A role for GIS-based simulation for empowering local stakeholders in water resources negotiations in developing countries: case studies for two rural hillside watersheds in Honduras and Colombia

Water Policy ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Luijten ◽  
E. B. Knapp ◽  
S. I. Sanz ◽  
J. W. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Water Policy ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Stream Water ◽  
Stakeholder Participation ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Development Scenarios

Water security for those living in poverty is a concern for a broad range of policy makers. Identifying appropriate policy options, however, means coping with complexity and uncertainty inherent in natural and human systems. This paper demonstrates how geographical information systems and simulation modeling can facilitate scenario analysis of water availability and water security. The result is policy development with a strong human context that can empower stakeholders in water resources negotiations and the design of a science-based, community-supported water resources management plans. We applied these tools to two hillside watersheds in Honduras and Colombia to generate basic information about the “state of water resources”, and how they may change over space and time, for the present situation and under alternatives futures. Stakeholder participation in creating and analyzing scenarios is a critical part of the overall policy development methodological framework, so that what might otherwise be only lines on a graph is put into more concrete human terms. The analyses showed that, among others, stream water availability and the location of streams strongly vary throughout the year and over space; that different parts of the watersheds do not equally contribute to stream water; that inequalities exist in household accessibility to streams; and that dams could help supply sufficient irrigation water under alternative development scenarios without endangering water supply to downstream communities. These results are helpful for better understanding landscape processes at a watershed scale, for identifying desired future conditions and negotiating tradeoffs that are required to reach them, and for supporting water policy development.

Water Governance and Management in Indus Basin - Challenges & Threats

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marium Sara Minhas Bandeali
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Policy ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
The State ◽  
Indus Basin

Water governance and management are important challenges for the River Indus Basin in Pakistan. Water governance refers to social, political and economic factors that influence water management. The water scarcity and water security are a major concern for the state to control its water resources. The study aims to give Sindh water policy by exploring the challenges to Indus Basin in managing water resources and to identify opportunities Indus Basin can look to improve water management. Interviews were conducted from water experts and analysts having 5 years’ experience or more in the water sector of Pakistan through a semi-structured self-developed questionnaire using purposive sampling technique and transcripts were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The findings show that increasing population, climatic change and rising demand of water are major challenges Indus is facing and Indus with time is getting water-scarce therefore need strong institutions, civil society and legislatures to ensure equitable distribution of water and maintain the ecosystem. The study emphasizes that water governance and management are necessary for sustainable use of water. Pakistan, the water stress country needs to address ‘governance’ at a wider scale to solve problems in the Indus Basin for the livelihood of people. The research will benefit the state, water experts, institutions as well as civil society to promote efficient use of water in Indus Basin.

scholarly journals Understanding needs and barriers to using geospatial tools for public health policymaking in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dohyeong Kim ◽  
Yingyuan Zhang ◽  
Chang Kil Lee
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Adoption And Implementation ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Geospatial Tools

Despite growing popularity of using geographical information systems and geospatial tools in public health fields, these tools are only rarely implemented in health policy management in China. This study examines the barriers that could prevent policy-makers from applying such tools to actual managerial processes related to public health problems that could be assisted by such approaches, e.g. evidence-based policy-making. A questionnaire-based survey of 127 health-related experts and other stakeholders in China revealed that there is a consensus on the needs and demands for the use of geospatial tools, which shows that there is a more unified opinion on the matter than so far reported. Respondents pointed to lack of communication and collaboration among stakeholders as the most significant barrier to the implementation of geospatial tools. Comparison of survey results to those emanating from a similar study in Bangladesh revealed different priorities concerning the use of geospatial tools between the two countries. In addition, the follow-up in-depth interviews highlighted the political culture specific to China as a critical barrier to adopting new tools in policy development. Other barriers included concerns over the limited awareness of the availability of advanced geospatial tools. Taken together, these findings can facilitate a better understanding among policy-makers and practitioners of the challenges and opportunities for widespread adoption and implementation of a geospatial approach to public health policy-making in China.

scholarly journals Social Aspects of Transnational Corporations’ Activities in the New EU Member States

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 143-156
Author(s):  
Janina Witkowska
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Water Policy ◽  
Integrated Management ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
European Water

