Nexus Thinking at River Basin Scale: Food, Water and Welfare

Water resources face an unparalleled confluence of pressures, with agriculture and urban growth as the most relevant human-related stressors. In this context, methodologies using a Nexus framework seem to be suitable to address these challenges. However, the urban sector has been commonly ignored in the Nexus literature. We propose a Nexus framework approach, considering the economic dimensions of the interdependencies and interconnections among agriculture (food production) and the urban sector as water users within a common basin. Then, we assess the responses of both sectors to climatic and demographic stressors. In this setting, the urban sector is represented through an economic water demand at the household level, from which economic welfare is derived. Our results show that the Nexus components here considered (food, water, and welfare) will be negatively affected under the simulated scenarios. However, when these components are decomposed to their particular elements, we found that the less water-intensive sector—the urban sector—will be better off since food production will leave significant amounts of water available. Moreover, when addressing uncertainty related to climate-induced shocks, we could identify the basin resilience threshold. Our approach shows the compatibilities and divergences between food production and the urban sector under the Nexus framework.

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Water Scarcity under Various Socio-economic Pathways and its Potential Effects on Food Production in the Yellow River Basin

10.5194/hess-2016-188 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yuanyuan Yin ◽

Qiuhong Tang ◽

Xingcai Liu ◽

Xuejun Zhang

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Scarcity ◽

Water Demand ◽

Food Production ◽

Yellow River ◽

The Yellow River ◽

Industrial Water ◽

Water Demands ◽

Socio Economic Development ◽

Industrial Water Demand

Abstract. Increasing population and socio-economic development have put great pressure on water resources of the Yellow River (YR) basin. The anticipated climate and socio-economic changes may further increase water stress. Many studies have investigated the changes in renewable water resources under various climate change scenarios but few have considered the joint pressure from both climate change and socio-economic development. In this study, we assess water scarcity under various socio-economic pathways with an emphasis on the impact of water scarcity on food production. The water demands in the 21st century are estimated based on the newly developed Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs) and the renewable water supply is obtained from the climate projections under the RCP 8.5 scenario. The assessment predicts that the renewable water resources and domestic water demand are projected to first increase and then decrease, while the industrial water demand is projected to rapidly increase in the basin during the 21st century. The water demands will put the middle and lower reaches in conditions of severe water scarcity beginning in the next a few decades (during 1990s–2040s). The industrial water demand is the main contributing factors to water scarcity. The irrigation water demand is another important contributing factor under SSP3. If more than 10 % of the renewable water resources are used to sustain ecosystems, a portion of irrigated land would have to be converted to rain-fed agriculture which would lead to a 9–38 % reduction in food production. This study highlights the links between water, food and ecosystems in a changing environment and suggests that trade-offs should be considered when developing regional adaptation strategies.

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Unsustainable groundwater use for global food production and related international trade

Global Sustainability ◽

10.1017/sus.2019.7 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Carole Dalin ◽

Makoto Taniguchi ◽

Timothy R. Green

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Demand ◽

Food Production ◽

Food Systems ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Virtual Water ◽

Important Food ◽

Groundwater Use ◽

Global Food

Non-technical summary Most of the water humans consume is for agriculture. Rapidly increasing water demand has led to overexploitation of water resources in many important food-producing regions. In particular, growing groundwater-based irrigation causes potentially damaging depletion. Food systems are increasingly globalized, leading to large export-oriented production. Much research has focused on quantifying the amount of water resources embedded in traded products, but less attention has been given to the role of groundwater use and the related sustainability of agriculture globally. We assess current knowledge of virtual water trade in light of groundwater use and sustainability and highlight remaining challenges in this field.

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Paradigms for water allocation in river basins: a society-science-practice perspective from Southern Africa

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2017.130 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 637-649 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

M. J. Chomba ◽

T. Hill ◽

B. A. Nkhata ◽

J. J. Förster

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Southern Africa ◽

Water Allocation ◽

Water Security ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

River Basins ◽

Paradigm Shifts ◽

Science Practice ◽

Water Users ◽

Basin Scale

This paper seeks to complement ongoing discussions around water allocation by offering an analytic framework for examining the evolution of paradigms for water allocation in river basins. It traces this evolution from the hydraulic paradigm through to Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and the current water security paradigm. Using a society-science-practice interaction perspective, the paper draws attention to the governance processes of water allocation that underlie these paradigms using examples from river basins in southern Africa. It is argued that the process of allocating water resources is often influenced by societal priorities and values that do not necessarily result in maintaining ecosystem health and integrity. The efficacy of water allocation depends on the extent to which implementation takes into account the socio-political dynamics associated with collective action involving multiple water users. While paradigm shifts provide windows of opportunity for strengthening legislation, the mere adoption of paradigms should not be taken as a panacea for addressing challenges associated with water allocation in river basins. This is especially relevant for several countries in southern Africa that are undertaking water reforms with the view of strengthening allocation of water resources at basin scale.

