outlines the conceptual framework used in this book, which sets it apart from other publications. This includes a focus not only on processes in IWRM (e.g., changes in policy, laws, and organizational structures) but also the ultimate outcome and impact of using this approach, rendering the book as a much needed practical guide for planners and practitioners. The four spatially structured parts of the book take the reader from the local to the basin, national, and transnational levels. Twelve of the 14 chapters present case studies in East and Southeast Asia (five chapters), Africa and Latin America (two chapters each), and in Europe, North America, and Australia (one chapter each). The case studies document how better water management guided by the IWRM approach significantly contributed to achieve a large number of development goals in different communities and countries with different socioeconomic and environmental conditions and scales. While the editors duly acknowledge the challenge of deriving overall conclusions about what works and what does not work in different settings, they are able to succinctly and convincingly distill the various strands running through the book in the Conclusion. By considering the major objectives, processes, and outcomes of good water management, the management of water at different scales, and the nature of the IWRM approach itself in the context of the various chapter studies, they conclude that in all of the cases described the basic approach that was applied recognized the following elements: (1) the unitary nature of the water resource that recognizes the interconnectedness of surface, ground, and evaporated water, (2) the physical interventions that could be adopted to manage it, (3) the limits to those physical interventions, and (4) the need for an institutional framework that brought stakeholders together in an equitable manner and gave voice to both the weak and powerful, sought to achieve a balance of interests among them, identified the environmental dimension of water management and developed organizations able to promote the overall approach. The editors further note that these elements utilized in nearly all cases presented in the book were not considered to be explicit applications of the IWRM approach but rather began before the concept was formalized (as in India, Chile, Japan, Mexico, and China) or were incidental (in South Africa and Australia). These facts help to dispel the notion that IWRM is an unrealistic, overly ambitious approach and a fixed prescription that requires the employment of all available tools in its arsenal or a magic bullet. Similarly, the focus on individual tools has tended to hamper water management and the establishment of river basin organizations as a routine first step has played only a secondary role in improving water management in many cases (in South Africa and Chile, for example) and no role in others (Japan and Denmark). These findings strengthen the editors’ argument that IWRM offers a flexible and adaptable framework within which a wide range of water and development problems in different communities and countries can be addressed. Also highlighted in the Conclusion are remaining challenges in applying IWRM in practice. They include overcoming implementation difficulties at the macro-level; finding the proper mix of formal and informal mechanisms in operations; the need for more flexible as well as community-specific and system-wide planning and management rather than blueprint packages in many developing countries; and challenges for integration arising at the interface between water, sectoral, territorial, and organizational systems, particularly governance and participation issues at the international transboundary level. The writing style is lucid and captivating and the focus on real world examples rather than theoretical constructs captivate the inquisitive mind, making it difficult to put the book down. The few typographical errors do not detract from the quality of the presentation. Three relatively minor technical problems – the use of the same gray tones for different categories of water stress indicators in Figure 1.1 instead of using a color scheme, the poor print quality of this world map (all other figures in the book are excellent), and the weak binding I noticed on my paperback copy – should not detract from the intrinsic value of this well conceived and meticulously researched book. As a geographer interested in Third World water resources management and water-related health problems I enjoyed reading the broadly based case studies presented in this much needed book. Planners, water managers, researchers, and students will want to have a copy on their shelves for reference, guidance, and inspiration. Helmut Kloos Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics University of California San Francisco, California 94134-0560 E-mail: helmutk@comcast.net The Sustainable Management of Groundwater in Canada , The Expert Panel on Groundwater . Council of Canadian Academies , 180 Elgin St., Ste. 1401, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2P 2K3 . 2009 . 