Catchment Residents-Based SWOT Analysis of a Reservoir Ecosystem for Sustainable Water Management: A Case Study From the Region of Alentejo, Portugal

2010 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-306
Author(s):  
Nuno-Gonçalo Matias

Abstract The European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC) makes public participation a requirement in managing water resources and maintaining water quality in a watershed. Whilst participatory approaches to sustainable water management are supported by a growing body of research, actively involving people affected by water resources is far from straightforward. This paper investigates the use of the Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) analysis framework as a consultation tool to support catchment populations participation in water resources management by a case study developed in a reservoir ecosystem. The application of a multiple correspondence analysis helped identify underlying structures of respondents SWOT stated issues and their associations with socio-demographic characteristics and type of reservoir ecosystem uses. In particular, five clusters of responses were suggested by this analysis, focusing on: the use and importance of the reservoir ecosystem for agriculture, existing qualities/amenities at the study area for recreation, socioeconomic issues, concerns about littering and litter management of the area, and issues about reservoir water quality and management. Overall, the issues raised information about public perceptions and understandings of the reservoir ecosystem, which may enable decision makers and water managers to perform fair and sustainable management of water resources.

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-173
Author(s):  
Kristina Ek ◽  
Lars Persson

AbstractSweden is a decentralised country where local managers, who are key actors in water management, often deal with relatively difficult prioritisations, tradeoffs and conflicting goals. Many of these challenges relate to the effective implementation of the European Union Water Framework Directive. As an input to these challenges, the present paper elicits and analyses local and semi-local citizens’ preferences for water quality attributes related to the European Water Framework directive in a river basin located in southeast of Sweden. Based on a choice experiment tailored to the case study area, the paper analyses preferences for selected attributes based on real criteria for ecological water status in the implementation of the directive. The target population lives in the municipalities through which the river passes, or in municipalities neighbouring those. Despite this spatial proximity to the river, the analysis reveals limited knowledge and interest in matters related to the environmental quality of the river. There is no evidence that preferences differ between respondents with regard to experience or knowledge about the water basin, nor with regard to recreational habits in the area. These results offer input to local water management by providing information about preferences for explicit water quality attributes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
V. P. Strokal ◽  
◽  
A. V. Kovpak ◽  

This review article aims to increase our understanding in the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of implementing the basin approach for water resources management in Ukraine. To this end, this article implements that SWOT analysis for discussing the transition from the administrative approach towards the basin approach. The SWOT analysis consists of the four main aspects: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Strengths and Weakness include strong and weak points of implementing the basin approach, respectively. Opportunities are windows for implementing actions to facilitate the basin approach and increase the effectiveness of this approach. Threats include risks for implementing the basin approach. In order to better understand opportunities, the main drivers and causes of water pollution are also discussed in the article. Results of the review show that climate change affects the availability of water resources strongly. Human activities namely the poultry production are important polluters of water resources. The article summarizes the correct water resources management approaches and proposes four main strategies for implementing the basin approach within the SWOT analysis. The first strategy deals with the successful transition from the administrative management towards the basin management of water resources. The second strategy deals with an increase in the access of the public to the water resources information including water quality. The third strategy deals with integrating the European Union water-related directives in the national environmental policies. The fourth strategy deals with reducing pollution levels in water systems through improved technologies. Next steps are to develop an integrated approach to account for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the four strategies. It is important to develop water indicators to facilitate an integrated assessment of water resources for different water uses while accounting for water quality. Future research can focus on future scenarios to project water quality under global change and to assess effects of the national policies on reducing future water pollution from urbanization and agricultural sectors.


2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 51-54
Author(s):  
J. Fettig

Abstract The structure of public water supply in Germany and the water resources used are briefly described. An overview over the legal requirements for drinking water is given, and the sources for contaminants are outlined. Then the multiple-barrier approach is discussed with respect to the resources groundwater and spring water, lake and reservoir water, and river water. Examples for treatment schemes are given and the principle of subsurface transport of river water as a first treatment step is described.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhil Nesi

Despite considerable public funding, Mexico City faces inadequate and inequitably distributed water infrastructure. Corruption in public fund management and at the interface between institutions and individuals is fed by opaque governing systems. Local actors agree that sustainable water management must begin with systemic changes to enable transparent and participative governance.


Author(s):  
Mykhailo Khvesyk ◽  
Lyudmila Levkovska ◽  
Valeriy Mandzyk

The article is devoted to the development of theoretical approaches to the formation and implementation of the strategy of water policy of Ukraine in the context of climate change. As a result of the conducted research, it is proved that because of influence of various external factors there are changes of basic imperatives of functioning of modern systems of management of water resources. The need to consider these changes by improving the strategic documents that define the priorities and principles of national water management policy is substantiated. It is established that one of the main reasons for the lack of water of good quality is its low value compared to other natural resources. This leads to a lack of legal, organizational, and financial and economic grounds for ensuring the payback of water and water-dependent ecosystem services, which is the reason for lack of funds and relevant work to improve and restore environmental and hydro morphological characteristics of reservoirs and repair and modernization of existing hydraulic structures. In this regard, emphasis is placed on the need to improve methods of economic regulation and the development of mechanisms and tools for financial support of sustainable water management. In the context of the above, it is proposed to include in the list of main tasks of the draft Water Strategy of Ukraine two groups of economic levers to increase the financial base of investment support for sustainable water management. The first group is aimed at improving the rent regulation of special use of water resources and provides for raising standards for unauthorized groundwater production, for companies that produce beverages and sell bottled drinking water, as well as limiting various benefits and preferences when paying special water use fees. The second - to change the system of water resources management, the development of institutional and legal support for their use in a globalized market environment, the implementation of modern instruments of financial and economic support for the formation of territorial water resources on a corporate basis.


2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 133-144
Author(s):  
Q.K. Ahmad

Water and poverty interface in many different ways. Sustainable management (i.e. development, allocation and utilization) of water resources is therefore a process-element of sustainable human development. This paper looks into water-poverty interfaces as well as into approaches to, and tools of, managing water in such a manner that water sector activities can contribute to alleviation of poverty. It gives a southern perspective and includes a case study of the evolving water management regime in Bangladesh.


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