Integrated management of water resources in the National Capital Region-Delhi

Social Change ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 38-60
Author(s):  
Ashis Banerjee

Competing demands between various sectors of water users such as agriculture, industry, urban and domestic use have put enormous pressure on the fresh water availability in India. Some investigations have shown that the per capita availability of water has gone down drastically in the last few decades. Yet, there is a little evidence to show that measures are being drawn up either to augment fresh water resources or to manage existing resource equitably. The reasons usually cited for the decline of water availability are deforestation, intensive water use in agriculture, growing population etc. Remedies must therefore be addressed to all these issues. However, there is an urgent need to look at the opportunities available in a country which is said to have had a riverine civilization and one which has the blessings of intensive precipitation during the monsoon months. Thus, on the one hand there are enormous possibilities available in rationalising water use in the agriculture sector, recycling water for industrial use and harnessing monsoon precipitation through water harvesting on a very large scale. It is also necessary to look at some of the policy aspects, legal aspects and financial aspects of water management. For instance, it needs to be asked whether official policy of conjunctive use of surface and ground water is being followed adequately. Also it needs to be asked whether, given that water is a State subject, there is adequate coordination among the States in order to facilitate optimalities in water use. In this context, it may be useful to re-evaluate all the existing inter-State water agreements which were drawn up several decades ago. Further, it needs to be investigated whether the moneys being spent on different aspects of water management such as inter-basin transfers, dam and canal construction, ground water management etc. are being done in a manner that is economically justifiable. Simultaneously, the existing fiscal mechanism in relation to water use should also be reexamined to see the future scope of making water use economically viable.

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1538 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. A. Tzanakakis ◽  
A. N. Angelakis ◽  
N. V. Paranychianakis ◽  
Y. G. Dialynas ◽  
G. Tchobanoglous

Crete, located in the South Mediterranean Sea, is characterized by long coastal areas, varied terrain relief and geology, and great spatial and inter-annual variations in precipitation. Under average meteorological conditions, the island is water-sufficient (969 mm precipitation; theoretical water potential 3284 hm3; and total water use 610 hm3). Agriculture is by far the greatest user of water (78% of total water use), followed by domestic use (21%). Despite the high average water availability, water scarcity events commonly occur, particularly in the eastern-south part of the island, driven by local climatic conditions and seasonal or geographical mismatches between water availability and demand. Other critical issues in water management include the over-exploitation of groundwater, accounting for 93% of the water used in agriculture; low water use efficiencies in the farms; limited use of non-conventional water sources (effluent reuse); lack of modern frameworks of control and monitoring; and inadequate cooperation among stakeholders. These deficiencies impact adversely water use efficiency, deteriorate quality of water resources, increase competition for water and water pricing, and impair agriculture and environment. Moreover, the water-limited areas may display low adaptation potential to climate variability and face increased risks for the human-managed and natural ecosystems. The development of appropriate water governance frameworks that promote the development of integrated water management plans and allow concurrently flexibility to account for local differentiations in social-economic favors is urgently needed to achieve efficient water management and to improve the adaptation to the changing climatic conditions. Specific corrective actions may include use of alternative water sources (e.g., treated effluent and brackish water), implementation of efficient water use practices, re-formation of pricing policy, efficient control and monitoring, and investment in research and innovation to support the above actions. It is necessary to strengthen the links across stakeholders (e.g., farmers, enterprises, corporations, institutes, universities, agencies, and public authorities), along with an effective and updated governance framework to address the critical issues in water management, facilitate knowledge transfer, and promote the efficient use of non-conventional water resources.


Author(s):  
V. P. Kovalchuk ◽  
P. I. Kovalchuk ◽  
M. V. Yatsyuk ◽  
R. Yu. Kovalenko ◽  
O. S. Demchuk ◽  
...  