253 pages . ISBN 978-1-926558-09-7 . I enthusiastically agreed to review this book, The Sustainable Management of Groundwater in Canada (Groundwater) penned by the Expert Panel on Groundwater (Panel) not only because I have a great interest in sustainability issues but also because I had heard much in the popular press about the Athabasca Oil Sands project and I hoped the Panel would discuss energy production and sustainable use of water – I was not disappointed on either count. I do not want to mislead the reader though –Groundwater covers a wide range of topics from governance to flow modeling to markets and case studies. Although Groundwater was written explicitly for or from a Canadian perspective, many if not all of the topics are applicable to work in other countries. Many of the authors that served on the Panel are instantly recognizable names with groundwater and hydrology experience garnered from across the globe (interestingly, but not surprisingly, many of these world renowned authors work in Canada); this breadth and depth of expertise helps to make Groundwater a relatively easy to read book especially given the complex nature of groundwater and sustainability. There are too many topics to discuss in detail in this review. Still, to give the reader a sense of this book, some of the salient topics are reviewed here. The Panel identified five sustainability goals to include protection of groundwater from depletion and contamination, protection of ecosystem viability, achievement of economic and social well being and application of good governance; these individual sustainability goals are envisioned as equal members in the schematic put forth by the Panel. This reader agrees that this pentad of sustainability goals should be implemented in future projects although if history teaches us anything, in practice, these goals might not enjoy equal strength or standing; the Panel offers case studies that illustrate the importance of the implementation of (or, sadly, as the case may be, lack of) sustainability goals. Part of the appeal of Groundwater is the ability of the Panel to explain abstruse concepts by the judicious use of footnotes and many well written topic-boxes. One such footnote on page 17 helps exemplify the pedagogical tenor of Groundwater and (a portion of this particular footnote) is well worth repeating here: “The precautionary principle seeks to encourage those undertaking projects to consider and address harm to the public or the environment even if the scientific consensus that harm will occur is unclear.” Unfortunately, it seems from some of the case studies discussed here, all too often, the precautionary principle has not been applied in many cases. An example of topic-box discussions is given on page 113, where the Panel expands on topics such as the Tragedy of the Commons and water. I cannot help but wonder if present day appropriation schemata, such as the doctrine of prior appropriation, riparian rights, correlative rights, rule of capture, etc., have helped to perpetuate the tragedy. Hopefully, some day soon, the Tragedy of the Commons will be relegated to a footnote in history. The Panel discusses many case studies to help illustrate the effects of climate change (Prairie Groundwater), population growth (Denver Basin), and energy production (Athabasca Oil Sands) on sustainable use of water. Groundwater incites some mental rumination (and this is why I am excited by this type of book) – each of these case studies could also be seen to show how climate change, population growth, and energy production also affect another timely topic – food production and economic security. It should be noted that the Panel briefly discusses bio-fuel production generally – presumably because this topic and technology is in an almost mercurial state of flux. However, probably one of the most important topics discussed in Groundwater concerns the use of “... economic instruments such as water prices, abstraction fees, and tradable permits...” to help manage water. This of course could be seen to be a point of contention in places where present day appropriation rules govern water allocations. Given the stressors that affect water such as climate change, population growth, and food and energy security, economic instruments might offer an attractive means to equitably manage water resources (to be fair the significance of these stressors might not have been recognized in earlier times when various appropriation rules were enacted). The Panel notes numerical modeling simulation studies that “...show a significant improvement in the efficiency of water allocation (relative to current allocations) as a result of water trades.” In the face of these changes in climate and population, it may be time to heed these tocsins presented in the various case studies and perhaps consider a retooling of management and regulations schema. In sum, The Sustainable Management of Groundwater in Canada, is an easy to read book written by an expert panel of world renowned water experts. The topics are fresh and timely and applicable both in Canada as well as other parts of the world. I am glad that I read the book and would suggest that it be included on a must-read list to colleagues. Kevin Jeffrey Spelts Twin Platte Natural Resources District, 302 S. Oak St., North Platte, Nebraska 69101 Fluvial Hydraulics , L. Dingman . Oxford University Press , 198 Madison Ave., New York, New York 10016 . 2009 . 559 pages . ISBN 978-0-19-517286-7 . I became familiar with Professor Dingman’s work when I used his Fluvial Hydrology (Dingman, 1984, now out of print) for my graduate work in channel morphology and sediment transport. Fluvial Hydraulics builds upon the geomorphology and fluvial hydraulics presented in Fluvial Hydrology, but Dingman’s new book includes more information on basic-fluid mechanics and a more extensive discussion of the characteristics of natural rivers. Dingman’s preface to Fluvial Hydraulics states that “The overall goal of this book is to develop a sound qualitative and quantitative understanding of the physics of natural river flows for practitioners and students.” That goal is most certainly met. Fluvial-hydraulics concepts, from basic hydraulic relationships to complex phenomena such as turbulence and hydraulic jumps, are clearly presented. The equation derivations are logical and fairly easy to understand. The figures and photographs are clear and complement understanding of the text. Examples and additional derivations are presented in boxes for the reader who is interested in a deeper understanding of the material. Dingman begins with an Introduction that describes volumes of water in the components of the hydrologic cycle and in the world’s largest rivers. The Introduction also includes a fascinating history of fluvial hydraulics and personalities that advanced the science. