Toward sustainable water resources management: critical assessment on the implementation of integrated water resources management and water–energy–food nexus in Afghanistan

National Level ◽

Resources Management ◽

Efficient Management ◽

Current State ◽

Sustainable Water Resources Management ◽

State Of Affairs

Abstract Afghanistan has abundant water resources; however, the current state of affairs is dismal because of the lack of integrated water resources management (IWRM) practices and prolonged war and conflict in the country. Therefore, there is a need for a systematic approach to water management, which can be materialized by integrating IWRM and the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus approach to maintain a critical balance of available water resources and their various uses at the national level. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of Afghanistan's water resource management, including the current state, challenges, opportunities, and way forward. The identified challenges are categorized as social and environmental issues, engineering and technical and regulatory, policy and government role. These challenges are inter-connected and a novel framework toward the implementation of IWRM and the WEF nexus in Afghanistan is proposed. This framework can be used by the relevant stakeholders to prepare a roadmap for sustainable management of water resources. Such integrative approaches will enhance Afghanistan's water, food, and energy security and significantly contribute to its economic development. Moving forward, the Afghanistan government must play a crucial role with regards to the efficient management of the country's water resources in an integrated manner as suggested in this paper.

Effects of Interactions Between Society and Environment on Policy in Water Resources Management: Exploring Scenarios of Natural and Human-Induced Shocks

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-17936 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Iolanda Borzì ◽

Murugesu Sivapalan ◽

Brunella Bonaccorso ◽

Alberto Viglione

Keyword(s):

Resource Management ◽

Water Resources ◽

River Basin ◽

Water Resource ◽

Sustainable Water Resources Management

Water Dynamics ◽

Resources Management ◽

<p>In many regions of the world, water supply is threatened by natural hazards such as floods and droughts, as well as by shocks induced by anthropogenic changes to water use. Lack of anticipation and/or preparation for these events can lead to delayed or insufficient responses to sudden or developing water crises, that sometimes can produce irrecoverable damage to the environment. In this work, a socio-hydrological approach to sustainable water resources management of the Alcantara River Basin in Sicily (Italy) is adopted that explicitly takes into account feedbacks between the natural and the human components that might arise from shocks to the water management system, including possible evolution of policy responses. The Alcantara River Basin is a groundwater-fed catchment which supplies many villages on the Ionian coast up to Messina city, mainly through the Alcantara aqueduct, but also agricultural areas and industries, including hydropower plants. It also hosts the Alcantara Fluvial Park, an important natural reserve. The Alcantara aqueduct also supplied the city of Messina during a temporary failure of its main aqueduct caused by a landslide in October 2015. The main purpose of the work is to use the socio-hydrological model as a &#8220;screening tool&#8221; to frame water resource management issues in a broad way and provide guidance to the community to identify aspects of societal behavior that need to evolve towards sustainable water resource management in order to withstand future shocks. This has been done by scenario simulations in conditions of a natural shock affecting the system (i.e. drought) and of a human-induced one (i.e. increase in groundwater extraction). Sensitivity analysis of the model social parameters revealed how the value attributed by the society to the environment and water resources use, its capacity to remember previous water crises and, in particular, its previous responses to shocks, can affect the system in a way that can produce paradoxical effects. Results show how a rapid decision-making strategy that may work in the short term, can be counter-productive when viewed over the long term and how a do-nothing decision during a water crisis could be highly damaging to the environment. For the above-mentioned reasons, this socio-hydrological approach can be considered as a useful tool to understand human-water dynamics and to support decision-makers in water resource management policies with a broad and long-term perspective.</p>

Integrated water resource management plan (IWRMP) in Oman: way forward

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2007.021b ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 457-473 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Al Khabouri Abdulbaqi ◽

