Water Resources Management and Modeling

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.

The increasing rate of urbanisation and extreme climatic events represent a constant threat for urban water resources management. In recent decades, Milan Metropolitan Area (Lombardy Region, Northern Italy) has been affected by a) frequent extreme rainfall events, responsible for the flooding of major surface water courses, and b) groundwater management problems, both from a quantitative (i.e. interaction with underground infrastructures) and qualitative point of view. Moreover, the increasing use of groundwater geothermal systems also requires further considerations. This work analyses the literature available in the area regarding surface floods, groundwater quantity, quality, and temperature. Finally, a discussion is provided to understand a) which approaches could promote an effective management of both surface water and groundwater resources b) which points of contact emerge between these two aspects of the urban water cycle, and c) which possible urban interventions could contribute to an integrated and functional management of water resources, also reducing some current issues.

Investigation of the evolution of the groundwater system and its mechanisms is critical to the sustainable management of water in river basins. Temporal and spatial distributions and characteristics of groundwater have undergone a tremendous change with the intensity of human activities in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin (HRB), the second largest arid inland river basin in northwestern China. Based on groundwater observation data, hydrogeological data, meteorological data and irrigation statistical data, combined with geostatistical analyses and groundwater storage estimation, the basin-scaled evolution of the groundwater levels and storage (from 1985 to 2013) were investigated. The results showed that the unbalanced allocation of water sources and expanded cropland by policy-based human activities resulted in the over-abstraction of groundwater, which induced a general decrease in the water table and groundwater storage. The groundwater level has generally fallen from 4.92 to 11.49 m from 1985 to 2013, especially in the upper and middle parts of the alluvial fan (zone I), and reached a maximum depth of 17.41 m. The total groundwater storage decreased by 177.52 × 108 m3; zone I accounted for about 94.7 % of the total decrease. The groundwater balance was disrupted and the groundwater system was in a severe negative balance; it was noted that the groundwater/surface-water interaction was also deeply affected. It is essential to develop a rational plan for integration and management of surface water and groundwater resources in the HRB.