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 provide a foundation for the study of open-channel flow. In Chapter 2, Dingman discusses the morphologic and hydrologic characteristics of natural streams; in Chapter 3, he describes water’s atomic and molecular structure and other properties. Then, in Chapter 4, Dingman introduces the basic equations for fluid properties and hydraulic variables, including relationships based on the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy, and equations based on diffusion and force/balance relationships. Equations based on dimensional analysis and empirical and heuristic relations also are described. Chapters 5, 6, and 7 present relationships between velocity and flow resistance, the Prandtl-von Karman vertical-velocity profile, the Chezy, Darcy-Weisbach, and Manning’s equations, and magnitudes of driving and resisting forces in natural streams. The next two chapters discuss momentum and energy principles, equations for gradually-varied flow, and methods for calculating water-surface profiles. In Chapter 10, Dingman describes steady, rapidly-varied flow, including analysis of hydraulics at abrupt transitions and structures for discharge measurement. In Chapter 11, he discusses unsteady flow, including an excellent description of waves and prediction of wave depths and speed of travel. In Chapter 12, he discusses sediment entrainment and transport, including sediment-transport measurement, factors that dictate the shape of alluvial channel cross sections, and flow competence. Appendix A presents thorough discussions on dimensions, units, and numerical precision. In lieu of problems or exercises, Dingman provides online spreadsheets for flow databases, synthetic channel hydraulics, and water-surface profile computations. These spreadsheets are described in Appendices B, C, and D. I was unable to reach the website at the URL included in the text, but found the spreadsheets at this URL by searching the publisher’s website: http://www.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780195172867/?view=usa. I was unable to find the links to other fluvial geomorphologic websites or discussion pages noted in the introduction. The book will be useful for an undergraduate-level or graduate-level class in channel hydraulics and morphology, for students with an understanding of basic calculus and university-level physics. For civil engineers, the book is a valuable companion to classic open-channel texts because it includes extensive discussions and applications focused on natural streams. For researchers, practitioners, and students in the natural-resources sciences, the book provides clear and complete discussions of open-channel flow that do not require a theoretical background in fluid mechanics to understand. This book will spend more time on my desk than on my shelf; I will refer to it often. Katherine J. Chase, PE 541 Diehl Dr. Helena, Montana 59601 The World’s Water: 2008-2009, The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources , P.H. Gleick with H. Cooley , M.J. Cohen , M. Morikawa , J. Morrison , and M. Palaniappan . Island Press , 1718 Connecticut Ave. NW, Ste. 300, Washington, D.C. 20009 . 2008 . 402 pages. $35 . ISBN 978-1-59726-505-8 . The First Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources for the world by Peter H. Gleick was issued in 1998. The Sixth Biennial Report by Peter H. Gleick and his associates is the latest version and covers the period 2008-2009. The series continues to be an invaluable collection of all kinds of water-related material, ranging from concise stand-alone chapters on important topics to numerous sections of data that have been updated as much as possible given the mix of reporting countries. A sampling of some of the six discussion chapters that are at the beginning of the book of 402 pages should provide the reader a good sense of the nature of the material. The first chapter by M. Palaniappan and P. H. Gleick on “Peak Water” provides an interesting discussion of the similarities and differences between oil and water. The importance of ocean water desalination is that the amount is unlimited, but the problem is how much we are willing to pay for it. In areas where water is really scarce, such as selected islands in the Caribbean and certain parts of the Persian Gulf, desalination is already becoming an “economically competitive alternative.” Chapter 2 on “Business Reporting on Water” by M. Morikawa, J. Morrison, and P. H. Gleick provides a useful accounting of corporate reporting of non-financial environmental information in annual reports that started in the 1970s. These non-financial reports have grown from fewer than 50 in 1992 to over 1,900 in 2005 and 2,470 by 2007. As expected, water management and use reporting by major corporations vary from industry to industry. In addition, and regrettably, most corporations rarely report on water recycling and reuse. The next chapter by H. Cooley deals with water management in a changing climate. A sampling of some of the water resource issues associated with climate change include the following: (1) climate change will affect