scholarly journals Evaluating Vulnerability of Central Asian Water Resources under Uncertain Climate and Development Conditions: The Case of the Ili-Balkhash Basin

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 615
Author(s):  
Tesse De Boer ◽  
Homero Paltan ◽  
Troy Sternberg ◽  
Kevin Wheeler

The Ili-Balkhash basin (IBB) is considered a key region for agricultural development and international transport as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The IBB is exemplary for the combined challenge of climate change and shifts in water supply and demand in transboundary Central Asian closed basins. To quantify future vulnerability of the IBB to these changes, we employ a scenario-neutral bottom-up approach with a coupled hydrological-water resource modelling set-up on the RiverWare modelling platform. This study focuses on reliability of environmental flows under historical hydro-climatic variability, future hydro-climatic change and upstream water demand development. The results suggest that the IBB is historically vulnerable to environmental shortages, and any increase in water consumption will increase frequency and intensity of shortages. Increases in precipitation and temperature improve reliability of flows downstream, along with water demand reductions upstream and downstream. Of the demand scenarios assessed, extensive water saving is most robust to climate change. However, the results emphasize the competition for water resources among up- and downstream users and between sectors in the lower Ili, underlining the importance of transboundary water management to mitigate cross-border impacts. The modelling tool and outcomes may aid decision-making under the uncertain future in the basin.

Author(s):  
Heman Das Lohano ◽  
Fateh Muhammad Marri

Water resources in Sindh province of Pakistan are under significant pressure due to increasing and conflicting water demand from municipalities for domestic users, agriculture and industries, and requirements of environmental flows. Population growth and climate change are likely to pose serious challenges to households and economic sectors that depend on water. This study estimates the present water demand from municipalities, agriculture and industries, and its future projections by the year 2050 in Sindh. The study also evaluates the impact of climate change on sectoral water demand and assesses the water requirements for the environmental flows. The results show that presently the total water demand for these sectors in Sindh is 44.06 Million Acre Feet (MAF). Agriculture is the largest consumer of water, accounting for 95.24 percent of the total water demand. Municipal water demand accounts for 2.61 percent while industrial water demand accounts for 1.88 percent. The demand for water in these sectors is expected to rise by 10 percent from 2018 to 2050. Moreover, depending on climate change scenario, the total water demand in these three sectors is likely to rise by 16 to 25 percent from 2018 to 2050. In additions, water requirements for the environmental flows have been indicated as 10 MAF in the National Water Accord of 1991. The findings of this study call for policy measures and strategies for management of water resources in Sindh.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengmeng Hao ◽  
Jingying Fu ◽  
Dong Jiang ◽  
Xiaoxi Yan ◽  
Shuai Chen ◽  
...  

Bioenergy is expected to play a key role in achieving a future sustainable energy system. Sweet sorghum-based fuel ethanol, one of the most promising bioenergy sources in China, has been receiving considerable attention. However, the conflict between sweet sorghum development and traditional water use has not been fully considered. The article presents an integrated method for evaluating water stress from sweet sorghum-based fuel ethanol in China. The region for developing sweet sorghum was identified from the perspective of sustainable development of water resources. First, the spatial distribution of the water demand of sweet sorghum-based fuel ethanol was generated with a Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) model coupled with Geo-Information System (GIS). Subsequently, the surplus of water resources at the provincial scale and precipitation at the pixel scale were considered during the growth period of sweet sorghum, and the potential conflicts between the supply and demand of water resources were analyzed at regional scale monthly. Finally, the development level of sweet sorghum-based fuel ethanol was determined. The results showed that if the pressure of water consumption of sweet sorghum on regional water resources was taken into account, about 23% of the original marginal land was not suitable for development of sweet sorghum-based fuel ethanol, mainly distributed in Beijing, Hebei, Ningxia, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Tianjin. In future energy planning, the water demand of energy plants must be fully considered to ensure its sustainable development.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 288-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Netra B. Chhetri

Planning for sustainable water management in the arid region of the southwestern USA is challenging mostly due to only partial understanding of factors converging around water supply and demand. Some of the factors that prompt concern about the adequacy of water resources are: (a) a growing urban population seeking a range of services, including the need to preserve and enhance aquatic ecosystems; (b) dwindling water storage due to multi-year drought conditions; and (c) the prospect of human-induced climate changes and its consequences in the hydrologic system of the region. This study analyzes the potential for water saving in the Phoenix Active Management Area (AMA) of Central Arizona, which includes the city of Phoenix, one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country. Based on an extensive literature review and secondary data analysis, this paper investigates multiple factors that place increasing strain on current water resources, and attempts to extend this analysis to 2025. Outdoor water use within the residential landscape is the most important factor that strains water resources in Phoenix AMA. Any gain in efficiency through agricultural water demand management would not only improve the availability of water for other uses in the AMA, but would facilitate adaptation of the agricultural system to climate and other ongoing changes.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zarina Saidaliyeva ◽  
Veruska Muccione ◽  
Maria Shahgedanova ◽  
Sophie Bigler ◽  
Carolina Adler