The Role of Technology in Water Resources Planning and Management , E.M. Perez and W. Viessman . ( Editors ). ASCE Press , 1801 Alek Bell Drive, Reston, Virginia 20191-4400 . 2009 . 134 pages . $22 . ISBN 978-0-7844-1028-8 . The main thrust of this 134-page paperback pertains to the impact of using computers and their increasingly sophisticated programs in conjunction with advanced technologies in water resources-related planning and management activities. Appropriate attention is also given to the growing use of GIS in the development of planning and management models. The book begins with a short but useful chapter on the evolution of water resources technology and then continues with three chapters on case studies in water supply, environmental restoration cases, and emerging technologies. Each one of the three chapters includes three different case studies that highlight the issues for each of the study areas. This procedure was good, as a brief but informative background and history of the area (such as the Kissimmee River in Florida) and was followed by a sound, detailed account of the various models, programs, problems, and techniques that were applied to the subject area. Each one of the nine case studies in Chapters 3-5 followed the aforementioned writing format. The examples selected were very informative, as they covered a range of study areas and interesting local issues. The water supply case studies in Chapter 3 included the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area water supply, water availability modeling in Texas with particular emphasis on surface water, and the massive groundwater development project in Libya. The restoration case studies in Chapter 4 included two areas from Florida (Kissimmee River and the Everglades) and a coastal area study in Louisiana. The case studies on emerging technologies in Chapter 5 discussed the decision support system in the South Platte River watershed in Colorado, the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence region, and the operations management of the South Florida Water Management District. The discussion in each study had certain similarities, but the institutional, technical, and differences in location were quite interesting and useful. Regrettably, there were some aspects of the book that could have been avoided. For example, the inner and outer horizontal margins of the pages are only about 0.4 in. (1.02 cm) and 0.3 in. (0.76 cm), respectively. The reader has to constantly press the book down to read the text. Another item that could easily be clarified is to identify what TAF represents in Figure 21. It is presumed to be “thousand acre-feet,” but a brief note would have helped. It is always useful to include maps in a book of this nature. Many projects in different locations are discussed, and basic maps are obviously necessary. Some of the maps were not as clear as they could have been. For example, Figure 1 has a map scale of 1 in. to 44.4 mi for the Potomac River watershed, resulting in a small scale map that makes it very difficult to even read the names of the major rivers. At the least, the printed size of the river names should have been larger. The maps that show the huge groundwater project in Libya (Figure 4) and the Colorado’s River basins (Figure 20) do not have scales. The map of south-central Florida (Figure 13) that goes from the Keys to Orlando has a scale of only 1 in. to 80 mi, which is too small to accompany the discussion in the chapter. The adjoining map of the South Florida Water Management District on the same page (p. 52) is also too small to be of much value. Finally, it would have been useful to include a list of the maps at the very beginning of the book. The various sections of the book also have different writing styles and modes of expression, presumably generated by the 11 members of the Task Committee, two of whom were editors. The talent pool on the committee was substantial, but the material in each chapter varied considerably, perhaps reflecting different authors. This situation led to another unknown (i.e., who were the authors of the various chapters and sections). Mention is made of “… the writer” in the second paragraph on p. 87, but there is no identification. Did this unnamed writer work only on the South Platte River, or on all of Chapter 5? It seems fairly reasonable to have the author(s) identified for the sections/chapters that they wrote. The concluding chapter is excellent, as it serves as a clear, succinct statement of the role of technology in water resources planning. Interesting comments were also made about the role of the federal government and the states in encouraging or discouraging a variety of options to deal with water resource issues. In conclusion, the major goals of the Committee have been met, although there could have been some improvements as previously discussed. Robert M. Hordon Water Resources Consultant8 Dov PlaceKendall Park, New Jersey 08824 Water Ethics: Foundational Readings for Students and Professionals , P.G. Brown and J.J. Schmidt ( Editors ). Island Press , 1718 Connecticut Ave. NW, Ste. 300, Washington, D.C. 20009 . 2010 . 301 pages . $35.00 (paper ). ISBN 978-1-59726-565-2 . I really enjoyed reading Water Ethics because I have an interest in philosophy. But even if I did not have a background in philosophy, I still would have enjoyed reading these essays – maybe it is simply because something in these well written essays resonated with me. Indeed, I find myself re-reading many of the essays – some of them are just that good. Many of these essays are more than rote academic exercises. I was fully engaged – heart and mind – as I read Water Ethics. For me, some of the philosophies expressed have moved me to action. But to be sure, I was not motivated by monetary gain – not for upward mobility. No, I found myself moved to do good just for the sake of doing good – for what I think is right. Admittedly, I did not instantly recognize many of the essayists in Water Ethics. I hope this is because of my own ignorance of water ethics – my own distorted gestalt focused on the technical issues of water. Still, if you don’t recognize these authors, you should not be dissuaded from reading these essays – many of them are beautifully written and often you can feel the emotional connection that the authors have with their art. Too many excellent works to adequately describe here are included. Indeed, I cannot do justice to reviewing even one single work in the short span of this review. But I think it is useful to discuss two essays that particularly struck me. The essay, “Fish First! The Changing Ethics of Ecosystem Management,” was written by Carolyn Merchant. In particular, one passage moved me: “There is an intrinsic value to all living and nonliving things, and all have a right to survive.” I already believed this to be true but until now I felt alone in this view and I remained mute for fear of ridicule. But this passage let me know that there are others that believe as I do and that I am not alone in holding this view. Nor is this a diseased view. So I am now okay with this thought, that there is an intrinsic value to all things and I am moved to action. There is no reason why I cannot incorporate this thought into my professional ethos – I would be dishonest if I did otherwise. The second essay that stirred me: “Women, Water, Energy: An Ecofeminist Approach,” was written by Greta Gaard. Again, there was one particular passage that touched me: “Exemplifying the instrumentalism inherent in Plumwood’s master model, Western culture views water primarily as a means to its own ends, a servant to the dominant (not subordinate) population; it is difficult, in this cultural context, to imagine that water would have purposes of its own.” Again, I felt relieved that others hold this view – that water would have purposes of its own – as I have held this view for quite some time. Again, I realize that all of my thoughts are not necessarily malformed. Gaard’s essay too has moved me to take action – I am emboldened to modify my professional perspective to accommodate my old friend. I realize that my views might not be held by many other hydrologists – and my views probably won’t make me wealthy or popular. But I will say this, these essays, if you let them, can motivate you to take action for what you believe is right. I am glad that I read Water Ethics and I would not hesitate suggesting it to my colleagues. The essays are not necessarily written for the professional philosopher – the essays are not laden with unfamiliar jargon – the views are immediately understandable. But an emotional component espoused by Water Ethics is lacking in a purely reductionist view of water. Kevin J. Spelts Twin Platte Natural Resources District111 S. Dewey St., 2nd FloorNorth Platte, Nebraska 69103 Water Resources Engineering (Second Edition) , L.W. Mays . John Wiley & Sons, Inc. , 111 River St., Hoboken, New Jersey 07030-5774 . 2011 . 