the quantity and timing of surface runoff, (2) groundwater is less understood than surface water and sea level rise could result in greater saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers, and (3) agriculture accounts for 70-80% of global water use and lawns in hot, dry areas can account for 70% of total residential water use. Even in developed countries, water infrastructure that was designed and operated on historic water conditions may become a problem in the future. In 2002, 1.1 billion people did not have access to improved water supply and 2.6 billion did not have access to improved sanitation. Of particular interest is the section from pages 151-193 by P. H. Gleick pertaining to the chronology of water conflicts from Noah’s flood of about 5,000 years ago to fights between animal herders and farmers in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Cote D’Ivoire in 2007 in the Sahel region of West Africa just south of the Sahara Desert. a description of the of the the and the It is clearly a valuable on the world history of water conflicts that are not in number and of this book is the of that on pages A sampling of these data include information on water and use by data on access to water and updated on in Africa and the information on in five years of from water-related and data on the of water in selected countries and In this book is as an excellent of information on the world’s It is well and includes an extensive on a of water-related It is a for interested in the water resource Robert M. Water Resources New A of the of 2008 , ( ). University of Press , . . pages. . ISBN . 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Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes 1. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate Change 2001: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability Technical Summary, A Report of Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001). 2. Exposure, in the context of global change, was defined in 2008 by R. M. Leichenko and K. L. O'Brien (in Environmental Change and Globalization: Double Exposures [Oxford: Oxford University Press]) as "prone or sensitive to change." Sensitivity leads to vulnerability, that is, the "negative outcomes from stresses and shocks." This conceptualization of global change in terms of context, response, and outcome explicitly considers social and environmental outcomes. 3. B. Smit and J. Wandel, "Adaptation, Adaptive Capacity and Vulnerability," Global Environmental Change 16 (2006): 282–292. 4. W. N. Adger and P. M. Kelly, "Social Vulnerability to Climate Change and the Architecture of Entitlements," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 4 (1999): 253–266. 5. Arid (including hyperarid) areas receive less than 250 mm of preciptation per year; semiarid areas receive 250 to 500 mm. C. F. Hutchinson, R. G. Varady, and S. Drake, "Old and New: Changing Paradigms in Arid Lands Water Management," in G. Schneier-Madanes and M. F. Courel, eds., Water and Sustainability in Arid Regions (Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer, 2009), pp. 311–332. We use "arid" to include semiarid, in that both imply water-short conditions. 6. The Water Center for Arid and Semi-Arid Zones in Latin America and the Caribbean (http://www.cazalac.org/eng/mision_eng.php, accessed on 19 January 2012) notes that aridity characterizes some 4.5 million sq km from Mexico to South America, where decisionmakers lack appropriate knowledge on water management and preservation. 7. World Economic Forum Water Initiative, Water Security: The Water-Food-Energy-Climate Nexus (Washington, DC: Island Press, 2011). 9. "Humans shoulder at least half the blame," according to Diana Liverman's reading of the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, "From Uncertain to Unequivocal," in Environment 49, no. 8 (2007): 28–32. 9. H. Eakin and M. C. Lemos, "Institutions and Change: The Challenge of Building Adaptive Capacity in Latin America," Global Environmental Change 20 (2010): 1–3. 10. Ongoing support is provided by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (http://www.iai.int). 11. See related article: W. Laird-Benner and H. Ingram, "Sonoran Desert Network Weavers," Environment 53, no. 1 (2011): 6–16. 12. B. J. Morehouse, D. Ferguson, G. Owen, A. Browning-Aiken, P. Wong-Gonzales, N. Pineda, and R. G. Varady," Science and Socio-Ecological Sustainability: Examples From the Arizona-Sonora Border," Environmental Science and Policy 11, no. 3 (2008): 272–284. 13. G. Saliba and K. L. Jacobs, "Saving the San Pedro River: Science, Collaboration, and Water Sustainability in Arizona," Environment 50, no. 6(2008): 30–32. See also R. G. Varady, M. A. Moote, and R. Merideth, "Water Allocation Options for the Upper San Pedro Basin: Assessing the Social and Institutional Landscape," Natural Resources Journal 40, no. 2 (2000): 223–235. 14. R. G. Varady and E. Ward, "Transboundary Conservation in Context: What Drives Environmental Change?," in L. Lopez-Hoffman, E. McGovern, R. G. Varady, and K. W. Flessa, eds., Conservation of Shared Environments: Learning From the United States and Mexico (Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2009), pp. 9–22. A. K. Gerlak and M. Wilder, "Exploring the Textured Landscape of Water Insecurity and the Human Right to Water," Environment 54, no. 2 (2012): (in press). 15. C. Pahl-Wostl, "The Implications of Complexity For Integrated Resources Management," Environmental Modelling & Software 22 (2007): 561–569. 16. R. E. Saunier and R. A. Meganck, Dictionary and Introduction to Global Environmental Governance (London: Earthscan, 2007). 