For integrated water management in river basins in Ukraine, there is no toolkit for system modeling and selection of management structure in river basins according to environmental and economic criteria, which corresponds to the creation of water management systems under conditions of sustainable development. Therefore, the urgent task is to develop a system model of integrated water management on the example of the Ingulets River basin. The purpose of the work is to create a system model of integrated water resources management in Ingulets River basin, which provides scenario modeling of technological solutions, their evaluation and optimization of economic criteria for efficient water use under environmental constraints and criteria for achieving a good or excellent ecological status of the river basin. The system model is used as a toolkit, the method of decomposition of the river basin into subsystems, analysis of subsystems and their composition into a holistic model of integrated management by the basin principle. Telecommunication methods are proposed to improve monitoring. A method of scenario analysis is proposed, which performs simulation modeling of prospective management scenarios at the first level of the hierarchy, and at the second level - options are evaluated according to the criteria of cost-effective water use with environmental objectives and regulatory restrictions. For simulation modeling, a system of balance difference equations for the dynamics of water masses, mixing and spreading of pollution in rivers and reservoirs is formalized. A system of combined control for the impulse method of river washing was developed. Multicriteria optimization of variants of the control structure is carried out on the Pareto principle. A system model has been developed for integrated water resources management in the Ingulets River basin that meets the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive on the establishment of cost-effective water use while ensuring good or excellent ecological status of rivers. The structural and functional diagram of the system model includes the subsystems: the water supply subsystem of the Dnipro-Ingulets canal; a subsystem for flushing the Ingulets River from the Karachunivske reservoir and displacing the saline prism into the Dnipro River; subsystem of environmental safety when discharging pollution into the river Ingulets; subsystem of water supply for irrigation in the Ingulets irrigation system, prevention of soil salinization. A system of technological, economic and environmental criteria for evaluating integrated management by the basin principle has been developed. They include maintaining the water level in reservoirs, displacement of salt water prism and limitation on water quality, ensuring the ecological condition of the river, and the dynamics of water resources consumption. Technological criteria determine the maintenance of water levels in reservoirs. Cost-effective water use is estimated on the basis of the dynamics of water consumption for river washing and irrigation. The formalized integrated management system in the Ingulets River basin includes operational water resources management and structure management. Integrated management is carried out according to subsystems, types of management and a system of criteria. For operational management the balance differential equations of water exchange in reservoirs are formalized. A two-layer model of water masses dynamics, pollutants distribution and mixing when flushing rivers from reservoirs is used. Scenario analysis is offered to select the optimal structure of the management system. Simulation scenarios are being simulated. Scenario optimization is performed on the Pareto principle. An example of evaluating the effectiveness of the proposed system and its comparison with the existing regulations for Ingulets River flushing is given.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Towler ◽  
Heather Lazrus ◽  
Debasish PaiMazumder

Abstract. Drought is a function of both natural and human influences, but fully characterizing the interactions between human and natural influences on drought remains challenging. To better characterize parts of the drought feedback loop, this study combines hydrological and societal perspectives to characterize and quantify the potential for drought action. For the hydrological perspective, we examine historical groundwater data, from which we determine the decadal likelihoods of exceeding hydrologic thresholds relevant to different water uses. Stakeholder interviews yield data about how people rate the importance of water for different water uses. We combine these to quantify the Potential Drought Action Index (PDAI). The PDAI is demonstrated for a study site in south-central Oklahoma, where water availability is highly influenced by drought and management of water resources is contested by local stakeholders. For the hydrological perspective, we find that the historical decadal likelihood of exceedance for a moderate threshold associated with municipal supply has ranged widely: from 23 % to 75 %, which corresponds well with natural drought variability in the region. For the societal perspective, stakeholder interviews reveal that people value water differently for various uses. Combining this information into the PDAI illustrates that potential drought action increases as the hydrologic threshold is exceeded more often; this occurs as conditions get drier and when water use thresholds are more moderate. The PDAI also shows that for water uses where stakeholders have diverse views of importance, the PDAI will be diverse as well, and this is exacerbated under drier conditions. The variability in stakeholder views of importance is partially explained by stakeholders' cultural worldviews, pointing to some implications for managing water when drought risks threaten. We discuss how the results can be used to reduce potential disagreement among stakeholders and promote sustainable water management, which is particularly important for planning under increasing drought.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 1469-1482
Author(s):  
Erin Towler ◽  
Heather Lazrus ◽  
Debasish PaiMazumder