<p>The mountains of Central Asia, extending over 7000 m a.s.l. and accommodating diverse and complex natural and managed systems, are very vulnerable to climate change. They support valuable environmental functions and provide key ecosystem goods and services to the arid downstream regions which strongly depend on the melting snowpack and glaciers for the provision of water by the transboundary rivers starting in the mountains. Strong climate change adaptation (CCA) action is required to increase resilience of the vulnerable, low-income communities in the region. Our knowledge of the CCA actions in the mountains of Central Asia is limited in comparison with other mountainous regions. The aim of this study is to assess the existing adaptation projects and publications and to identify gaps in adaptation efforts by conducting a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature published in English language. To be selected, the papers had to comply with the following criteria: (i) publication between 2013 and 2019; (ii) explicit focus on CCA in the mountain ranges of Central Asia; (iii) explanation of adaptation options; (vi) a clear methodology of deriving suitable adaptation options. Following the initial screening and subsequent reading of the publications, complying with the specified criteria, 33 peer-reviewed articles were selected for final analysis. This is considerably lower than the number of publications on the European Alps, Hindu-Kush – Himalayas, and the Andes. The number of publications on Central Asian mountains has declined since 2013.</p><p>The research is heavily focused on the problem of water resources, especially water availability at present and in the future 70 % of the analysed papers addressing these issues. These are followed by the papers considering adaptation in agriculture and in managing biodiversity. A critical finding is the lack of publications on adaptation to hazards and disasters including glacier outburst floods, mudflow, and landslides which are common and comparatively well-researched hazards in the Central Asian mountains, experiencing rapid deglaciation. About 50 % of the papers address the transboundary nature of the impacts of climate changes on water resources and land management reflecting the transboundary nature of the Central Asian catchments and the tensions which exist across the region but are especially prominent in the Aral Sea basin.</p><p>We conclude that while there is ample evidence of climate change and its impacts in the mountains of Central Asia and many publications mention the need for adaptation, a very limited number of publications explicitly focus on CCA and how it can be delivered.</p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarra Mansouri ◽  
Lahbassi Ouerdachi ◽  
Mohamed Remaoun

Abstract Water is seen as key factor for development. Its scarcity raises concerns at all scales. In regards to water resources, Annaba and El-Taref are intimately connected, the different activities (groundwater and superficial), focused on increasing supply, have been considered as a response to water demand. The actual system use of water resources is not able to sustain water needs that are more and more growing in different expansion sectors. Consequently, a strategy should therefore be sought to integrate the various sectoral needs in available water resources in order to reach the economic and ecological sustainability. We will try to respond to this problem by use of Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model. This study is the first attempt to estimate water demand and analysis of multiple and competing uses of hydro-system in Seybouse’s Wadi basin and to make comparison with proposed water storage estimates. This model was applied according to five different scenarios which reflect the best and worst conditions of the supply and demand, not only to evaluate water demand deficit, but also to help planners to the alternative management. The model stimulation showed that the area study is sensitive to a serious water scarcity by 2030. It is possible to observe an improvement with integration of other management strategies for a best operating system.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 679-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelos Alamanos ◽  
Stamatis Sfyris ◽  
Chrysostomos Fafoutis ◽  
Nikitas Mylopoulos

Abstract The relationship between water abstraction and water availability has turned into a major stress factor in the urban exploitation of water resources. The situation is expected to be sharpened in the future due to the intensity of extreme meteorological phenomena, and socio-economic changes affecting water demand. In the city of Volos, Greece, the number of water counters has been tripled during the last four decades. This study attempts to simulate the city's network, supply system and water demand through a forecasting model. The forecast was examined under several situations, based on climate change and socio-economic observations of the city, using meteorological, water pricing, users' income, level of education, family members, floor and residence size variables. The most interesting outputs are: (a) the impact of each variable in the water consumption and (b) water balance under four management scenarios, indicating the future water management conditions of the broader area, including demand and supply management. The results proved that rational water management can lead to remarkable water conservation. The simulation of real scenarios and future situations in the city's water demand and balance, is the innovative element of the study, making it capable of supporting the local water utility.


2012 ◽  
Vol 212-213 ◽  
pp. 123-129
Author(s):  
Hua Xin Chen ◽  
Xin Yi Xu

Bases on the expansion of Geordie Coefficient, a analysis method for water consumption fairness have been set up, and the Geordie coefficients are calculated to describe the influence of population, GDP, water quantity on water use of China in 2009. Then water demand coefficient is put forward to estimate the reasons for unfairness of water use. Moreover, Geordie coefficient of the North and South of China is analyzed. The results show that Geordie Coefficient represents unfairness of water use, which result from the unfair factors, including population, GDP, and water quantity. The research can provide reference for reasonable configuration of the water resources.


2013 ◽  
Vol 295-298 ◽  
pp. 2132-2137
Author(s):  
Xiao Ling Xu ◽  
Xu Feng Liang ◽  
Xiu Juan Liang ◽  
Chang Lai Xiao

Water resources are an important influence factor of land remediation. As support of food production, analysis of water resources supply and demand balance is an important part and technical support of the construction. According to some relevant calculation formulas on water resources assessment, after forecast of water demand and the calculation of water supply, in the project area of the demonstration construction of whole rural land remediation in Baishan City, the average water availability for many years is 8990.1 thousand m3 each year, in which surface water availability is 7210.6 thousand m3, groundwater availability is 1579.4 thousand m3. Water demand is 5552.4 thousand m3 in 2015, in which water demand for life 4165.2 thousand m3; water demand for agricultural irrigation is 1387.2 thousand m3. Water supply is more than water demand; the results show that there is a slight surplus of water resources in the region. The basic supply-demand balance can be achieved in conditions of the design of water supply project in the project area.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document