17. C. A. Scott, S. Dall'erba, and R. Díaz, "Groundwater Rights in Mexican Agriculture: Spatial Distribution and Social and Economic Determinants," Professional Geographer 62, no. 1 (2010): 1–15. 18. H. A. Loaiciga, "Climate Change and Ground Water," Annals of the Association of American Geographers 93, no. 1 (2003): 30–41. 19. "Virtual water" is embedded or hidden water, as in irrigation to grow crops. The concept was developed by J. A. Allan in 1993. See Allan, J. A. "Virtual water - the water, food and trade nexus: useful concept or misleading metaphor?" Water International, 28 (2003): 4-11. 20. M. Wilder, C. A. Scott, N. Pineda Pablos, R. G. Varady, G. M. Garfin, and J. McEvoy, "Adapting Across Boundaries: Climate Change, Social Learning, and Resilience in the U.S.–Mexico Border Region," Annals of the Association of American Geographers 100, no. 4 (2010): 917–928. 21. C. A. Scott and M. J. Pasqualetti, "Energy and Water Resources Scarcity: Critical Infrastructure for Growth and Economic Development in Arizona and Sonora," Natural Resources Journal 50, no. 3 (2010): 645–682. 22. C. J. Bauer, "Dams and Markets: Rivers and Electric Power in Chile," Natural Resources Journal 49 (2009): 583–651. 23. F. J. Meza, D. S. Wilks, L. Gurovich, and N. Bambach, "Impacts of Climate Change on Irrigated Agriculture in the Maipo Basin, Chile: Reliability of Water Rights and Changes in the Demand for Irrigation," Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management (in press). 24. The critical need to "reconnect science and policy" is highlighted in a recent report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP, 21 Issues for the 21st Century: Results of the UNEP Foresight Process on Emerging Environmental Issues, Alcamo, J., Leonard, S.A. (Eds.). United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Nairobi, Kenya, 56pp., 2012). Based on an extensive survey of scientists, decisionmakers, and other stakeholders, the report calls for "a new look at… how the science-society-policy interface can be improved." In addition, it addresses numerous key issues that the dialogue process presented in this article also focuses on, including freshwater, climate change, food, biodiversity, land, and energy. 25. These science-policy interactions have been generously funded by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Science Foundation, U.S. Geological Survey, Dialogue on Water and Climate (The Netherlands), and Morris K. and Stewart L. Udall Foundation. In Mexico the workshops were supported by the national water commission (CONAGUA), the Univesity of Sonora, El Colegio de Sonora, the national water research institute (IMTA), the national meteorological service (SMN), the Sonoran state water agency, and local governments. 26. Dialogues have been held in Hermosillo (2006, 2008, 2010), Guaymas (2006), Cuernavaca (2009), Mexico City (2005, 2006), Puerto Peñasco (2009), Tucson (2009, 2010), and Cabos (2011). Findings were promulgated at the World Water Forums (2003, 2006, and 2009), Hydrology for the Environment, Life and Policy meetings (Tucson 1999, 2008; Kalmar [Sweden] 2002; Dundee [Scotland] 2001, 2004; Guayaquil [Ecuador] 2005; Panama 2011), Internationally Shared Aquifer Resources Management Program (Paris 2010), and other fora. 27. See F. J. Meza, "Variability of Reference Evapotranspiration and Water Demands. Association to ENSO in the Maipo River Basin, Chile," Global and Planetary Change 47 (2005): 212–220; Meza et al. (in press), note 23, above. See also: http://cambioglobal.uc.cl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81&Itemid=62&lang=en 28. See http://www.planestrategico.mendoza.gob.ar. 29. R. G. Varady and A. Browning-Aiken, "The Birth of a Mexican Watershed Council in the San Pedro Basin in Sonora," in C. Fuentes-Flores and S. Peña-Medina, eds., Planeación y Cooperación Transfronteriza en la Frontera México-Estados Unidos (Transboundary Planning and Cooperation in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region) (Ciudad Juárez, Mexico: El Colegio de la Frontera Norte & Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ambiente y Desarrollo, 2005), pp. 165–183. 30. U.S. Public Law 109-448, the United States–Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act, was approved in late 2006 and authorized up to $50 million; to date, $2 million has been appropriated. The intent is to provide scientific information useful to policymakers and water managers. 31. R. G. Varady, R. Salmón Castillo, and S. Eden, "Key Issues, Institutions, and Strategies for Managing Transboundary Water Resources in the Arizona–Mexico Border Region," in S. B. Megdal, R. G. Varady, and S. Eden, eds. Shared Borders, Shared Waters: Israeli-Palestinian and Colorado River Basin Water Challenges (Delft, The Netherlands: UNESCO-IHE Press in collaboration with Taylor & Francis, in press); C. A. Scott, S. Megdal, L. A. Oroz, J. Callegary, and P. Vandervoet, "Climate Change and Population Growth Impacts on the Transboundary Santa Cruz Aquifer," Climate Research 51 (2012):159-170, doi: 10.3354/cr01061. 51: 159–170, doi: 10.3354/cr01061 32. G. Young, H. Zavala, J. Wandel, B. Smit, S. Salas, E. Jimenez, M. Fiebig, R. Espinoza, H. Diaz, and J. Cepeda, "Vulnerability and Adaptation in a Dryland Community of the Elqui Valley, Chile," Climatic Change 98 (2010): 245–276, doi: 10.1007/s10584-009-9665-4; E. Montaña, "Central Andean Foothill Farmers Facing Global Environmental Change," IHDP Update 2 (2008): 36–39. See http://www.ihdp.unu.edu/file/get/7724. 33. Young et al. (2010), note 32, above. 34. G. Schneier-Madanes and M. F. Courel, "Introduction," in G. Schneier-Madanes and M. F. Courel, eds., Water and Sustainability in Arid Regions (Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer, 2010), pp. xvii–xxii.

