scholarly journals Applying Optimization to Support Adaptive Water Management of Rivers

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1281
Author(s):  
Diana Derepasko ◽  
Francisco J. Peñas ◽  
José Barquín ◽  
Martin Volk
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Adaptive Management ◽  
Environmental Flows ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Water Diversion ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Northern Spain ◽  
Adaptive Water Management ◽  
Management Cycle

Adaptive water management is a promising management paradigm for rivers that addresses the uncertainty of decision consequences. However, its implementation into current practice is still a challenge. An optimization assessment can be framed within the adaptive management cycle allowing the definition of environmental flows (e-flows) in a suitable format for decision making. In this study, we demonstrate its suitability to mediate the incorporation of e-flows into diversion management planning, fostering the realization of an adaptive management approach. We used the case study of the Pas River, Northern Spain, as the setting for the optimization of surface water diversion. We considered e-flow requirements for three key river biological groups to reflect conditions that promote ecological conservation. By drawing from hydrological scenarios (i.e., dry, normal, and wet), our assessment showed that the overall target water demand can be met, whereas the daily volume of water available for diversion was not constant throughout the year. These results suggest that current the decision making needs to consider the seasonal time frame as the reference temporal scale for objectives adjustment and monitoring. The approach can be transferred to other study areas and can inform decision makers that aim to engage with all the stages of the adaptive water management cycle.

An adaptive management case study for managing macropods on Maria Island National Park, Tasmania, Australia: adding devils to the detail

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janeane Ingram
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Adaptive Management ◽  
National Park ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Tasmanian Devil ◽  
Integrated Monitoring ◽  
Juvenile Mortality ◽  
Management Actions

Adaptive management is driven by structured decision making and evidence from monitoring in a ‘learning’ framework that guides management actions. In a conservation context, this iterative approach includes evaluation of the impacts on natural processes. On Maria Island National Park, Tasmania, Australia, introduced Forester kangaroo, Bennetts wallaby and Tasmanian pademelon have been intensively managed by an annual cull since 1994. Management actions were triggered by high parasite loads, intense grazing pressure and high juvenile mortality during drought periods. Criticism of the annual cull from animal welfare groups initiated the development of an adaptive management approach for decision making that replaces the historic ‘trial and error’ process. Following a comprehensive review of the existing macropod management program in 2011, an integrated monitoring strategy was established to provide evidence for informed decision making. Assessments of animal health and estimates of population trends are the key indicators for management actions to occur. Maintaining viable macropod populations and protecting natural values form the basis of management objectives. Management actions in each year, for each species, represent ‘treatments’ as spatial replication is not possible at such a small scale. An adaptive management approach for macropod management on Maria Island has resulted in only one species being culled in 2014 and 2015 for the first time in almost 20 years. However the recent introduction of a major predator, the Tasmanian devil, has increased uncertainty for long-term macropod management on Maria Island with no cull occurring in 2016 and 2017.

scholarly journals Changing Agricultural Landscapes in Ethiopia: Examining Application of Adaptive Management Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (21) ◽  
pp. 8939
Author(s):  
Amare Haileslassie ◽  
Wolde Mekuria ◽  
Petra Schmitter ◽  
Stefan Uhlenbrook ◽  
Eva Ludi
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Adaptive Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Land And Water Management ◽  
The Impact

Ethiopia has decades of experience in implementing land and water management interventions. The overarching objectives of this review were to synthesize evidences on the impact of implementation of land and water management practices on agricultural landscapes in Ethiopia and to evaluate the use of adaptive management (AM) approaches as a tool to manage uncertainties. We explored how elements of the structures and functions of landscapes have been transformed, and how the components of AM, such as structured decision-making and learning processes, have been applied. Despite numerous environmental and economic benefits of land and water management interventions in Ethiopia, this review revealed gaps in AM approaches. These include: (i) inadequate evidence-based contextualization of interventions, (ii) lack of monitoring of bio-physical and socioeconomic processes and changes post implementation, (iii) lack of trade-off analyses, and (iv) inadequacy of local community engagement and provision of feedback. Given the many uncertainties we must deal with, future investment in AM approaches tailored to the needs and context would help to achieve the goals of sustainable agricultural landscape transformation. The success depends, among other things, on the ability to learn from the knowledge generated and apply the learning as implementation evolves

scholarly journals The Pongola Floodplain, South Africa – Part 2: Holistic environmental flows assessment

Water SA ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (4 October) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cate Brown ◽  
Alison Joubert ◽  
Toriso Tlou ◽  
Andrew Birkhead ◽  
Gary Marneweck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Environmental Flows ◽  
Ecological Reserve ◽  
Management Area ◽  
Nature And Society ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Traditional Fishing