Water resources are among the most valuable resources of the natural environment. The sustainable and integrated management of these resources is the basis of European water policy. Pursuant to the Water Framework Directive, all waters in the European Union should achieve a state considered at least good by the year 2015. Just how this objective can be met continues to be a topic of discussions in some of the Member States. There exist serious problems and delays in performing and implementing the provisions of the Directive in most EU countries. What is more, the state of the water economy in several countries, including Poland, has been criticized by the European Commission. Many challenges stand before European water policy. They require solutions on a global and local level. This article presents current key problems and planned directions for EU water policy development, subjected to analysis and assessment. Note is taken on the newest initiative of the European Commission in the area of water policy, especially the plan for protecting Europe’s water resources—the Blueprint to Safeguard Europe’s Water Resources

scholarly journals Towards sustainable utilisation of water resources: a comprehensive analysis of Ghana's National Water Policy

Water Policy ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac Monney ◽  
Kafui Ocloo
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Water Policy ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Integrated Water Resources Management ◽  
Gender Mainstreaming ◽  
Sea Waves ◽  
Water Sector ◽  
Water Scarce ◽  
National Water

In the years ahead, meeting the challenges of food security in a water scarce world will require drastic changes in the way water resources are managed. Accordingly, Ghana's water sector has seen tremendous changes over the years culminating in the 2007 National Water Policy. This paper evaluates the policy to highlight its strengths and weaknesses, to inform possible future review and guide new policy development in developing countries or troubleshoot existing policies. It draws on a framework based on three thematic areas distilled from global water policy development guidelines. Using a 3-point Likert scale, sub-thematic components are ranked and used to quantitatively compute the theme-specific scores (TSS) and the overall performance (OP) of the policy. Per the study findings, cross-cutting water policy issues including integrated water resources management, climate change adaptation and gender mainstreaming are more highlighted (TSS = 67%) than country-specific water management issues (TSS = 50%). Specifically, the policy neglects key national issues including protection of coastal regions from the onslaught of sea waves, and water resource protection against oil spills, and its institutional framework for implementation excludes key sector institutions. Generally, the policy addresses most pertinent issues in the water sector (OP = 64%) and areas for improvement are further discussed in the paper.

scholarly journals Modeling in Water Resources Management in East Nile Delta: Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-46
Author(s):  
Heba F. Abdelwahab ◽  
Elsayed M. Ramadan ◽  
Abdelazim M. Negm
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Water Reuse ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Nile Delta ◽  
Mathematical Optimization ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Optimal Operation ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Modelling Studies

AbstractIt is acknowledged that providing a safe water supply for all countries is one of the major challenges of the twenty-first century. Egypt is one of the greatest countries affected in Africa and Middle East. The Nile is facing a major water shortage due to the limited water resources and the the demand is growing as a result high population growth and development in industrial and agricultural sectors. This paper has been motivated by the fact that there is no up-to-date literature review of the optimal operation of Water Resources. The analysis of the reviewed literature is structured along five broad branches: (1) Mathematical Optimization Modelling Studies, (2) Numerical Simulation Modelling Studies, (3) Geographical Information Systems “GIS” based Studies, (4) Ecological Studies, (5) Water Reuse Studies. This review is limited to surface water but groundwater has been inexplicitly included. The paper concludes the best way to identify knowledge to cover the gap between water supply and demands and to guide future researches on water resources planning and management.

Study of water-table behaviour for the Indian Punjab using GIS

2011 ◽  
Vol 63 (8) ◽  
pp. 1574-1581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samanpreet Kaur ◽  
Rajan Aggarwal ◽  
Ashwani Soni
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
The State ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Critical Limit ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Water Canals

The state of Punjab (India) has witnessed a spectacular increase in agricultural production in the last few decades. This has been possible due to high use of fertilizers, good quality seeds and increased use of water resources. This increased demand of water resources has resulted in extensive use of groundwater in the central districts of the state and surface water (canals) in South-West Punjab, where groundwater is of poor quality in general. The state has been facing the twin problem of water table decline/rise in different parts. Efficient management relies on comprehensive database and regular monitoring of the resources. GIS is one of the important tools for integrating and analyzing spatial information from different sources or disciplines. It helps to integrate, analyze and represent spatial information and database of any resource, which could be easily used for planning of resource development, environmental protection and scientific researches and investigations. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) have been used for a variety of groundwater studies. Groundwater level change maps are useful in determining areas of greatest changes in storage in the regional systems. In this study, an attempt has been made to assess the long term groundwater behaviour of the state using GIS to visually and spatially analyze water level data obtained from the state and central agencies. The data was analysed for 0–3 m, 3–10 m, 10–20 m and beyond 20 m. The study revealed that per cent area with water table depth > 10 m was 20% in 1998 and has increased to 58% by 2006 which is critical limit for shifting from centrifugal pump to submersible pump.