Currently the world hosts seven billion people that require food. About one third of the earth’s land area is now intensively used by agriculture, and another third extensively. Agriculture inevitably depends on soil quality as well as on water resources. More than 70 % of human water use is due to irrigation. In addition, transpiration from rainfed agriculture comprises a substantial part of the earth’s water cycle. Thus, land use both highly depends and affects water availability and is intimately intertwined with water resources management. The term “landscape” is used here to account for a variety of feedback effects between natural resources, human land use, economy and demography. The world population continues to increase. In addition, growth of economic wealth in many countries increased demand for upmarket agricultural products, and there is increasing demand for biofuel production as well which increases pressure on soil and water at a global scale. During the last 50 years cultivated area per capita decreased by half and likely will continue to decrease. Thus there is urgent need for advanced concepts of sustainable use of water and soil resources. Already today groundwater and river water over-exploitation due to increasing irrigation is a matter of concern. In some regions groundwater levels have been decreasing by 1 m per year during the last decades. Even large rivers fell increasingly dry. This has severe implications for water resources further downstream, not to mention biodiversity aspects. For example, the Aral Sea has been shrinking by more than 90 % within a few decades, giving place to a hostile salt desert. Thus, inefficient water management and land degradation are closely connected to each other. Climate change is now considered an increasing threat on water resources. Increasing air temperature is often associated with increasing evapotranspiration and thus increasing utilization of rare water resources. However, this is an oversimplification. On the one hand, warmer air masses can transport more water vapour, and increasing temperature comes along with increasing energy for mass transport which could even increase precipitation. In addition, higher CO2 partial pressure likely will increase water use efficiency of plants and thus reduce water consumption. On the other hand, large scale atmospheric circulation patterns most probably will be affected by climate change and thus change spatial patterns of precipitation which is not trivial to predict. Correspondingly, climate change models are fraught with large uncertainties with respect to precipitation. However, experts agree that in general frequency and intensity of extreme events like floods and drought likely will increase which poses agricultural management and soil resources at increasing risk. Besides, melting of glaciers in mountainous regions currently increases water availability in the lowlands downstream, whereas the opposite is true in the long-term. Thus there is urgent need for an “Integrated Water Resources Management” (IWRM) which has to include soil quality management as well. Various ideas, concepts and methods exist. However, local conditions have to be considered. Thus, experience from different parts of the world needs to be exchanged. This book is intended to contribute to that.KeywordsLandscape hydrologyWater over-exploitationIntegrated water resources management

Water Resourcing in China has historically been a complex issue requiring the ability to deal with regular floods, droughts and diverse water needs. Climate change represents another challenge to this sector, albeit one that is not traditionally considered by water managers. In this sector in China water management is predominantly based on historic, seasonal and annual forecast data while multi-annual and (multi-)decadal data are seldom used. In this paper, we present the co-development of a climate service prototype designed to provide water managers with insights into the impacts of climate change on the Upper Yellow River region for the next century. The paper is an outcome from our project that encouraged water resource planners and water resource managers to utilise long-term climate information to understand the uncertainties and the challenges our changing climate is likely to have in the region. Using an interdisciplinary team and adopting a user-centred, co-production approach, a prototype web-based data visualisation tool was developed. The development of the prototype was based on a design specification constructed from the findings of detailed interviews that allowed it to be developed and tested under SARS-CoV-2 pandemic restrictions that prevented the typical development process to be undertaken. The developed prototype presents climate information and communicates uncertainties regarding climate change in the remainder of the century through data sets that are typically used by the water sector in China in a simple, easy to understand style. Models that estimate river levels under different extraction scenarios and results about estimated river level and flow, and flood risk are also presented. The prototype was shown to be successful, as key messages relating to the impact of climate change and the challenges for water resource management could be effectively communicated through the tool interface. Practical implicationsUnderstanding the impacts of climate change on water resourcing is complicated and multifaceted. There is a need for better data about what water there is and how it is moving around between and within catchments. Estimates of past, present and future climate variables along with historical measurements of river flow can be used to help visualise some of the uncertainties and changes that may happen in the next 50 years. In addition, there is a need to understand changing water demands and water resource management practices. Current water resource management practices are based on historical conditions and assumptions that are less likely to hold true in a more variable and warmer climate. Communicating how future changes will impact future water resourcing is critical to water resources in a changing climate (Belcher et al. 2018).This research outlines the construction of a tool to visualise the impacts of climate change on water availability in part of China that is typically water scarce, using models developed using the Soil Water Assessment Toolkit (SWAT). A model of the Upper Yellow River (UYR) was developed to demonstrate the impact of climate change on river levels in the catchment based on climate variables. The rainfall-runoff model was based on climate predictions from the CMIP5 assessment HadGEM3-GC3.05 climate model and incorporated information about water resource allocations for different administrative regions of the catchment The general climate trend for the region is that it is expected to become significantly warmer. The total amount of precipitation is likely to be about the same, and yet it is expected that overall, the catchment will become significantly drier over time as winter shortens and summer lengthens. The outputs from the model reflect the changes in climate variables. The uncertainties were communicated via a Web based tool. Water resource managers in China helped to coproduce the tool by participating in workshops and providing feedback on prototypes. The workshops helped scientists and water resource managers to communicate about climate change impacts on water resources and water resource management.

Objectives: To explore the challenges of balancing economic, social, and environmental needs in sustainable water management. To examine innovative solutions for conserving water, ensuring its equitable distribution, and building resilience against climate change. To investigate the role of policy interventions, community engagement, and technological advancements (e.g., AI, smart water monitoring) in achieving water security. To review key strategies and case studies related to sustainable water management practices and their effectiveness. Methods: Analyzing key case studies and strategies in water sustainability across different regions. Studying approaches such as Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), BlueGreen Infrastructure, Sponge Cities, and water reuse technologies. Reviewing the potential roles of policy, technology, and community involvement in improving water resource management. Results: The research identifies successful strategies and best practices for water sustainability, including IWRM, BlueGreen Infrastructure, Sponge Cities, and water reuse technologies. Technological advancements like AI and smart water monitoring systems play a significant role in improving water management. The study highlights the importance of governance, public-private partnerships, and nature-based solutions to address water scarcity and climate change. Conclusion: Achieving long-term water resource sustainability requires an integrated approach that combines innovative technologies, efficient governance, and nature-based solutions. The study emphasizes the role of policy interventions, community engagement, and collaboration between the public and private sectors in ensuring water security. The findings indicate that addressing water scarcity and climate change requires collaborative efforts and sustainable management practices that are resilient and adaptable.