890 pages . ISBN 978-0-470-46064-1. This book is a detailed text for all students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and also an excellent reference for engineers and hydrologists. It is suitable for the first undergraduate course in hydraulics, hydrology, and hydraulic design by reference to selected chapters in those fields. Two new chapters on water resources engineering and sustainability have been added to this revised edition. The book is divided into five major areas: Water Resource Sustainability, Hydraulics, Hydrology, Engineering Analysis and Design for Water Use, and Engineering Analysis and Design for Water Excess Management. There are 19 chapters in the book that cover the extensive gamut of hydrology and hydraulics with the exception of the water quality aspects of water resources engineering. The book includes an enormous amount of detail along with copious tables, sample problems, maps, graphs, and photos. The graphs are very useful, numerous, and generally quite clear. Websites are given where appropriate in addition to numerous references. All chapters contain useful problems with worked out solutions and good diagrams for many of the processes. Chapter 2 deals with water resources sustainability and begins with a very good discussion of the Colorado River Basin and the problems of demand exceeding supply in the foreseeable future, as urban/suburban water demand continues to grow. As in this chapter and throughout the book, the author must be commended for the detail in the tables and footnotes in addition to including the source of the data. However, all of the supporting tables and figures are numbered with three digits, such as the map on p. 17 that is labeled as Figure 2.2.1 rather than Figure 2.1. It is the author’s discretion, but many other texts drop the extra digits and just use, for example, Figure 2.1 (Chapter 2, Figure 1) that seems to be easier to find and use. Chapters 3-6 cover the hydraulic processes associated with flow and hydrostatic forces, pressurized pipe flow, open channel flow, and groundwater flow. Chapter 7 on hydrologic processes focuses on the engineering aspects of hydrology with particular attention to surface water. Chemical properties of water and its relationship to biota are not included. The maps of drainage basins are a nice feature, especially since most of them have graphic scales with the exception of Figure 7.1.9 (the Upper Mississippi River without the Missouri River). Figure 7.1.3 on p. 235 shows a map of the world with major ocean currents. As the map is greatly extended along the Equator, it would have been useful to provide a name for the projection (presumably some type of equal-area projection). Many references in climatology include “convergent lifting” as one of the four types of lifting mechanisms that result in precipitation. The convergence type is generally not as common as the three types cited on p. 238, but it is still deemed a major source of precipitation, particularly in the lower latitudes on both sides of the Equator. This Intertropical Convergence Zone is noted for copious precipitation, general instability, and rising air in the Hadley cells. It shifts seasonally from about 150°S in North Australia to 250°N in northern India – a range of about 400° in latitude. Chapters 8 and 9 deal with surface runoff and reservoir and stream flow routing. Probability is thoroughly treated in Chapter 10 with numerous problems that involve hydrology and hydraulic design and analysis. Chapter 11 deals with water withdrawal and uses. Surprisingly, with the exception of Vol. 1 of the Gleick et al., Biennial Reports that started in 1998-1999, no other reference to the other five Biennial Reports that covered the periods 2000-2001 through 2008-2009 was made. Abundant in-depth material about water issues is included in these compilations and to exclude them from the reference list in one or more chapters appears inappropriate. To be fair to the author who has selected some of the best possible references overall to be included, it would have been better to extend the list to include recent works on such important areas as water use and trends. This chapter is potentially very interesting and useful, but some of the data are dated. For example, Figure 11.1 shows United States (U.S.) freshwater withdrawals and consumption based on the USGS five-year reports during the 1960-1990 period. This revised edition does not include the USGS reports (or more formally Circulars) for 1995, 2000, and 2005. Would the trends change if more recent data were included? At the least, it would be nice to know. Similar comments could be made about Table 11.1.2 based on a reference from 1991, Tables 11.1.3-11.1.5, 11.2.1, 11.2.2, and Tables 11.4.2 and 11.4.3. Flow duration curves are shown in Figure 11.7.2 on semilog graphs. In Searcy’s USGS Water-Supply Paper 1542-A of 1959, a flow duration curve is shown on a log probability graph. It would have been useful to briefly discuss the difference, if any, between the two types of graph. The list of references is extensive. However, there are none after 2000. Other chapters have newer references, but not this one. Chapters 12-17 cover in good fashion the topics of water distribution, hydroelectric generation, flood control, storm sewers and detention, street and highway drainage and culverts, and the design of spillways. Chapter 18 covers sedimentation and erosion hydraulics. The chapter begins with a brief but important discussion of bridge failures that are caused by floods, as 84% of the 575,000 bridges in the U.S. National Bridge Inventory have been built over streams that are alluvial and therefore are always re-arranging their streambeds and banks. The costs to society when these bridges are damaged or destroyed are substantial, to say the least. Chapter 19 is the last chapter and covers the topic of water resources management for sustainability. It includes many references that are recent, as evidenced by the inclusion of appropriate websites. Major issues discussed include water law of both surface water and groundwater. The sustainable water supply techniques for arid and semiarid areas form a very useful addition to this concluding chapter. The topics include water reclamation and reuse, aquifer recharge, desalination, water transfers such as the Central Arizona Project, the massive movement of groundwater from an aquifer in southern Libya to northern Libya, the Israeli National Water Carrier system to move water to drier sections of the country, and a long-range plan to transfer water from the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers in south-central China to the drier northern parts of China. The author properly makes it obvious that the plan to divert water that results from an ancient pluvial period in the Sahara to the coastal area along the Mediterranean Sea does not include any recharge, so that it is really a nonrenewable resource. In summary, this is an impressive book. The amount of material covered in a detailed manner is simply astounding. The text is buttressed by a truly extensive collection of tables, graphs, maps, photographs, and references at the end of each chapter. The book is recommended for undergraduate and graduate students in addition to the specialized interests of the professional community of engineers, hydrologists, and water resource specialists. Robert M. Hordon Water Resources Consultant8 Dov PlaceKendall Park, New Jersey 08824 Other Books and Publications Received Water Resources , S.C., Anisfeld . Island Press , 1718 Connecticut Ave. NW, Ste. 300, Washington, D.C. 20009 . 2010 . 330 pages . ISBN 978-1-59726-495-2 . Floods and droughts frequently garner the headlines, but they are just part of the multifaceted water crisis facing the world today. Anisfeld addresses the principal ecological and human problems related to water. After introducing the basics of hydrology, he explores issues including flooding, scarcity, climate change, technologies, ecosystem degradation, human health, agriculture, industry, inefficiency and inequity, and political conflict. He argues that the key challenge is balancing competing demands for water, from drinking to navigation to ecosystem protection. This balancing act can be summed up by the two Es – efficiency and equity. New Membranes and Advanced Materials for Wastewater Treatment , A. Mueller, B. Guieysse, and A. Sarker ( Editors ). Oxford University Press , 198 Madison Ave., New York, New York 10016 . 2010 . 272 pages . $150.00 . ISBN 978-0-84-127214-9 . This book demonstrates that recent innovations in material sciences provide tremendous potential to develop a novel generation of water treatment technologies. The book focuses on (1) creating a viable product from waste removed from water, (2) solutions to common water remediation problems, and (3) molecularly imprinted polymers for water remediation, new to the field. Hydrocomplexity: New Tools for Solving Wicked Water Problems , S. Khan, H. Savenije, S. Demuth, and P. Hubert . IAHS Press , Center for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, United Kingdom . 2010 . 272 pages . £55 . ISBN 978-1-907-161-11-7 . This book is the proceedings of a conference on the topic of the book title. The book includes 63 papers divided into 11 sections, as follows: Monitoring and Evaluating the Water Cycle, Linking Climate Change With Water Cycle Management, Parsimonious Vs. Complicated Approaches, Whole-of-System and Adaptive Approaches, Need for Transdisciplinary Issues Approaches to Deal With Water Related Ecosystems, Integrated Approaches, Role of Knowledge Platforms for Community Engagement, From Artificial to Embodied Intelligence, Water Allocation Dilemma, Water Quality – A Critical Issue, and Managing Hydrohazards. Status and Perspectives of Hydrology in Small Basins , A. Herrmann and S. Schumann . IAHS Press , Center for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, United Kingdom . 2010 . 313 pages . £65 . This book includes the papers presented at a conference on hydrologic aspects associated with small watersheds. The book includes 47 papers allocated to the following eight sections: Presently Operated Small Hydrological Research Basins, Fundamental Hydrological Results Drawn From Studies in Small Basins, Hydrological Processes Knowledge Drawn From Studies in Small Basins, Importance of Hydrological Data, Research on Hydrological Processes, What Contribution to the Monitoring and Understanding of Changes in Physical Processes, The Contribution to the PUB Initiative, and Do We Need Research From Small Basins? Worlds of Flow: A History of Hydrodynamics From the Bernoullis to Prandtl , O. Derrigol . Oxford University Press , 198 Madison Ave., New York, New York 10016 . 2009 . 356 pages . ISBN 978-0-19-955911-4 . This book provides an in-depth history of hydrodynamics from its 18th Century foundations to its first major successes in 20th Century hydraulics and aeronautics. It documents the foundational role of fluid mechanics in developing a new mathematical physics. It discusses the conceptual breakthroughs of physicists and engineers who tried to meet the practical challenges of the practical worlds of hydraulics, navigation, blood circulation, meteorology, and aeronautics. It shows how the early promise of hydrodynamics at last began to fulfill its early promise to unify the early worlds of flow. It should be of interest to historians, engineers, philosophers, and The eight chapters cover topics from to from and to instability, and from to water the on the Platte River Water , . Press of Colorado , Ave., Ste. Colorado . 2010 . pages . . ISBN . Water of the Platte River have to the water supply, and water In the a new the of four into its This book of the the United States of the the environmental and the how interests found the by the how these interests and which water and an the this book the that over more than