A holistic environmental flows (EFlows) assessment, undertaken as part of Ecological Reserve determination studies for selected surface water, groundwater, estuaries and wetlands in the Usuthu/Mhlatuze Water Management Area, South Africa, led to recommendations for modified releases from the Jozini Dam to support the socially, economically and ecologically important Pongola Floodplain situated downstream of the dam. The EFlows study analysed various permutations of flow releases from the dam based on the recommendations of pre-dam studies, and augmented by more recent observations, inputs from farmers and fishermen who live adjacent to the floodplain and discussion with the operators of Jozini Dam. The EFlows method used, DRIFT, allowed for the incorporation of detailed information, data and recommendations from a decades-old research project on the Pongola Floodplain that was undertaken prior to the construction of the Jozini Dam into a modern-day decision-making framework. This was used to assess the impact of a series of different flow releases on nature and society downstream of the dam. It was concluded that, within historic volumetric allocations to the floodplain, a release regime could be designed that considerably aided traditional fishing and grazing without necessarily prejudicing other uses, such as agriculture.

scholarly journals Adaptive and transformative learning in environmental water management: Implementing the Crocodile River’s Ecological Reserve in Kruger National Park, South Africa

Koedoe ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig A. McLoughlin ◽  
Eddie S. Riddell ◽  
Robin M. Petersen ◽  
Jacques Venter
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Social Learning ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Adaptive Management ◽  
National Park ◽  
Environmental Flows ◽  
Environmental Water ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
Ecological Reserve

Freshwater biodiversity loss in the Anthropocene escalates the need for successful environmental water management to sustain human benefitting ecosystem services. Of the world’s river basins, one-third are now severely water depleted, rendering the quality and quantity of water to maintain or restore freshwater ecosystem integrity increasingly urgent. However, managing environmental water is intricate because of complexity and uncertainty in interacting social and biophysical system components, and trade-offs between costs and benefits of implementing environmental flows. Learning enabled adaptive management – embracing the uncertainty – is essential; however, practising adaptive management (worldwide) is challenging; single-, double- and triple-loop learning is required, along with social learning, to tackle complex problems. There is progressive realisation of environmental flows (Ecological Reserve) in the Crocodile River, South Africa, linked to the Kruger National Park, using Strategic Adaptive Management (SAM). In this research article, we reflected on adaptive (single- and double-loop) learning and transformative (triple-loop) learning capacity emergent in SAM between 2009 and 2019 whilst also considering social learning potentials. We found evidence of preconditions (e.g. transparency) for social learning within a burgeoning stakeholder ‘community-of-practice’, likely fostering capacities (e.g. information sharing) for sustained social learning. Adaptive and transformative learning is enabled by social learning, underpinned by ongoing nested feedbacks supporting assessment and reflection, which facilitates single-, double- and triple-loop learning. Champions exist and are vital for sustaining the adaptive management system. Executing adaptive and transformative learning aids in positive change across the range of ecological, social and economic outcomes that are essential for success in environmental water programmes, worldwide.Conservation implications: Crocodile River Ecological Reserve implementation, associated with Kruger National Park, provided an important national precedent (lessons) for protecting the ecological integrity of river systems – obligatory under the National Water Act (Act No 36 of 1998). We demonstrated the importance of ongoing stakeholder learning for successful management of the Ecological Reserve.

Water Management by Farmers

2018 ◽  
pp. 796-813
Author(s):  
Laurence Smith
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Stakeholder Participation ◽  
Coordination Mechanisms ◽  
Policy Mix ◽  
The Public ◽  
Multifunctional Land Use ◽  
Resource Managers ◽  
Policy Challenge ◽  
Communication And Coordination

Analyzing the public policy challenge of multifunctional land use, for which farmers are required to be food producers, water resource managers and environmental stewards, it is argued that a location-sensitive policy mix is required, consisting of appropriate regulation complemented by advice provision, voluntarism, and well-targeted incentive schemes. The case is further made for adaptive management, local deliberation and stakeholder participation, and hence for governance that is open, delegated, and collaborative. Assessment, planning, and decision making need to be delegated to the most appropriate governmental level and spatial scale to achieve desired outcomes, whilst effective mechanisms for vertical and horizontal coordination of the resulting multilevel and polycentric governance are essential. Hydrographic catchments have significant advantages as spatial units for analysis, planning, coordination, and policy delivery. However, catchment-based working creates further need for cross-level, sector, and scale communication and coordination. Mechanisms for this merit further attention.

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