Muyibi A. Suleyman ◽

Ahmed M. Thamer ◽

Kabbashi A. Nassereldeen

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Rapid Development ◽

Management Plan ◽

Population Increase ◽

Sultanate Of Oman ◽

Water Supplies ◽

Resources Management

Water resources management is a continuous challenge in the Sultanate of Oman. Owing to its rapid development during the last 30 years, the growing economy has brought an increase in urbanization with a high demand for quality water supplies. Increasing demands to be met include agriculture, population increase and rapid industrial and commercial development. These factors have created a lot of stress in the water resources availability in the country. This has resulted in degradation of the quality of the water especially in the coastal areas owing to over-pumping and saline intrusion. To satisfy water users' requirements and safeguard the scarce water resources in the country, an integrated water resources management plan is proposed. This plan is based on the perception of water as an integral part of the ecosystem, a natural resource and a social and economic good, whose quantity and quality determines the nature of its utilization. The integrated approach will review the current water resources situation in the Sultanate of Oman (increasing water shortages, deteriorating water quality, stress in water supplies, etc) and incorporate policy options that recognize these elements, develop national water policy and base the demand for and allocation of water resources on equity and efficient use. The Integrated Water Resources Management Plan (IWRMP) will also consider the capacity building of the human resources working in the water sector, the development of new institutions that will serve and match this goal, the integration of water planning into the national economy and, more significantly, community participation.

Mining Transition and Hydropower Energy in Greece—Sustainable Governance of Water Resources Management in a Post-Lignite Era: The Case of Western Macedonia, Greece

Water ◽

10.3390/w13141878 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 1878

Author(s):

Polytimi Farmaki ◽

Apostolos Tranoulidis ◽

Thanos Kouletsos ◽

Paraskevi Giourka ◽

Androniki Katarachia

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Policy ◽

Sustainable Water Resources Management

Current Knowledge ◽

Holistic Approach ◽

Resources Management ◽

Mining Areas ◽

Transition Plans ◽

The present study explores the process of Greece’s current decarbonisation transition and its energy policy regarding the country’s two coal-mining areas. Using the Region of Western Macedonia as a case study, we aimed at providing a holistic approach—as until now only few attempts have been made to systematise the ‘Just Transition Plans’ in European Union (EU)—for raising awareness on issues related to water resource management in post-lignite areas and analysing the use of hydropower in Greece. Our research draws on a flexible method approach, serving as a tool to identify gaps in current knowledge and practices, based on two stages—first the analysis of existing literature, reviews, and sources from government’s core strategies, as well as policy and decision-making papers, and then formulating research questions by synthesising relevant data. In Greece, both ‘Just Transition Development Plan of Lignite Areas’ and hydropower production practices overlook water resources management. By summarising our findings and identifying gaps that remain in current approaches, this work indicates future directions by suggesting processes necessary for addressing the complex issue of adoption of sustainable water resources management measures in post-lignite eras in accordance with EU’s water policy.

A Water Compact for Sustainable Water Management

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12187339 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (18) ◽

pp. 7339

Author(s):

Khaldoon A. Mourad

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Governance ◽

Water Sector ◽

Governance System ◽

Resources Management ◽

Sustainable Water Resources Management ◽

Key Stakeholders ◽

National Workshop

The water sector in Somalia is fragmented and needs coordination to establish a functioning water governance system. Therefore, commitments from all affected stakeholders are needed to support water resources development in Somalia. This paper proposed a water compact for Somalia that can address all water sector challenges to approach sustainability. The paper starts by analyzing water sector stakeholders in Somalia, describing their missions and relationship with the compact, categorizing all selected stakeholders based on their power and interest, and identifying key stakeholders. Based on the outcome from the national workshop and the literature, a water compact was proposed highlighting possible actions to solve the identified challenges. The compact covered four thematic areas: water governance, water use and services, water resilience, and integrated water resources management, which were discussed by all engaged stakeholders in a national workshop. The water compact will ensure sustainable water resources management. The paper highlighted the need for engaging the local media and the local people to get the much needed and valued feedback for possible interventions.