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GESTÃO DOS RECURSOS HÍDRICOS NA SUB-BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO BOI BRANCO – SP

Irriga ◽

10.15809/irriga.2018v23n4p784-797 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 784-797

Author(s):

Givaldo Dantas Sampaio Neto ◽

Vinícius Rafael Bianchi ◽

Leonardo De Barros Pinto ◽

Rodrigo Máximo Sánchez Román

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Demand ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Climatic Factors ◽

Irrigated Agriculture ◽

Rainfed Agriculture ◽

Resources Management ◽

Water Users ◽

Bianchi V ◽

And Training

GESTÃO DOS RECURSOS HÍDRICOS NA SUB-BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO BOI BRANCO – SP GIVALDO DANTAS SAMPAIO NETO1; VINÍCIUS RAFAEL BIANCHI2; LEONARDO DE BARROS PINTO3 E RODRIGO MÁXIMO SÁNCHEZ ROMÁN4 1Departamento de Ensino, Campus de Diamantino IFMT, Rodovia Roberto Campos s/n, Novo Diamantino, CEP:78402-000, Diamantino – MT, Brasil. email: [email protected]. 2 Departamento de Engenharia Rural, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Campus de Botucatu. Fazenda Experimental Lageado, Avenida Universitária, nº 3780, Altos do Paraíso, CEP: 18610-034, Botucatu – SP. Brasil. email: [email protected]. 3 Departamento de Economia, Sociologia e Tecnologia, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Campus de Botucatu. Fazenda Experimental Lageado, Avenida Universitária, nº 3780, Altos do Paraíso, CEP: 18610-034, Botucatu – SP. Brasil. email: [email protected] 4 Departamento de Engenharia Rural, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Campus de Botucatu. Fazenda Experimental Lageado, Avenida Universitária, nº 3780, Altos do Paraíso, CEP: 18610-034, Botucatu – SP. Brasil. email: [email protected]. 1 RESUMO A escassez dos recursos hídricos devido a fatores climáticos ou pelo aumento de consumo devido a intensidade de algumas atividades, tem gerado conflitos em diversas regiões do Brasil. A agricultura é responsável por 70% da demanda hídrica no Brasil, isso devido fundamentalmente à prática de irrigação. Por outro lado a agricultura irrigada produz 2,7 vezes a mais que a lavoura de sequeiro e emprega em média 1,5 empregos diretos e indiretos por cada hectare irrigado. Classificada em situação crítica a sub-bacia do Boi Branco, localizada na região do Alto Paranapanema, entre os município de Itaí e Paranapanema é um forte polo de agricultura irrigada. O objetivo deste trabalho foi levantar as questões relacionadas aos aspectos de gestão dos recursos hídricos, agricultura irrigada e a participação dos diversos setores de usuários de água da sub-bacia do Boi Branco. Onde se pode observar que os dados quantitativos e qualitativos relacionados aos recursos hídricos nas bacias, apresentam inconsistência tanto na demanda real de água como na disponibilidade efetiva. É preciso uma maior divulgação das informações da sub-bacia do Boi Branco juntamente com investimento em pesquisa e capacitação de todos os envolvidos na gestão dos recursos hídricos. Palavras Chave: irrigação, pivô central, uso da água, agricultura irrigada. SAMPAIO NETO, G. D.; BIANCHI, V. R.; PINTO, L. B.; SÁNCHEZ-ROMÁN, R. M. MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES IN BOI BRANCO SUB-BASIN -SP 2 ABSTRACT Scarcity of water resources due to climatic factors or increase in consumption due to the intensity of some activities has generated conflicts in several regions of Brazil. Agriculture is responsible for 70% of water demand in Brazil, mainly due to the practice of irrigation. On the other hand, irrigated agriculture produces 2.7 times more than rainfed agriculture and employs on average 1.5 direct and indirect jobs per irrigated hectare. Classified in a critical situation, Boi Branco sub-basin, located in Alto Paranapanema region, Itai and Paranapanema municipalities is a strong irrigated agriculture pole. The objective of this work was to raise issues related to the management of water resources, irrigated agriculture and the participation of various sectors of water users in Boi Branco sub-basin. It was observed that quantitative and qualitative data related to water resources in the basins present inconsistency both in actual water demand and in effective availability. There is a need for greater dissemination of information on Boi Branco sub-basin together with investment in research and training of all those involved in water resources management. Keyword: irrigation, central pivot, water use, watershed, irrigated agriculture.