The current status of the exploitation, use, and management of water resources in the context of socioeconomic development, climate change, and issues related to the region are causing negative impacts on the water resources of Vietnam. This study aimed to develop a framework for assessing Vietnam’s water security based on the following key aspects: (i) the availability of water resources; (ii) the current status of water exploitation and use; (iii) the current status of waste water and water pollution; (iv) water resource management organization; and (v) water-related disasters, including floods, droughts, subsidence, coastal erosion, landslides, ecological imbalance, and diseases related to water resources. In particular, the challenges of transboundary water resources and the food–energy–water nexus were investigated. We reviewed the assessment frameworks that have recently been developed outside Vietnam or regions with similar climates and analyzed the characteristics of downstream and rapid-growth countries such as Vietnam using a number of key water resource indicators, both qualitative and quantitative. From these processes, we developed an assessment framework and provided a perspective on water security. The results of this study showed that the challenge of transboundary water resources, the impact of climate change, the pressure on socioeconomic development, and the water–energy–food nexus are core issues that need to be addressed from the perspective of water security in Vietnam. This case study may be helpful for downstream and developing countries.

The use of models to simulate or predict impact of climate change on water resources management is very vital due to continual increase in global warming which invariably affects most important natural resources in the environment. This paper provides an overview of the existing models used for evaluating climate change impact on water resources management. It also compares their relative advantages and drawbacks. It was found that no model can perform satisfactorily the assessment of climate change impact; hence it may be necessary to use one model to compliment the weakness of another. Global Circulation Model (GCM) is not easily accessible in developing countries due to sophistications and processes involved in running it. Moreso, the nature of available data and cost of acquiring it is high. The main advantage of Water Balance (WATBAL) model is that it can model climate change impact in water resources but its major drawback is that it requires many inputs of hydro-meteorological parameters. Regression and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models are readily available and not too expensive. They can model climate change impact on water resources and hydropower operation. However, the drawback is that enormous data are required for ANN model calibration and operation. It is imperative therefore to anticipate and efficiently prepare for future water resources management and suggest necessary measures to mitigate the effect of climate change.