Abstract. Drought is a function of both natural and human influences, but fully characterizing the interactions between human and natural influences on drought remains challenging. To better characterize parts of the drought feedback loop, this study combines hydrological and societal perspectives to characterize and quantify the potential for drought action. For the hydrological perspective, we examine historical groundwater data, from which we determine the decadal likelihoods of exceeding hydrologic thresholds relevant to different water uses. Stakeholder interviews yield data about how people rate the importance of water for different water uses. We combine these to quantify the Potential Drought Action Indicator (PDAI). The PDAI is demonstrated for a study site in south-central Oklahoma, where water availability is highly influenced by drought and management of water resources is contested by local stakeholders. For the hydrological perspective, we find that the historical decadal likelihood of exceedance for a moderate threshold associated with municipal supply has ranged widely: from 23 % to 75 %, which corresponds well with natural drought variability in the region. For the societal perspective, stakeholder interviews reveal that people value water differently for various uses. Combining this information into the PDAI illustrates that potential drought action increases as the hydrologic threshold is exceeded more often; this occurs as conditions get drier and when water use thresholds are more moderate. The PDAI also shows that for water uses where stakeholders have diverse views of importance, the PDAI will be diverse as well, and this is exacerbated under drier conditions. The variability in stakeholder views of importance is partially explained by stakeholders' cultural worldviews, pointing to some implications for managing water when drought risks threaten. We discuss how the results can be used to reduce potential disagreement among stakeholders and promote sustainable water management, which is particularly important for planning under increasing drought.


2011 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. ASWR.S8076 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaldoon A. Mourad ◽  
Ronny Berndtsson

Water scarcity is one of the main challenges facing Middle Eastern countries. A typical country in this respect is Syria. This paper estimates projections for the available water resources, water balance, and available water per capita (AWPC) in Syria until 2050 in relation to possible future climate changes, national development agendas, water constraints, and water management alternatives. Results show that the AWPC is likely to be reduced by about half up to 2050. Climate change and population growth will have a huge influence on water availability during the coming decades. However, effective water management can to a great extent counterbalance these negative effects. The implementation of modern irrigation practices and the reuse of domestic wastewater, for example, can save up to 400-800 million cubic meters in 2050. If rainwater harvesting systems are implemented water availability can be utilized much more efficiently. Consequently, it appears that there are reasons to be alarmed but also cautiously optimistic regarding Syria's water availability. This, however, depends on the implementation of good development practices, integrated management and public participation at all levels.


Hydrology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Francisco Muñoz-Arriola ◽  
Tarik Abdel-Monem ◽  
Alessandro Amaranto

Common pool resource (CPR) management has the potential to overcome the collective action dilemma, defined as the tendency for individual users to exploit natural resources and contribute to a tragedy of the commons. Design principles associated with effective CPR management help to ensure that arrangements work to the mutual benefit of water users. This study contributes to current research on CPR management by examining the process of implementing integrated management planning through the lens of CPR design principles. Integrated management plans facilitate the management of a complex common pool resource, ground and surface water resources having a hydrological connection. Water governance structures were evaluated through the use of participatory methods and observed records of interannual changes in rainfall, evapotranspiration, and ground water levels across the Northern High Plains. The findings, documented in statutes, field interviews and observed hydrologic variables, point to the potential for addressing large-scale collective action dilemmas, while building on the strengths of local control and participation. The feasibility of a “bottom up” system to foster groundwater resilience was evidenced by reductions in groundwater depths of 2 m in less than a decade.


