Management Strategies of Water Resources in the Arid Zone of South-Eastern Morocco

Author(s):  
Hassane Jarar Oulidi ◽  
Lahcen Benaabidate ◽  
Ralf Löwner ◽  
Alan Ernest Fryar
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-305
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Moore ◽  
U San Win ◽  
Pyiet Phyo Kyaw

AbstractThis article assesses indigenous perceptions of water through a comparison of the water management strategies at three ancient sites located in different ecological zones of Myanmar. Two of our examples are in the high-rainfall regions of Lower Myanmar: Thagara in the Dawei River valley flanked by mountains on the east and west, and Kyaikkatha on delta lands at the egress of the Sittaung River. We contrast these adaptations with the micro-exploitation of the scarce water resources at Bagan (also spelled Pagan) in the arid zone of Upper Myanmar. In the southern wet regions, despite the different geographical setting of Thagara and Kyaikkatha, the focus was on drainage and control. Multiple ramparts and moats were used to conserve the scarce water in the dry months between December and April and control the heavy floods of the rainy months between May to November. At Bagan, sited directly on the broad Ayeyarwady River, water management of inland streams and seasonal lakes maximised the gentle slope of the plain while also coping with intermittent flash floods in the rainy months. The sites of Thagara, Kyaikkatha, and Bagan demanded specific adaptations but are alike in the absence of extensive transformation of the landscape. This balance of manmade and natural elements provides common ground despite their variable size and urbanised extent, ecological setting, and occupational sequence to highlight the shared significance of water management in their long-term urban success.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. e00496
Author(s):  
Abdellah Mellaikhafi ◽  
Amine Tilioua ◽  
Hanène Souli ◽  
Mohammed Garoum ◽  
Moulay Ahmed Alaoui Hamdi

Hydrology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sekela Twisa ◽  
Shija Kazumba ◽  
Mathew Kurian ◽  
Manfred F. Buchroithner

Understanding the variation in the hydrological response of a basin associated with land use changes is essential for developing management strategies for water resources. The impact of hydrological changes caused by expected land use changes may be severe for the Wami river system, given its role as a crucial area for water, providing food and livelihoods. The objective of this study is to examine the influence of land use changes on various elements of the hydrological processes of the basin. Hybrid classification, which includes unsupervised and supervised classification techniques, is used to process the images (2000 and 2016), while CA–Markov chain analysis is used to forecast and simulate the 2032 land use state. In the current study, a combined approach—including a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model and Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR)—is used to explore the influences of individual land use classes on fluctuations in the hydrological components. From the study, it is evident that land use has changed across the basin since 2000 (which is expected to continue in 2032), as well as that the hydrological effects caused by land use changes were observed. It has been found that the major land use changes that affected hydrology components in the basin were expansion of cultivation land, built-up area and grassland, and decline in natural forests and woodland during the study period. These findings provide baseline information for decision-makers and stakeholders concerning land and water resources for better planning and management decisions in the basin resources’ use.


2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Martill ◽  
Nizar Ibrahim ◽  
Paulo M. Brito ◽  
Lahssen Baider ◽  
Samir Zhouri ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronan Abhervé ◽  
Clément Roques ◽  
Laurent Longuevergne ◽  
Stéphane Louaisil ◽  
Jean-Raynald de Dreuzy ◽  
...  