Most provinces in Indonesia will be facing water scarcity problems in the next decades due to increasing water demands resulting from population growth, urbanization and economic and industrial developments. As a consequence, they will also be facing a number of problems with regards water resource management, such as a lack of data and information needed to evaluate the real status of water resources, the unsystematic development of relevant infrastructure and economic instruments, inadequate human resources for the operation and maintenance of water resources, and a lack of interest in improving research and development activities. This paper examines the application of data and information management for improved water resources management in Indonesia through “one door data service system” linked among the related institutions from different sectors and levels both at the central and regional government agencies. One of the key solutions to help solve water resource problems would therefore be to obtain supporting data and information by developing an information system and water resources data centre (WRDC). Rapid developments in information and communication technology (ICT) could be used to support data communication and management requests in order to build capacity of the water resources sector, and as a prerequisite for an integrated water resources management program. Improved efficiency and effectiveness could be achieved by making relevant data and information available, as well by establishing a communication system among related institutions. Further, provinces should also prioritize developing human and social capital through education, service delivery and career development, as well as training for water resources development and management. Data and information such as the hydrological and water quality data, information of water resources potential, irrigation areas, population and economic growth as well as the others related data need to store in both the tabular and spatial formats. The water resources data management and warehouse system is a web-enabled application that permits spatial data to be stored with tabular data in a standard database management system. This system permits a dynamic generation of output from the tabular and spatial data and enables users to generate answers to their queries online, rather than simply presenting static maps and tables from the database. The WRDC applications were developed and chosen by gathering the ideas suggested by users at the ministerial, provincial and river basin levels. Within the resulting inventory system, information was grouped into irrigation scheme system; water resources potential; natural disaster; hydrological data and station networks; and other information. For the users at the ministerial level access the system by using local area network (LAN) connections and other users at the provincial and river basin levels or elsewhere in the world can use the internet for connections and regular browser software for system operation.

