scholarly journals Comprehensive Water Resource Management Strategies in Arid Oasis Regions: Taking Minqin County as an Example

Author(s):  
Xiaoyan Ren ◽  
Qiang Yin ◽  
Hengjia Zhang
Author(s):  
D. N. Kinyanjui

Aims: This study sought to evaluate the adoption of water resource management strategies in hotels in an attempt to attain water sustainability. Specifically, the research sought to assess the current structural and non-structural water resource management strategies adopted by selected hotels in the environs of Lake Naivasha; establish the perceived effectiveness of both the structural and non-structural water resource management strategies adopted to enhance water sustainability; and compare the structural and non-structural water management strategies in terms of their effectiveness in promoting water sustainability in hotels within environs of Lake Naivasha. Study Design: The study adopted a case study design. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in hotels within the environs of Lake Naivasha between May and December 2010. Methodology: A census of 30 Class (A) registered hotels was conducted, and purposive sampling was used to select 120 respondents from the management staff within the selected hotels. Convenience sampling was used to select 8 managers of water management bodies who acted as key informants during personal interviews. Primary data was collected from the hotel management staff using questionnaires and from managers of water management through personal interviews. Data from questionnaires were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) to derive descriptive statistics on the implementation of WRM strategies. Results: Findings revealed that a majority of the sampled hotels had embraced water resource management strategies through the development of alternative water resources, use of water saving technology, treatment of recycled water and use of water saving manuals. Further, the structural water resource management strategies were perceived to be more effective as they impacted more on reducing the operating costs, promoted environmental conservation and were more preferred than the non- structural strategies despite being more expensive to implement.  Conclusion: It is concluded that water sustainability is however achievable through a combination of a variety of WRM strategies.


Author(s):  
Jane Hunter ◽  
Peter Becker ◽  
Abdulmonem Alabri ◽  
Catharine van Ingen ◽  
Eva Abal

The Health-e-Waterways Project is a multi-disciplinary collaboration between the University of Queensland, Microsoft Research and the South East Queensland Healthy Waterways Partnership (SEQ-HWP). This project develops the underlying technological framework and set of services to enable streamlined access to the expanding collection of real-time, near-real-time and static datasets related to water resource management in South East Queensland. More specifically, the system enables water resource managers to access the datasets being captured by the various agencies participating in the SEQ HWP Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program (EHMP). It also provides online access to the statistical data processing tools that enable users to analyse the data and generate online ecosystem report cards dynamically via a Web mapping interface. The authors examine the development of ontologies and semantic querying tools to integrate disparate datasets and relate management actions to water quality indicators for specific regions and periods. This semantic data integration approach enables scientists and resource managers to identify which actions are having an impact on which parameters and adapt the management strategies accordingly. This paper provides an overview of the semantic technologies developed to underpin the adaptive management framework that is the central philosophy behind the SEQ HWP.


Author(s):  
Arezoo Boroomandnia ◽  
Omid Bozorg-Haddad ◽  
Jimmy Yu ◽  
Mariam Darestani

Abstract Fast-growing water demand, population growth, global climate change, and water quality deterioration all drive scientists to apply novel approaches to water resource management. Nanotechnology is one of the state-of-the-art tools in scientists’ hands which they can use to meet human water needs via reuse of water and utilizing unconventional water resources. Additionally, monitoring water supply systems using new nanomaterials provides more efficient water distribution networks. In this chapter, we consider the generic concepts of nanotechnology and its effects on water resources management strategies. A wide range of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies, including nano-adsorbents, nano-photocatalysts, and nano-membranes, are introduced to explain the role of nanotechnology in providing new water resources to meet growing demand. Also, nanomaterial application as a water alternative in industry, reducing water demand in the industrial sector, is presented. Another revolution made by nanomaterials, also discussed in this chapter, is their use in water supply systems for monitoring probable leakage and leakage reduction. Finally, we present case studies that clarify the influence of nanotechnology on water resources and their management strategies. These case studies prove the importance and inevitable application of nanotechnology to satisfy the rising water demand in the modern world, and show the necessity of nanotechnology awareness for today's water experts.


Author(s):  
D. Sheth ◽  
M. Iyer

Abstract Access to clean water is important for socio-economic development worldwide. Bhuj, in an arid region in Gujarat State in India, has an ancient and unique water resource management system. The city's visionary king developed a catchment system of lakes so that, despite minimal rainfall and frequent droughts, sufficient water could be stored to sustain the city for around 300 years. However, over the years, with rapid urbanization and the introduction of a piped water supply, this ancient supply system was abandoned and was not maintained well. As a result, the city's water resources became polluted and defunct, which forced it to depend on distant water sources. This study shows how the city's water management strategies changed before independence (1947), and pre-earthquake (1947–2001) and post-earthquake (2001 to present). The paper mainly documents how the city's own water resources can be managed successfully by following the concepts of IUWM through effective stakeholder participation, to make the city water-secure.


Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelos Alamanos ◽  
Nikitas Mylopoulos ◽  
Athanasios Loukas ◽  
Dimitrios Gaitanaros

Water is involved, directly or indirectly, with many activities and needs that have to be met. The large scale and importance of water projects, the investments needed, the difficulty in predicting the results, and the irreversible character of the decisions have made decision making a complex scientific process. This paper presents a multicriteria analysis (MCA) tool for evaluating water resource management (WRM) strategies and selecting the most appropriate among them, using as an example a Greek area based on agricultural economy, which faces water scarcity problems. Seven alternative strategies were evaluated under hydrological and economic criteria. Four techniques were used—multi attribute utility theory (MAUT), analytic hierarchy process (AHP), elimination and choice expressing reality (ELECTRE), and technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS)—based on the main MCA techniques (utility theory, analytical hierarchy, outranking theory, and classification theory, respectively), to compare their performance, and to reach the most appropriate and ‘fitting’ method for the examined problem. The weightings extracted from two samples, (i) a sample of decision makers/stakeholders and (ii) a group of WRM experts, were used to compare the results. The process was carried out for each questionnaire, and thus the model shows the uncertainty of each sample group and of each method, as well as the overall uncertainty. The results illustrate the reality of the WRM problems of the watershed, enlighten their roots, and have further strengthened our conviction that the cooperation between the scientific community and the authorities is vital for more sustainable and efficient WRM.


Author(s):  
Jane Hunter ◽  
Peter Becker ◽  
Abdulmonem Alabri ◽  
Catharine van Ingen ◽  
Eva Abal

The Health-e-Waterways Project is a multi-disciplinary collaboration between the University of Queensland, Microsoft Research and the South East Queensland Healthy Waterways Partnership (SEQ-HWP). This project develops the underlying technological framework and set of services to enable streamlined access to the expanding collection of real-time, near-real-time and static datasets related to water resource management in South East Queensland. More specifically, the system enables water resource managers to access the datasets being captured by the various agencies participating in the SEQ HWP Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program (EHMP). It also provides online access to the statistical data processing tools that enable users to analyse the data and generate online ecosystem report cards dynamically via a Web mapping interface. The authors examine the development of ontologies and semantic querying tools to integrate disparate datasets and relate management actions to water quality indicators for specific regions and periods. This semantic data integration approach enables scientists and resource managers to identify which actions are having an impact on which parameters and adapt the management strategies accordingly. This paper provides an overview of the semantic technologies developed to underpin the adaptive management framework that is the central philosophy behind the SEQ HWP.


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