For resolving adverse impact in water sector (such as severe flooding, sedimentation of river channels, erosion of the riverbanks, scarcity of water during the dry season, saline intrusion and environmental degradation in particular in the Southwest, cyclones and tidal surges in coastal areas, heavy arsenic contamination of groundwater etc.) in Bangladesh, lot of studies and programs have been under taken by the Government of Bangladesh during the last fifty years. Current global climate change and upstream withdrawal of water have made the water related problems more critical. Under these circumstances, water resources management needs more comprehensive and integrated approaches. Early day’s water management in Bangladesh were mainly involved to Flood Control Drainage and Irrigation (FCDI) project which caused detrimental effects of other sectors. The issue of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has been increasingly highlighted after the 1990's. The Flood Action Plan (FAP, 1989-95), Bangladesh Water and Flood Management Strategy (BWFMS, 1995), The Ganges Water Treaty (1996), National Policy for Safe Water Supply and Sanitation (1998), National Water Policy (NWPo, 1999), Guidelines for Participatory Water Management (GPWM, 2000), National Water Management Plan (NWMP, 2004), National Water Resources Database (NWRD, 2001), Regional Technical Assistance (RETA, 2009), Bangladesh Water Act (DBWA, 2013)are the major examples of IWRM practice in Bangladesh.For the evaluation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) activities in Bangladesh, the three IWRM tools i.e. ‘Enabling Environment’, ‘Institutional Framework’ and ‘Management Instrument’ have been used as a methodology. Lots of Online Questionnaire has been done to the National Water Expertise for getting more information and strengthening the scope of work. Although lot of constraints are existing to develop IWRM plan in Bangladesh, yet the existing policy, plan, guideline, law, institution and information system provide a sound basis for the IWRM implementation in Bangladesh considering the principals of IWRM i.e. efficiency, equity, environmental sustainability. The study has shown that, the progress towards Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Bangladesh has been good. Much remains to be done. Nevertheless, advancing IWRM is a process of incremental steps and the Bangladesh water-related sector is clearly moving in the right direction towards the IWRM plan. Finally the study has drawn recommendations for effective implementation of IWRM activities in Bangladesh.

Integrated water resources management

Water crisis has been ranked amongst the top 10 global challenges with estimates predicting up to a 40 percent fall in freshwater resources by 2030. On top of that, water demand has far outpaced current population growth and experiencing water scarcity due to rising average global temperatures exacerbated by climate change. Hence, the environmental and sustainable management of water resources is a global imperative, and Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) has emerged as a key paradigm to address the multifaceted challenges associated with water management. This chapter discusses the dynamic interplay between IWRM and environmental governance through capacity developments emphasising their pivotal roles in promoting sustainable water resource management. In terms of the governance process, it is only possible to promote and apply IWRM through a well-defined policy for capacity development, ensuring transparency and accountability in water management and addressing inequality, gender biasness supported by available tools under Global Water Partnership (GWP).

Investigation of water allocation using integrated water resource management approaches in the Zayandehroud River basin, Iran

Large river basins present significant challenges for water resource planning and management. They typically traverse a wide range of hydroclimatic regimes, are characterized by complex and variable hydrology, and span multiple jurisdictions with diverse water demands and values. They are often data-poor and in many developing economies are characterized by weak water governance. Rapid global change is seeing significant changes to the pressures on the water resources of large basins, exacerbating the challenge of sustainable water management. Diverse technologies have long supported water resource planning and development, from data collection, analytics, simulation, to decision-making, and real-time operations. In the last two decades however, a rapid increase in the range, capability, and accessibility of new technologies, coupled with large reductions in cost, mean there are increasing opportunities for emerging technologies to significantly “disrupt” traditional approaches to water resources management. In this paper, we consider the application of ‘disruptive technologies’ in water resources management in large river basins, through a lens of improving water security. We discuss the role of different actors and institutions for water management considering a range of emerging disruptive technologies. We consider the risks and benefits associated with the use of these technologies and discuss the barriers to their widespread adoption. We obverse a positive trend away from the reliance solely on centralized government institutions and traditional modeling for the collection and analysis of data, towards a more open and dynamic ‘data and knowledge ecosystem’ that draws upon data services at different levels (global to local) to support water planning and operations. We expect that technological advances and cost reductions will accelerate, fueling increased incremental adoption of new technologies in water resources planning and management. Large-basin analytics could become virtually free for users with global, regional, and national development agencies absorbing the costs of development and any subscription services for end users (e.g., irrigators) to help improve water management at user level and improve economic productivity. Collectively, these changes can help to ‘democratize’ water management through improved access to data and information. However, disruptive technologies can also be deployed in top-down or centralized processes, and so their use is sometimes contested or misunderstood. Increased attention therefore needs to be given to ensuring equity in technology access, and to strengthening the governance context for technology deployment. Widespread adoption of disruptive technologies will require adjustments to how water professionals are trained, increased adaptiveness in water resources planning and operations, and careful consideration of privacy and cybersecurity issues.