Central Asian countries developed their standard for water and energy resources under the former Soviet Union resource-allocation policies. In the early stage of independence of these countries, they continued to share the natural resources including water resources. Due to the climate change, water resources conflict among upstream and downstream countries took place. The upstream Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan possess rich water resources and hydropower resources, but they have few energy resources. The downstream Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are rich in energy resources such as oil, gas, but they faced with a severe water shortage. Since upstream countries are short of energy resources, they treat water resources as a strategic commodity. Tien Shan glacier of Central Asia was decreased into of one fourth of the total glacier area for the past 50 years because of climate change. Until 2050, half of the glacier will be gone. Tien Shan glacier water is very important water resources for the low level area such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan. As Aral sea is also dry up in recently, it had declined to only 10% of its original size. Salt lake, Aral sea, also has an effect on the breathing problem for the people and turns the land into salt surface. Only 70,000ha of forest has been remained out of 500,000ha of forestry. 18 species are already extinct out of 423 species and 50 species are facing extinction in the future. Central Asian countries have adopted several projects for improve water supply and water quality, or for implement Integrated Water Resources Management(IWRM). An agreement on attraction of Islamic Development Bank(IDB) funds(more than $300 million) was signed for implementation of two water conservancy projects in Kazakhstan(Almaty region). Under the first project on improving water supply, construction of water pipelines is planned in 15 locations, the total length of 680 kilometers. The second project “Reconstruction of the irrigation and drainage systems in the Republic of Kazakhstan” provides for the restoration of irrigation system in Almaty region and improvement of soil condition in South Kazakhstan region. This project will cost $ 235.5 million, and UNDP funds will be involved as co-financing. Kyrgyzstan also has introduced GoAL WaSH programme from 2013∼2015. Through this programme, public education is very effective for the clean water and sanitation. On 2015, the government of Tajikistan adopted the Water Sector Reform Programme 2016∼2025. The Water Sector Reform is about transferring water resources management from administrative to hydrological boundaries. As the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources is the reform coordinator, new organizations have been formed: the National Water Council(a consultative body on a state water policy at the national level), River Basin Organizations(a basin executive authority and responsible for coordinating the implementation of the state water policy at a basin level), River Basin Councils(a basin representative authority representing the voice of basin water users and stakeholders). Turkmenistan is the highest per capita users of water in the world. However a salinity increased 25 times compared with former Soviet Union, as inefficient technology and bad water distribution. In order to solve this problem, government, public company, and private stake holders are involving a law amendment in order to implement IWRM. In order to have secure water resources, Swiss have subsidized 2.66million dollars to the Uzbekistan. Introducing drip irrigation and furrow irrigation, 5 farm can save 47,500㎥ of water.