<p>While it is well understood and accepted that climate change and growing water needs affect the availability of water resources, the identification of the main physical processes involved remains challenging. It notably requires to filter interannual to interdecadal fluctuations and extreme events to isolate the underlying trends. Metropolitan areas are specifically subject to growing pressures because of the significant and increasing demand, combined with the strong anthropization of land uses.</p><p>The Meu-Chèze-Canut catchment supplies the city of Rennes with drinking water (680 km² - 500 000 users, Brittany, France). In this field laboratory, we explore the dynamics of the water cycle and water resources availability. In this context, water supply is mostly coming from reservoir storage for which levels shows a medium-term vulnerability in response to frequent relatively dry years. Based on retrospective data analysis, we describe the relationship between climatic forcing (precipitation, temperature) and water availability (aquifer storage, river discharge and reservoir storage) in different parts of the catchment that are characterized by distinct lithological and topographical settings. We then evaluate the resilience of both surface and groundwater resources, their past evolution and their resilience to climate change and increasing societal needs.</p><p>Water resources availability in these catchments relies on two geological formations with distinct hydrodynamics properties: the Armorican sandstone and Brioverian schist. To assess the resilience of the system, we specifically analyzed the relationships between monthly effective precipitation and stream discharge within nine sub-catchments over the past 30 years. We observe annual hysteresis relationships - that is, a time lag between precipitation and discharge highlighting the capacity of the landscape to temporarily store water - with significant variability in shapes across the catchments. We argue that topographic and lithological factors play key roles in controlling this variability through their impacts on subsurface storage capacity and characteristic drainage timescales. We propose perspectives based on the complementary use of calibrated groundwater models to leverage these results and provide adaptive water management strategies.</p>


Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2849
Author(s):  
Fatima Abdelfadel ◽  
Mohamed Hilali ◽  
Claude Fontaine ◽  
Abderrazak El Albani ◽  
Abderahman Mahboub ◽  
...  

The eastern part of Morocco, surrounded by the High Atlas chain close to Errachidia, represents a very sensitive area in a semi-arid context. Average annual rainfall does not exceed 300 mm/year. Most of the regional water resources are linked to the aquifer systems in the Atlas area. The study site coincides with the Eastern Upper Guir Basin, one of the main rivers in Eastern Morocco. This basin is located close to the eastern border of the Moroccan High Atlas. The geology of the basin consists mainly of Jurassic and Cretaceous formations. The structure of the basin is strongly affected by the Atlasian tectonics. This results in successive large synclines separated by major W-E faults. The hydrogeological system of the basin is accordingly constituted by sub-basins associated with each syncline and separated by faulted anticlines, whose overlapping faults act as semi-impermeable barriers. This compartmentalization causes the very complex functioning of the whole system. The study undertaken, based on structural, meteorological, hydrogeological, hydrochemical and isotopic data, allowed us to advance significantly in the understanding of this system. The compartments behave as hydrogeological sub-units but remain interdependent on each other. The recharge of the aquifer system is essentially associated with the rains and snowfalls at high altitudes. This is consistent with the stable isotope results. Important development projects are planned in this region, associated with a drastic increase in water demands. Groundwater suitability was assessed using the WHO standards for drinking purposes and the SAR (sodium adsorption ratio) for irrigation. Complementary investigations should be considered to further the results presented here and move towards a quantitative assessment and management of the water resources.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús Vargas ◽  
Pilar Paneque

Droughts are risks characterized by their complexity, uncertainty, and a series of other features, which differentiate them from other natural disasters and affect the strategies designed to manage them. These characteristics highlight the close relationship between drought management and water resources management. The following hypothesis is raised in this study—unsatisfactory integration of a drought-risk and water resources management strategies, increases the vulnerability to drought. To corroborate this hypothesis, the Spanish case was analyzed, where droughts are a recurrent phenomenon, due to the Mediterranean climate. Starting from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) framework, which has been proposed to characterize vulnerability as a function of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, this study analyzed the vulnerability in the Spanish River Basin Districts, through—(i) the integration of the predictable effects of climate change and the increased risk of exposure in hydrologic planning; (ii) the pressure on water resources that determines the sensitivity of the systems; and (iii) the development and implementation of drought management plans as a fundamental tool, in order to adapt before these events occur. The results showed that despite important advances in the process of conceiving and managing droughts, in Spain, there are still important gaps for an adequate integration of droughts risk into the water resource strategies. Therefore, despite the improvements, drought-risk vulnerability of the systems remained high.


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