scholarly journals The GLOWA Volta Project: A framework for water resources decision-making and scientific capacity building in a transnational West African basin

2006 ◽  
pp. 295-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Rodgers ◽  
Nick van de Giesen ◽  
Wolfram Laube ◽  
Paul L. G. Vlek ◽  
Eva Youkhana
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
West African

scholarly journals The GLOWA Volta Project: A framework for water resources decision-making and scientific capacity building in a transnational West African Basin

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 295-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Rodgers ◽  
Nick van de Giesen ◽  
Wolfram Laube ◽  
Paul L. G. Vlek ◽  
Eva Youkhana
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
West African

A meta-analysis of the drivers of irrigation in the West African Sudan Savanna

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Schrötter ◽  
Jed Kaplan ◽  
Matthias Schmidt ◽  
Peter Fiener
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
West African ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
The West ◽  
Irrigation Systems ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Sudan Savanna

<p>Irrigation is vital for humans, critical in the management of land and water resources, and functions as an important environmental forcing. While irrigation systems are largely framed by environmental conditions, actual irrigation activities are determined by human decision-making. The types of irrigation systems can vary in technology and management and in turn influence water resources and the hydrological cycle differently. To date we lack an understanding of the drivers of establishing different irrigation systems in the Sudanian Savanna ecoregion of West Africa, and how land use decisions are made at the farm level. Insights on decision-making in water management contribute to the understanding of anthropogenic impacts on human-water systems and can help to identify strategies to adapt to ongoing and future risks. This paper aims to identify the heterogeneity of irrigation systems in our study region, and their drivers, as well as provide a qualitative assessment of their sustainability. Here we systematically analyze literature published between 1980 and 2020 which provide evidence of irrigation activities in the study area, we selected 188 publications documenting more than 100 cases of irrigation. For each study we identify each type of irrigation system, as defined by the water source, lifting and distribution type. We then clustered each case into ‘driver types’ based on external conditions, required resources, irrigation season, proximate causes and utilization. To assess the sustainability we identified environmental, governance, social and economic variables which we then coded on a 5-point Likert-scale. Our results show that irrigation systems in the West African Sudan Savanna are highly diversified in terms of techniques and organization, but that drivers are relatively similar. The decision making and management within an irrigation system is strongly influenced by its organizational structure. The type of technology depends on the available capital, and again impacts the efficiency, longevity and environmental impact of irrigation systems. We observed that economic factors, the access to water sources and markets, as well as restricted female technology adoption constrain the potential of existing irrigation schemes. The main causes to irrigate are to provide food security and raise more income in order to adapt to climate change and to increasing demands due to population growth. We detected that the cases are largely located in or in the vicinity of formal irrigation schemes. There is an increase in irrigation schemes in the study region over time, however, we found little information on why irrigation is not more widely adapted compared to similar ecoregions such as southern India, despite the growing demand. In respect of India, irrigation in West Africa is relatively new. We conclude that further research on organizational structures, and financial support can contribute to a sustainable expansion of irrigation in the West African Sudan Savanna.</p>

scholarly journals Application of the watershed sustainability index in the Piranhas-Açu watershed

Water Policy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 622-640
Author(s):  
D. D. Costa e Silva ◽  
H. M. L. Chaves ◽  
W. F. Curi ◽  
J. G. V. Baracuhy ◽  
T. P. S. Cunha
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
The Public ◽  
Sustainability Index ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Semi Arid Region ◽  
Brazilian Northeast

Abstract The current worldwide water resources issue is one of the crucial matters to overcome obstacles to sustainable development. This problem, formerly tackled in a sectored manner, is now pointing towards an analysis directed to treating the watershed as a management unit, with regards to all dimensions of knowledge and, especially, to the public participation in the decision-making processes. As an alternative to measure its performance, it has been sought out to develop indexes aimed to measure its sustainability, but there is still a lack of the use of composed efficient methodologies that also enable public participation in decision-making. This research presents a methodology comprising 15 indexes for the calculation of the Watershed Sustainability Index (WSI), followed by the application of the PROMETHEE multi-criteria analysis method and the COPELAND multi-decision-maker method. The methodology was applied to evaluate the performance of subwatersheds of the Piranhas-Açu watershed, located in the Brazilian northeast semi-arid region. The performance ordering, obtained through the application of the methods, emphasizes that subwatersheds' performances are uneven. It can be noticed that the subwatersheds' performances are still far from ideal in relation to water resources management, even in the ones that displayed satisfactory index levels.

scholarly journals Software for calculation of reservoir active capacity with the sequent-peak algorithm

2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-510
Author(s):  
Rogério T. da Silva ◽  
Rodrigo M. Sánchez-Román ◽  
Marconi B. Teixeira ◽  
Celso L. Franzotti ◽  
Marcos V. Folegatti
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Historical Data ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
Additional Tool ◽  
Active Storage ◽  
Water Demands ◽  
Irrigation Districts

It is presented a software developed with Delphi programming language to compute the reservoir's annual regulated active storage, based on the sequent-peak algorithm. Mathematical models used for that purpose generally require extended hydrological series. Usually, the analysis of those series is performed with spreadsheets or graphical representations. Based on that, it was developed a software for calculation of reservoir active capacity. An example calculation is shown by 30-years (from 1977 to 2009) monthly mean flow historical data, from Corrente River, located at São Francisco River Basin, Brazil. As an additional tool, an interface was developed to manage water resources, helping to manipulate data and to point out information that it would be of interest to the user. Moreover, with that interface irrigation districts where water consumption is higher can be analyzed as a function of specific seasonal water demands situations. From a practical application, it is possible to conclude that the program provides the calculation originally proposed. It was designed to keep information organized and retrievable at any time, and to show simulation on seasonal water demands throughout the year, contributing with the elements of study concerning reservoir projects. This program, with its functionality, is an important tool for decision making in the water resources management.