scholarly journals Sujalam Suphalam (SS) : A multi-stakeholder Water Resources Management Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarang Kulkarni ◽  
Pragya Soni
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Storage Capacity ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Active Participation ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Short Period ◽  
The Government ◽  
Multi Stakeholder ◽  
District Administration

Rejuvenation of existing water bodies is an important element to achieve village water security in the context of both drinking and agriculture water requirements. Rejuvenation of the water structure leads to the creation of storage or increase in the storage capacity of the existing structure, eventually aiding to groundwater recharge. “Sujalam Suphalam” is a District level time-bound program that focuses on the improvement of village water resources by undertaking the restoration of existing water bodies, and watershed treatments for the augmentation of groundwater. It is an effort to make a parched village 'water abundant' by creating water infrastructure that instils the notion of ownership amongst the stakeholders which is an important element in arriving at a sustainable solution for drought frequented regions in a short period of time. Sujalam Suphalam (SS) takes a multi-stakeholder approach to arrive at village water security. The multi-stakeholder design of the programme involves the Government (State and District Administration) – Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) -Community/Farmers Group – like-minded civil society organisations and advocacy groups (public representatives and newspaper & electronic media) as the stakeholders. Where Government authority provides necessary sanctions and takes full ownership of the programme, BJS provide their services of heavy machinery and support the Government in programme execution, implementation, community mobilisation, data management and monitoring. This program promises rejuvenating water structures that store run-off generated during monsoons, which recharges groundwater, these earthen works also provide an essential resource to the farmers which is silt to enhance individual farmer's productivity. SS has helped in increasing the agricultural income by bringing the larger area under irrigation and enhanced the income from agro-allied diversified activities. By desilting percolation tanks, water harvesting tanks and village nalas (rivulets) BJS has not only enhanced the storage capacity of these structures but also increased the period of water availability in the parched villages. It increased the number of days of drinking and domestic water availability accessible to all habitations within a village. The approach promises to reduce the gap between demand and supply of both, water and silt, in a short period. It also garners active participation from the farmers that leads to effective management of community water resources by enhancing the capacity of Panchayati Raj Institutions and individual farmers. Since the implementation of IWRM projects back in the 1970s, many water storage structures were created in drought-prone villages. But often it was found that very few programs were concentrated on rejuvenation or repair of these water bodies. Often the Gram Panchayat was given charge of these water bodies who lacked the necessary guidance and resources to rejuvenate or repair. Sujalam Suphalam program is focused on rejuvenation or repair of government and community-owned water bodies. These processes demanded the active participation of district administration, gram panchayat, progressive farmers, farmer boards at village level and those who were on the periphery of these institutions. This paper reviews the multi-stakeholder sustainable water conservation approach adopted by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana with the support of the government of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The paper also highlights the main components of the programme, methodology of the programme, execution, key achievements, impacts and critical lessons learnt.

Hydrological, socioeconomic, engineering and water quality modeling aspects for evaluating water security: experience from Greek rural watersheds.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athina Angeli ◽  
Eleni Karkani ◽  
Angelos Alamanos ◽  
Stefanos Xenarios ◽  
Nikitas Mylopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Balance ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Agricultural Activities ◽  
Water Value ◽  
Surface And Groundwater ◽  
Lake Karla