Water security problems are becoming more and more challenging in Iran for several reasons such as population growth, urbanization, land-use change, unsustainable water use and climate change. All the mentioned reasons result in an increase in the human exploitation of water resources and consequently increasing anthropogenic impacts on rivers, flood plains, and fresh groundwater. Therefore, assessment of the human pressures on rivers is particularly important to find areas where water resources are threatened and subjected to rapidly increasing anthropogenic effects. By this integrated approach, a successful Integrated Water Resources Management will be achieved to guide policy makers for best protection, restoration and management. In this regard, Southern Caspian Sea Basin Rivers (including Kura-South Caspian and Caspian Highland ecoregions) were studied in terms of human pressure types. Human pressures were analyzed at different spatial scales, and finally seven main pressure types (i.e. Land use, Hydrology, Morphology, Connectivity, Water quality, Biology) were defined in which the abundance and distributions of each pressure type was different. According to this study, most areas were impacted by land use pressure type followed by water quality. Moreover, most areas were threatened by multiple pressures.

Water resources are essential to sustain human life and natural ecosystems, yet increasing stresses from population growth, urbanization, and climate change pose challenges to sustainable water resource management. Integrated Water Resources Management provides a holistic approach to address these challenges by considering the interconnectedness of water uses and the need for coordinated management. Innovative practices, adaptive policies, and equitable outcomes for people are critical for sustainable and just water resource management that meets the needs of a growing population amidst the mounting pressures of climate change. Innovative practices in stormwater management can help mitigate water resource challenges from stressors like urbanization and climate change. Incorporating pretreatment into bioretention systems is an innovative practice that can reduce suspended particle concentrations, preserve well-established vegetation, and lead to improved system performance. A case study of a bioretention cell in Johnston, IA, demonstrated that the pre-treatment structure reduced the average concentration of suspended particles by 37%. Further, modeling showed water quality and quantity benefits, including a 62% reduction in the mass load of suspended particles and an 80% reduction in the peak flowrate directed to the storm sewer. This case study contributes insights into the benefits, trade-offs, and design considerations of pre-treatment for bioretention systems, which are critical to advancing sustainable stormwater management. Applying adaptive management, such as monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of policies, is critical for improving sustainable water resource management. Our study evaluating the effectiveness of a stormwater ordinance in Clive, IA, found that the mandated stormwater management practices effectively reduced peak flow and time to peak, particularly for longer storms that more closely resembled those used in the design criteria. However, observed storms had more variation in duration and intensity compared to the uniform, 24-hr storms prescribed for design, sometimes resulting in higher flows than predicted but not leading to flood risk. The study highlights the need to consider observed or projected precipitation data in design and policy to mitigate challenges posed by urbanization and climate change. The holistic approach of Integrated Water Resources Management requires considering interdependencies between water and other critical systems that affect equitable outcomes. Equity principles can be implemented by investigating how barriers to food, energy, and water systems (FEWS) affordability, access, and quality impact socially vulnerable people. Our study focusing on these intersections across climates and the urban-rural divide in the US found variations and notable disparities for vulnerable populations in specific regions (e.g., Subarctic rural regions, Hot-Humid urban areas). Affordability barriers had an increasing likelihood of being high for populations who were vulnerable due to their racial or ethnic minority status. In contrast, high access and quality barriers were associated with socioeconomic and household characteristic vulnerabilities. This study provides a framework for social equity considerations within the FEWS nexus to inform policy and strategies for improving social equity in the US. Our findings underscore the need for interventions to correct historical legacies and dismantle barriers to equitable FEWS provisioning.

Governing and managing water resources under changing hydro-climatic contexts: The case of the upper Rhone basin

There is increasing evidence that global climate variability and change is affecting the quality and availability of water supplies. Integrated water resources development, use, and management strategies, represent an effective approach to achieve sustainable development of water resources in a changing environment with competing demands. It is also a key to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. It is critical that integrated water management strategies must incorporate the impacts of climate variability and change to reduce vulnerability of the poor, strengthen sustainable livelihoods and support national sustainable development. UNDP's strategy focuses on developing adaptation in the water governance sector as an entry point within the framework of poverty reduction and national sustainable development. This strategy aims to strengthen the capacity of governments and civil society organizations to have access to early warning systems, ability to assess the impact of climate variability and change on integrated water resources management, and developing adaptation intervention through hands-on learning by undertaking pilot activities.