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Research on Livestock Carrying Capacity of Arid Pastoral Areas Based on Dynamic Water–Forage–Livestock Balance in OtogBanner, China

Water ◽

10.3390/w12092539 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 2539

Author(s):

Lin Qin ◽

Xiaoyu Song ◽

Wang Wen ◽

Xiaodi Liu ◽

Hui Liu

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Carrying Capacity ◽

Water Demand ◽

Animal Husbandry ◽

Scientific Basis ◽

Ecological Environment ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Water Users ◽

Pastoral Area ◽

Grassland Ecosystems

There are nonequilibrium characteristics of grassland ecosystems driven by water, and constraints on the development scale of artificially irrigated grassland caused by the lack of water resources in arid pastoral areas. Based on the interaction of water, forage, and livestock, this study built a model of livestock-carrying capacity within the dynamic water–forage–livestock balance, to analyze the livestock carrying capacity of arid pastoral areas. The results showed that compared with the fixed livestock carrying capacity of 1.0898 million sheep units with a dynamic forage–livestock balance, the livestock carrying capacity based on the dynamic water–forage–livestock balance of OtogBanner were in a multi-equilibrium state due to the fluctuation of rangeland productivity caused by a change in precipitation conditions and the adjustment of the tame grassland irrigation scale caused by the change in water demand of other water users in the pastoral area. Under the conditions of the wet, normal, and dry years, the livestock carrying capacity was 1.632 million standard sheep units under the 26.5 thousand hm2 tame grassland developing areas, 1.3037 million standard sheep units under the 25.9 thousand hm2 tame grassland developing areas, and 0.9155 million standard sheep units respectively under 22.4 thousand hm2 tame grassland developing areas. This fluctuation change was more prominent in the pastoral areas with rangeland as the key field. Besides this, the model could effectively identify the predicament of water and forage resources. At present, the overload of forage resources and water resources coexisted in the pastoral area of OtogBanner, and an important reason for this was that the distribution of water and forage resources was poorly matched with the mode of animal husbandry production. The value of 1.3037 million sheep units was recommended to the livestock-carrying capacity of OtogBanner according to the model. This study could provide a new method for the calculation of livestock carrying capacity, and offered a scientific basis for the protection of the grassland ecological environment and the sustainable development of animal husbandry in the arid pastoral area of OtogBanner.

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Water resources management in Greece: current status and prospective outlook

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1995.0693 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 32 (9-10) ◽

pp. 267-272 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A. Angelakis ◽

E. Diamadopoulos

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Resources Management ◽

Water Demand ◽

Treatment Plant ◽

Current Status ◽

Reclaimed Wastewater ◽

Resources Management ◽

The Past ◽

Precipitation Water ◽

Pollution Loads

The basic aim of this paper is to present the existing conditions and problems of water resources management in Greece. Water demand has increased tremendously over the past 30 years. Despite adequate precipitation, water imbalance is often experienced, due to temporal and regional variations of the precipitation, the increased water demand during the summer months and the difficulty of transporting water due to the mountainous terrain. Integration of reclaimed wastewater originating from the wastewater treatment plant effluents into the water resources management is proposed. This plan exhibits the potential for reducing the pollution loads entering sea or inland waters, while at the same time providing water for irrigation.

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An Optimal Water Resource Allocation Mechanism Based on Ex-Post Verification and Reward in Huangbai River

Water ◽

10.3390/w13111588 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 1588

Author(s):

Hui Zhang ◽

Jiaying Li

Keyword(s):

Resource Allocation ◽

Water Resources ◽

Water Resource ◽

Water Allocation ◽

Allocation Rule ◽

Allocation Efficiency ◽

Water Resource Allocation ◽

Water Users ◽

Ex Post ◽

Demand Information

Under the current administrative system (AS) in China, the water resources governor allocates limited water resources to several users to realize the utility of water resources, leading to a principal–agent problem. The governor (referred to as the principal and she) wishes to maximize water resource allocation efficiency, while each user (referred to as the agent and he) only wishes to maximize his own quota. In addition, the governor cannot know water demand information exactly since it is the water users’ private information. Hence, this paper builds an ex ante improved bankruptcy allocation rule and an ex post verification and reward mechanism to improve water allocation efficiency from the governor’s perspective. In this mechanism, the governor allocates water among users based on an improved bankruptcy rule before the water is used up, verifies users’ information by various approaches, and poses a negative reward to them if their information is found to be false after the water is used up. Then, this mechanism is applied to Huangbai River Basin. Research results show that the improved allocation rule could motivate users to report demand information more honestly, and ex post verification could motivate water users to further report their true information, which, as a result, could improve the water allocation efficiency. Furthermore, this mechanism could be applied to the allocation of other resources.