Excluded communities and participatory land-use planning: experience from informal Roma settlements in Serbia

2021 ◽  
pp. 095624782110240
Author(s):  
Zlata Vuksanović-Macura ◽  
Igor Miščević
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Participatory Approach ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Active Involvement

Citizen participation in the planning and decision-making process in the European post-socialist context is much debated. Still, the involvement of excluded communities in the urban planning process remains understudied. This paper presents and discusses the application of an innovative participatory approach designed to ensure active involvement of an excluded ethnic minority, the Roma community, in the process of formulating and adopting land-use plans for informal settlements in Serbia. By analysing the development of land-use plans in 11 municipalities, we observe that the applied participatory approach enhanced the inhabitants’ active participation and helped build consensus on the planned solution between the key actors. Findings also suggested that further work with citizens, capacity building of planners and administration, and secured financial mechanisms are needed to move citizen participation in urban planning beyond the limited statutory requirements.

Impact and paybacks of biomedical research findings in Malaysia 2005–2015

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei Kuan Lai ◽  
S Nalliah ◽  
CL Teng ◽  
NLP Chen
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Health System ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Knowledge Production ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Relevant Research ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health System Policy

Background: Impact in research encompasses health, economic, and cultural benefits beyond adding to the knowledge base. Funders are under immense pressure to be accountable for the paybacks from funded research.Aims and objectives: The aim of this study was to look into the impact of funded biomedical research between the years 2005 and 2015 in Malaysia from the aspects of knowledge production, research targeting and capacity building, as well as health system policy and decision making.Methods: This study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods research design. Biomedical projects related to breast cancer, coronary heart disease, and dengue, funded by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), and Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) between the years 2005 and 2015, were included.Findings: From the questionnaire responses (n=58), on average each funded project managed to produce two outputs and one higher degree student. More than half (61.4%) of the funded projects led to subsequent future research. However, low citations in systematic reviews (10.3%), health policies (6.9%), and clinical practice guidelines (5.2%) were reported. In-depth interviews with the key opinion leaders also saw that most of the local research findings were found to be irrelevant to be adopted into policies by the policymakers.Discussion and conclusions: Paybacks on knowledge production as well as research targeting and capacity building had been achieved, but impact on health system policy and decision making had not been well attained, due to the lack of relevant research findings needed by the policymakers.<br />Key messages<br /><ul><li>Payback on knowledge production was achieved, as there had been a lot of new knowledge generated as captured in academic publications, conference proceedings, policy briefs, technical reports, and research highlights, which is important to advance the frontiers of knowledge.</li><br /><li>Payback on research targeting was achieved, with the current research leading to future study with identification of the knowledge gap and generation of new ideas for new research.</li><br /><li>Payback on capacity building was achieved with the training of researchers, building up research capacity and competencies, production of MSc and PhD graduates, promotion of lecturers, and development of new partnerships and networks.</li><br /><li>Impact on health system policy and decision making was not well attained. There had been a lack of relevant research data and findings being incorporated into policymaking, due to the basic and fundamental nature of most of the funded biomedical research in Malaysia.</li></ul>

scholarly journals Developing predictive insight into changing water systems: use-inspired hydrologic science for the Anthropocene

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 5013-5039 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. Thompson ◽  
M. Sivapalan ◽  
C. J. Harman ◽  
V. Srinivasan ◽  
M. R. Hipsey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Resources Management ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Coupled Systems ◽  
Model Data ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
Long Timescales ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract. Globally, many different kinds of water resources management issues call for policy- and infrastructure-based responses. Yet responsible decision-making about water resources management raises a fundamental challenge for hydrologists: making predictions about water resources on decadal- to century-long timescales. Obtaining insight into hydrologic futures over 100 yr timescales forces researchers to address internal and exogenous changes in the properties of hydrologic systems. To do this, new hydrologic research must identify, describe and model feedbacks between water and other changing, coupled environmental subsystems. These models must be constrained to yield useful insights, despite the many likely sources of uncertainty in their predictions. Chief among these uncertainties are the impacts of the increasing role of human intervention in the global water cycle – a defining challenge for hydrology in the Anthropocene. Here we present a research agenda that proposes a suite of strategies to address these challenges from the perspectives of hydrologic science research. The research agenda focuses on the development of co-evolutionary hydrologic modeling to explore coupling across systems, and to address the implications of this coupling on the long-time behavior of the coupled systems. Three research directions support the development of these models: hydrologic reconstruction, comparative hydrology and model-data learning. These strategies focus on understanding hydrologic processes and feedbacks over long timescales, across many locations, and through strategic coupling of observational and model data in specific systems. We highlight the value of use-inspired and team-based science that is motivated by real-world hydrologic problems but targets improvements in fundamental understanding to support decision-making and management. Fully realizing the potential of this approach will ultimately require detailed integration of social science and physical science understanding of water systems, and is a priority for the developing field of sociohydrology.

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