System dynamics modeling facilitates the integrated and sustainable management of soil and water resources by enhancing the understanding of watershed systems. The Hableh-Rud river basin, an important watershed of Iran located across Tehran and Semnan provinces, was chosen for the present research. Reference diagrams were created to represent causal relationships and feedbacks based on which the conceptual model for the integrated management of soil and water resources of the Hableh-Rud river basin was developed. The conceptual model was then converted into a model of stocks and flows and run in the Vensim software. The model is comprised of by the biophysical and the economic subsystems. The main components of the physical subsystem include water balance, groundwater, erosion, sedimentation and water quality. In the economic subsystem, total costs and benefits were taken into account. Model verification was carried out through extreme condition tests and behavior reproduction tests. Having the Nash–Sutcliffe and R2 coefficients with greater values than 0.62 and 0.63, respectively, model tested. Different scenarios including vegetation management, climate, water resources management and cropping patterns were simulated, and the outputs of each scenario were compared to the outputs of the existing condition. The results of scenario analyses for a 30-year period reveal that payment for 50% of the ecosystem services by the government to expand alternative jobs and reduce damage to natural resources was determined as the best scenario. Scenario of payment for 25% of the ecosystem services by the government to expand alternative jobs and reduce damage to natural resources was chosen as the next best scenario. After evaluating the vegetation management scenarios, it was determined that farm management actions were considered as the best vegetation scenario. The research indicates that the system dynamic model, as an integrated approach for management of water resources in a basin, is pragmatic.KeywordsIntegrated water resources managementSystem dynamicsThe economic situationHableh-Rud river basin

The Kabul River Basin (KRB) in Afghanistan is densely inhabited and heterogenic. The basin’s water resources are limited, and climate change is anticipated to worsen this problem. Unfortunately, there is a scarcity of data to measure the impacts of climate change on the KRB’s current water resources. The objective of the current study is to introduce a methodology that couples remote sensing and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for simulating the impact of climate change on the existing water resources of the KRB. Most of the biophysical parameters required for the SWAT model were derived from remote sensing-based algorithms. The SUFI-2 technique was used for calibrating and validating the SWAT model with streamflow data. The stream-gauge stations for monitoring the streamflow are not only sparse, but the streamflow data are also scarce and limited. Therefore, we selected only the stations that are properly being monitored. During the calibration period, the coefficient of determination (R2) and Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) were 0.75–0.86 and 0.62–0.81, respectively. During the validation period (2011–2013), the NSE and R2 values were 0.52–0.73 and 0.65–0.86, respectively. The validated SWAT model was then used to evaluate the potential impacts of climate change on streamflow. Regional Climate Model (RegCM4-4) was used to extract the data for the climate change scenarios (RCP 4.5 and 8.5) from the CORDEX domain. The results show that streamflow in most tributaries of the KRB would decrease by a maximum of 5% and 8.5% under the RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios, respectively. However, streamflow for the Nawabad tributary would increase by 2.4% and 3.3% under the RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios, respectively. To mitigate the impact of climate change on reduced/increased surface water availability, the SWAT model, when combined with remote sensing data, can be an effective tool to support the sustainable management and strategic planning of water resources. Furthermore, the methodological approach used in this study can be applied in any of the data-scarce regions around the world.