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A Panel Data Estimation of Domestic Water Demand with IRT Tariff Structure: The Case of the City of Valencia (Spain)

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13031414 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 1414

Author(s):

Mónica Madonado-Devis ◽

Vicent Almenar-Llongo

Keyword(s):

Panel Data ◽

Water Demand ◽

Large Data ◽

Demand Elasticity ◽

Average Price ◽

Domestic Water ◽

Domestic Water Demand ◽

Household Level ◽

Price Structure ◽

The City

In urban water provisioning, prices can improve efficiency, contributing to the achievement of the environmental objective. However, household responses to price changes differ widely based on the household characteristics. Analyses performed at the aggregate level ignore the implications of water demand incentives at the individual household level. A large data sample at the household level enables estimation of econometric models of water demand, capturing the heterogeneity in domestic consumption. This study estimated the domestic water demand in the city of Valencia and its elasticity, along with the demands of its different districts and neighbourhoods (intra-urban scale analysis). Water price structure in Valencia is completely different from that of other Spanish cities: it is a price structure of increasing volume (increasing rate tariffs, IRT). For this estimation, from a microdata panel at the household level, the demand function with average prices for the period 2008–2011 was estimated using panel data techniques including a fixed effect for each neighbourhood. The domestic water demand elasticity at the average price in Valencia was estimated at −0.88 (which is higher than that estimated for other Spanish cities). This value indicates an inelastic demand at the average price of the previous period, which can cause consumers to overestimate the price and react more strongly to changes.

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A Review of SWAT Model Application in Africa

Water ◽

10.3390/w13091313 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 1313

Author(s):

George Akoko ◽

Tu Hoang Le ◽

Takashi Gomi ◽

Tasuku Kato

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Water Resources ◽

Hydrological Modeling ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Swat Model ◽

Data Availability ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Model Parameterization ◽

Basin Scale

The soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) is a well-known hydrological modeling tool that has been applied in various hydrologic and environmental simulations. A total of 206 studies over a 15-year period (2005–2019) were identified from various peer-reviewed scientific journals listed on the SWAT website database, which is supported by the Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD). These studies were categorized into five areas, namely applications considering: water resources and streamflow, erosion and sedimentation, land-use management and agricultural-related contexts, climate-change contexts, and model parameterization and dataset inputs. Water resources studies were applied to understand hydrological processes and responses in various river basins. Land-use and agriculture-related context studies mainly analyzed impacts and mitigation measures on the environment and provided insights into better environmental management. Erosion and sedimentation studies using the SWAT model were done to quantify sediment yield and evaluate soil conservation measures. Climate-change context studies mainly demonstrated streamflow sensitivity to weather changes. The model parameterization studies highlighted parameter selection in streamflow analysis, model improvements, and basin scale calibrations. Dataset inputs mainly compared simulations with rain-gauge and global rainfall data sources. The challenges and advantages of the SWAT model’s applications, which range from data availability and prediction uncertainties to the model’s capability in various applications, are highlighted. Discussions on considerations for future simulations such as data sharing, and potential for better future analysis are also highlighted. Increased efforts in local data availability and a multidimensional approach in future simulations are recommended.

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Exploring Northwest China's agricultural water-saving strategy: analysis of water use efficiency based on an SE-DEA model conducted in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2016.286 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 74 (5) ◽

pp. 1106-1115 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

L. Mu ◽

L. Fang ◽

H. Wang ◽

L. Chen ◽

Y. Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Water Demand ◽

Water Governance ◽

Northwest China ◽

Water Saving ◽

Shaanxi Province ◽

Agricultural Water ◽

Use Efficiency

Worldwide, water scarcity threatens delivery of water to urban centers. Increasing water use efficiency (WUE) is often recommended to reduce water demand, especially in water-scarce areas. In this paper, agricultural water use efficiency (AWUE) is examined using the super-efficient data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach in Xi'an in Northwest China at a temporal and spatial level. The grey systems analysis technique was then adopted to identify the factors that influenced the efficiency differentials under the shortage of water resources. From the perspective of temporal scales, the AWUE increased year by year during 2004–2012, and the highest (2.05) was obtained in 2009. Additionally, the AWUE was the best in the urban area at the spatial scale. Moreover, the key influencing factors of the AWUE are the financial situations and agricultural water-saving technology. Finally, we identified several knowledge gaps and proposed water-saving strategies for increasing AWUE and reducing its water demand by: (1) improving irrigation practices (timing and amounts) based on compatible water-saving techniques; (2) maximizing regional WUE by managing water resources and allocation at regional scales as well as enhancing coordination among Chinese water governance institutes.

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