2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
pp. 1774-1781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yifan Ding ◽  
Deshan Tang ◽  
Yuhang Wei ◽  
Sun Yin

Water resources in many urban areas are under enormous stress due to large-scale urban expansion and population explosion. The decision-makers are often faced with the dilemma of either maintaining high economic growth or protecting water resources and the environment. Simple criteria of water supply and drainage do not reflect the requirement of integrated urban water management. The Urban-Water Harmony (UWH) model is based on the concept of harmony and offers a more integrated approach to urban water management. This model calculates four dimensions, namely urban development, urban water services, water–society coordination, and water environment coordination. And the Analytic Hierarchy Process has been used to determine the indices weights. We applied the UWH model to Beijing, China for an 11-year assessment. Our findings show that, despite the severe stress inherent in rapid development and water shortage, the urban water relationship of Beijing is generally evolving in a positive way. The social–economic factors such as the water recycling technologies contribute a lot to this change. The UWH evaluation can provide a reasonable analysis approach to combine various urban and water indices to produce an integrated and comparable evaluation index. This, in turn, enables more effective water management in decision-making processes.


2019 ◽  
pp. 1477-1496
Author(s):  
Jean-Fiston Mikwa Ngamba ◽  
Ewango Corneille Ekokinya ◽  
Cush Ngonzo Luwesi ◽  
Yves-Dady Botula Kahindo ◽  
Muhogwa Jean Marie ◽  
...  

This study assessed the impact of human activities on deforestation and sustainability of water resources and livelihoods in the Congo Basin. It mainly aimed to assess forest degradation in the Yoko reserve from 1976 to 2015 and investigate the compatibility of Landsat imagery for forest monitoring. Digital Image processing for unsupervised classification was done using ENVI software while supervised classification was done by means of ArcGIS 10. Results show that forest landscape faced large scale human induced fragmentation over the last 40 years. If these trends continue, they will affect the sustainability of water resources and livelihoods in the Congo Basin of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hence, policy makers need to look at key drivers and address impacts that may threaten the future of Hydrological Ecosystems Services, including water and land resources in the Congo Basin. Authorities have to apply an Integrated Management of Water, Land and Ecosystems.


2014 ◽  
Vol 488-489 ◽  
pp. 970-974
Author(s):  
Gang Wang ◽  
Jian Zhong Shi

the large-scale application of non-grid-connected wind power in sea water desalination industry has not only solved the difficulty in grid connection of wind power, but also can be an inexhaustible clean energy supply for the sea water desalination. Such application, breaking through the traditional sea water desalination technology and wind power development ideas and realizing the 100% local use of renewable energies, is a perfect combination of the new energy industry and the power consumption industry. The large-scale industrialization application of non-grid-connected wind power sea water desalination can not only maximize the efficiency of wind power and realize the unification of social benefit, environmental benefit and economic benefit, but also is of great strategic significance in accelerating the transformation of the economic development mode of China, and meanwhile, plays a leading role in the diversified development of the world wind power industry. 1. High-energy consumption factors restrict the development of sea water desalination Sea water desalination is a source-opening incremental technology for realizing the utilization of water resources, which can increase the total amount of fresh water and is not limited by time, space and climate with good water quality, and can guarantee the stable water supply of drinking water for coastal residents and industrial water supplementation. Since sea water desalination is the substitutional and incremental technology of fresh water resources, many countries are attaching more and more importance on it. With the rapid development of the economy and society of China, especially with the acceleration of urbanization, some coastal developed areas and large cities near the sea are having a greater and greater demand on water resources. In this condition, the development of sea water desalination has a great strategic significance in the supplementation of water resources in the sustainable development process of these areas[1,2].


2001 ◽  
Vol 43 (10) ◽  
pp. 25-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Lazarova ◽  
B. Levine ◽  
J. Sack ◽  
G. Cirelli ◽  
P. Jeffrey ◽  
...  

Recycling water is an important aspect of water resource and environment management policies, ensuring reliable alternative water resources, reducing environmental pollution and achieving a more sustainable form of development. This paper focuses on wastewater reuse as a strategy for integrated water management. Key economic, financial, regulatory, social and technical factors that help to make water reuse projects successful are reviewed. Selected examples from Northern and Western Europe and arid and semi-arid Mediterranean regions illustrate the contribution of wastewater reuse to integrated management of water resources.


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