With the development of digital information technology, the requirements for information technology in the management of the Yellow River are gradually increasing, and the application of information technology in the various operations of the Yellow River system is becoming more and more extensive. This paper firstly attempts to conduct an integrated study of the Yellow River water resources management system, integrating various business systems for water resources management and realizing the sharing of resources and information. Secondly, through numerical simulation, a numerical prediction model of water resources based on coupled atmosphere-hydrology-sediment environment and a numerical simulation system of hydrology-sediment is constructed to optimize the system of integrated water resources information and management of the Yellow River basin. Finally, the system is applied to the Yellow River basin, and its rationality is tested. The results show that in the dynamic water resources deployment experiment, the water resources utilization efficiency is 87.0%, which is 8.8% more efficient compared to the water resources system deployment before optimization, and the joint probability constraint and water resources utilization efficiency in the case are 0.01 and 79.6% respectively. In this paper, the system optimization of the integrated water resources management system of the Yellow River based on numerical simulation has improved the accuracy and real-time performance of water resources management, as well as the efficiency of water resources utilization, completing the integration and optimization of the integrated water resources management system of the Yellow River.

Climate change poses uncertainties to the supply and management of water resources. While climate change affects surface water resources directly through changes in the major long-term climate variables such as air temperature, precipitation, and evapotranspiration, the relationship between the changing climate variables and groundwater is more complicated and poorly understood. The greater variability in rainfall could mean more frequent and prolonged periods of high or low groundwater levels, and saline intrusion in coastal aquifers due to sea level rise and resource reduction. This chapter presents the likely impact of climate change on groundwater resources and methodology to assess the impact of climate change on groundwater resources.

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

Recently, conjunctive use of surface water and ground water has been one of the \nefficient ways in optimal management of water resources. Using conjunctive optimal \nuse and management of conjunctive, we can compensate the nonuniform spatial and \ntemporal distribution of precipitation. Without recent advances in computer \nhardware and software technology such as geographic information system (GIS) and \ndata base management system technology (DBMS), it is not possible to develop a \ncomputer base conjunctive management of groundwater and surface water model. \nDeveloped Network flow models for analyzing optimal management of conjunctive use \nof surface water and groundwater have been used. The real physical system is \nrepresented in this system as a network system including nodes and links. Nodes are \nused for representing storage and non-storage points and links represent the \nnatural channels or canals as connecting elements. Dynamically designing of this \nmodel allows the user to interactively develop the given water resource system. A \nmixed integer linear programming is used for optimum conjunctive operation of \ngroundwater and surface water systems. In this study, conjunctive surface and \nground water resources model has been applied in Tehran metropolitan. Tehran field \nwater resources, which meet the potable, agricultural, industrial, environmental \nand urban water demands, include five reservoirs and several aquifers. Results \nobtained show the ability of the tools and the methods in integrated management of \nlarge scale water resources systems.

The hydropower potential in Africa is only very few exploited. The large rivers like Zambezi River still have considerable possibilities for installing further hydropower projects including the creation of reservoirs by large dams. The main African watersheds comprise also very vulnerable biotopes as wetlands, floodplains and deltas. This is exactly the case for the Zambezi river basin with its precious Barotse, Lukanga and Kafue flats as well as its large delta region. The question is how operation of the existing hydropower plants and reservoirs would have to be adapted in order to ensure environmental flows able to maintain the essential functionalities of the biotopes. Furthermore new projects should be designed in a way to mitigate as much as possible the negative effects or even to improve the present state. With her research project Mrs Dr. Theodora Cohen-Liechti was confronted with this challenge. In order to give an answer to the mentioned questions, she had to develop a hydraulic-hydrological model in a very a large river basin under data scarcity, which was never done in such a detailed degree before, namely for a daily time step. Furthermore the model comprises all relevant hydraulic structures and schemes as well as vulnerable floodplains. For the latter a new sub-model based on a reservoir approach was specifically developed. Mrs Cohen-Liechti studied by the help of the hydrological model numerous scenarios combining different levels of environmental requirements as well as several future hydropower developments. The analysis showed in principal that a reasonable compromise between energy production and environmental sustainability could be reached. Finally with the comprehensive hydraulic-hydrological model of the Zambezi River including new planned hydropower projects as well as extensions of existing power plants, the impact of climate change on the energy production was analyzed.