Hydrology and Integrated Water Resource Management for Sustainable Watershed Management in Kenya

Cases on the Diffusion and Adoption of Sustainable Development Practices ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-2842-7.ch013 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 352-375 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Christopher Misati Ondieki

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Watershed Management ◽

Water Resource ◽

Environmental Conservation ◽

Resource Exploitation ◽

Resources Management ◽

Management Plans

Degradation of watersheds and diminishing water resources lead to unsustainable environmental and socio- economic development. The hydrological characteristics are desirable for sustainable water resource exploitation. Hydrological and water resources research were examined in three case watersheds in Kenya leading to the need for integrated water resources management, environmental conservation, and watershed management plans as a result of the major challenges of climate change and variability and uncoordinated watershed resource utilization. Well-managed hydro-meteorological networks at different scales of hydrological systems have been proposed to assess potential for optimal resource use and harmony involving all stakeholders for reduced water stress and future water conflicts. Updates of information and methodologies for watershed management that emphasize collaborative efforts and use of sustainable best practices would require input of various stakeholders including Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA), Basin Authorities, and National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA).

Hydrology and Integrated Water Resource Management for Sustainable Watershed Management in Kenya

Sustainable Practices ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-4852-4.ch045 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 798-815 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Christopher Misati Ondieki

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Watershed Management ◽

Water Resource ◽

Environmental Conservation ◽

Resource Exploitation ◽

Resources Management ◽

Management Plans

Sustainable Water Resources Management: A Bibliometric Overview

Water ◽

10.3390/w10091191 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 1191 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Amador Durán-Sánchez ◽

José Álvarez-García ◽

María del Río-Rama

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Ad Hoc ◽

Specific Area ◽

Resources Management ◽

Environmentally Sustainable ◽

Sustainable Water Resources Management ◽

Quality Of Water ◽

Sustainable Water Resources

While global water demand continues increasing, the quantity and quality of water resources is decreasing in many regions. Conflicts over competition in the use of water are likely to increase as societies face social, economic and political challenges, especially aggravated by climate change. In this scenario, sustainable management of water resources is a key priority to meet the growing demand for water and to achieve a safe and environmentally sustainable future supply. The main objective of this article was to show an image of the international scientific production related to “Sustainable Water Resources Management” by using the comparative bibliometric study of the documents indexed in the WoS(Web of Science) and Scopus databases as a tool; and to analyze relevant aspects such as their coverage, correlation, overlap, growth, citation, dispersion or concentration, among others. For this purpose, and by means of an advanced search of terms, a representative set of 160 articles in WoS and 210 in Scopus were selected (with a time limit that limited the results to anything published before 2017, including 2017), which form the ad-hoc basis of the analysis. Their significant increase in both the number of articles and citations received in the last 10 years demonstrates the growing interest of the scientific community in its study. Regarding the analysis of the databases, although WoS and Scopus differ in terms of scope, volume of data and coverage policies, both information systems are complementary and non-exclusive. Despite their similarities, Scopus performs better coverage in the specific area of Sustainable Water Resource Management by collecting a greater number of articles and receiving a greater number of citations.

The introduction of water resources management programs in Western Asia

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2003.0015 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 257-268 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mey Jurdi ◽

Mohamed J. Abdulrazzak ◽

Shiraz Basma

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Resource ◽

Demand Management ◽

Resource Assessment ◽

Management Program ◽

Resources Management ◽

Western Asia

This paper emphasizes the importance of developing and implementing integrated water resource management programs in the Western Asia region. As such, the status of water resources management programs is assessed in reference to the integrative components of water policies and strategies, water legislation and enforcement, water institution framework, and water resource assessment and capacity building. Besides, recommendations relative to the hereby indicated integrative components are proposed where applicable. Development and implementation of an integrated water resources management program is essential for the region to overcome existing programs that are mainly oriented towards demand management and exploitation of groundwater reserves. Such programs would be directed to satisfy national freshwater needs for development and to promote water as an integrated component of social and economic goals as well as ecosystem management.