<p>Water security poses one of the biggest challenges of the century. It is a versatile problem, going beyond the traditional concepts of hydrology and water quality. It is difficult to give a single definition, since water security signifies a "safe operating subspace" within a multi-dimensional space that maps physical resource availability, water quality, demand, infrastructure and economic choices. The main idea of water security, as addressed in the present study, is the need to balance human and environmental water needs.</p><p>In arid and semi-arid areas, including Greece, intensification of agriculture accompanied with poor management is a common phenomenon. These attempts to meet economic and productive objectives, combined with the physical characteristics of these areas, has led to quantitative and qualitative water degradation, questioning the sustainability of water resources. In Greece, the Ministry of Environment Management Plans found that only 1 or 2 cases in the country are in “a good status”. This study aims to propose a way towards integrated and sustainable management, through hydro-economic tools: water balance, profits from agricultural activities, water value, and water quality. Water security is examined based on these terms in several Greek rural watersheds.</p><p>The methodology consists of the estimation of water availability, water demand, and thus water balance in surface and groundwater resources. The profits from the agricultural activities are estimated from a straightforward economic model, based on the gross profits and production costs. Water quality is based on measurements on concentrations of fertilizers, chemical parameters and pesticides, and its improvement is examined through the quantitative replenishment due to several strategies exploiting dilution processes in surface and groundwater. The analysis used data from the period 2005-2015, and a set of management scenarios were examined, suggesting technical measures (e.g. reducing losses, improving irrigation methods) and crop replacement scenarios, taking into account factors affecting these decisions, and also the Ministry’s recommendations. The water value was calculated using the “change of the net-income” method. All the above factors’ results indicate the degradation of the examined areas.</p><p>More specifically, the watersheds of Lake Karla, Almyros, Koronia, and Loudia were selected as the most representative cases. These watersheds seem to have limited water availability, intensified agriculture, poor water quality and management issues. The Lake Karla watershed is characterized from overexploited surface and groundwater resources, Loudia and Koronia watersheds face the same issues plus a strong qualitative degradation, Almyros watershed main issue is the salinization of its coastal aquifer. In conclusion, the first steps that are introduced in this study can be a starting point for more integrated water security management, helping local water managers understand and address the above issues.</p><p>Overall, it is a novel attempt to integrate all the above parameters in one framework, for a ten-year horizon, and comparing rural Greek case studies. Non-comparable factors also exist among different case studies, which are discussed, however the evidences support the finding of the general degradation and unsustainable management in the country.</p><p><strong>KEYWORDS:</strong> Water Security, agricultural watersheds, Greece, Water Resources Management, Hydro-economic modeling, water quality, scenario analysis.</p>

scholarly journals Climate change and land suitability for potato production in England and Wales: impacts and adaptation

2011 ◽  
Vol 150 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. DACCACHE ◽  
C. KEAY ◽  
R. J. A. JONES ◽  
E. K. WEATHERHEAD ◽  
M. A. STALHAM ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Land Suitability ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Supplementary Irrigation ◽  
Emissions Scenario

SUMMARYThe viability of commercial potato production is influenced by spatial and temporal variability in soils and agroclimate, and the availability of water resources where supplementary irrigation is required. Soil characteristics and agroclimatic conditions greatly influence the cultivar choice, agronomic husbandry practices and the economics of production. Using the latest (UKCP09) scenarios of climate change for the UK, the present paper describes a methodology using pedo-climatic functions and a geographical information system (GIS) to model and map current and future land suitability for potato production in England and Wales. The outputs identify regions where rainfed production is likely to become limiting and where future irrigated production would be constrained due to shortages in water availability. The results suggest that by the 2050s, the area of land that is currently well or moderately suited for rainfed production would decline by 88 and 74%, respectively, under the ‘most likely’ climate projections for the low emissions scenario and by 95 and 86%, respectively, for the high emissions scenario, owing to increased likelihood of dry conditions. In many areas, rainfed production would become increasingly risky. However, with supplementary irrigation, c. 0·85 of the total arable land in central and eastern England would remain suitable for production, although most of this is in catchments where water resources are already over-licensed and/or over-abstracted; the expansion of irrigated cropping is thus likely to be constrained by water availability. The increase in the volume of water required due to the switch from rainfed- to irrigated-potato cropping is likely to be much greater than the incremental increase in water demand solely on irrigated potatoes. The implications of climate change on the potato industry, the adaptation options and responses available, and the uncertainty associated with the land suitability projections, are discussed.

scholarly journals The role of proximity in problem identification: risk of water scarcity in Texas

Water Policy ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary B. Mahafza ◽  
James W. Stoutenborough ◽  
Arnold Vedlitz
Keyword(s):  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Water Policy ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Policy Action ◽  
Problem Identification ◽  
Local Conditions

This project seeks to determine whether proximity to major water sources (e.g. rivers or lakes) is associated with the public's perception of water scarcity. From a theoretical perspective, this project will aid our collective understanding of problem identification. From a practical perspective, this relationship could help inform decision makers about where support or resistance to a water policy may be concentrated and allow more targeted efforts to help inform citizens about short- and long-term water policy needs. Knowing the influence of local conditions on public support for policy action is particularly important as water policies are primarily the domain of local and state governments. We utilize Geographical Information Systems to quantify the distances between survey respondents and various water sources to attempt to determine the effect individuals' proximity to water sources has on their opinions about water scarcity. The analyses reveal that proximity is a predictor of water scarcity perceptions, and the implications of these findings are discussed.

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