scholarly journals Advancing Urban Water Security in the Indus Basin, Pakistan—Priority Actions for Karachi and Lahore

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 3399
Author(s):  
Amy Syvrud ◽  
Huw Pohlner ◽  
Jehangir F. Punthakey ◽  
Melita Grant ◽  
Trudy Green
Keyword(s):  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Indus Basin ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Water Insecurity ◽  
Australian Water ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
Priority Action

Despite growing recognition of solutions to water scarcity challenges, decision-makers across the world continue to face barriers to effective implementation of water planning, governance and management. This is evident in the cases of Lahore and Karachi in the Indus Basin in Pakistan and illustrated through the experiences of the provincial government departments and utilities. Water scarcity and associated challenges are continuing to impose significant costs on these cities, which continue to grow as water availability further declines, demand increases, water quality deteriorates, and infrastructure degrades. A team of Australian water experts was commissioned by the Australian Water Partnership to diagnose urban water challenges and identify priority actions for improved water security, in collaboration with Pakistani partners. This paper presents the outcomes of that work. This includes a synthesis of the published literature and data on the geographical, climatic, and water scarcity contexts of both Karachi and Lahore. It then identifies responses to water insecurity that have been considered or implemented in the past and the barriers that have inhibited the effectiveness of these efforts. Finally, it presents actions within five priority action areas that Pakistani stakeholders have identified as being most practical and impactful for improving water security outcomes.

scholarly journals Socio-political processes must be emphasised alongside climate change and urbanisation as key drivers of urban water insecurity

Water Policy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Fallon Grasham ◽  
George Neville
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Water Insecurity ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
Key Drivers

Abstract Urban water security is of critical global and local importance. Across many parts of low- and middle-income countries, urban water security either remains elusive or is becoming stressed. Rapid urbanisation and climate change are two key drivers of resource insecurity and at the forefront of urban water discourse. However, there are manifold and complex socio-political processes functioning alongside these megatrends that are often underemphasised. Drawing on three urban case studies in Ethiopia, we highlight these structural issues and the need for their continued consideration to fully understand and address urban water insecurity. Household water-use surveys, semi-structured interviews and participatory exercises with community residents, stakeholders and informal water vendors were used as part of a mixed-method approach in three urban areas. We found that government-managed urban water supplies were intermittent and unsafe, resulting in economic, health and time-use burdens for households, and that the socio-political dimensions reproducing urban water insecurity have historical roots. We argue that the uncertainty of climate change and unprecedented urbanisation do not offer sufficient explanation for why urban water insecurity persists. Moreover, we call for caution in only employing these narratives, to avoid obscuring deeply rooted challenges within socio-political systems. We call for socio-political processes to continue to be a central component of future interventions that seek to improve urban water insecurity.

scholarly journals Urban water security: a comparative study of cities in the arid Americas

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 275-294
Author(s):  
Rolando E Díaz-Caravantes ◽  
Adriana Zuniga-Teran ◽  
Facundo Martín ◽  
Marta Bernabeu ◽  
Philip Stoker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Growth ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Riparian Ecosystems ◽  
Domestic Water ◽  
Treated Effluent

In this study we analyse how three cities in the arid Americas have addressed urban growth while facing water scarcity: Hermosillo, Mexico; Mendoza, Argentina; and Tucson, USA. We use the urban water security framework to examine five domains of water management: sociodemographic, economic, technological, ecological and governance (SETEG). Our analysis indicates that, in spite of water scarcity, urban growth has been promoted in the three cities. We argue that this expansion, although encouraged for economic development, is not sustainable in the long term. In the three cities, groundwater plays a major role in water supply, but growth has negatively affected riparian ecosystems, the health of the aquifers and access to domestic water. In order to pursue water security, several options are essential to enhance social–ecological system resilience. These include limits or reduction of urban expansion, reuse of treated effluent for riparian conservation, and community conservation efforts such as rainwater harvesting and other green infrastructure practices.

Water Governance and Management in Indus Basin - Challenges & Threats

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marium Sara Minhas Bandeali
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Policy ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
The State ◽  
Indus Basin

Water governance and management are important challenges for the River Indus Basin in Pakistan. Water governance refers to social, political and economic factors that influence water management. The water scarcity and water security are a major concern for the state to control its water resources. The study aims to give Sindh water policy by exploring the challenges to Indus Basin in managing water resources and to identify opportunities Indus Basin can look to improve water management. Interviews were conducted from water experts and analysts having 5 years’ experience or more in the water sector of Pakistan through a semi-structured self-developed questionnaire using purposive sampling technique and transcripts were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The findings show that increasing population, climatic change and rising demand of water are major challenges Indus is facing and Indus with time is getting water-scarce therefore need strong institutions, civil society and legislatures to ensure equitable distribution of water and maintain the ecosystem. The study emphasizes that water governance and management are necessary for sustainable use of water. Pakistan, the water stress country needs to address ‘governance’ at a wider scale to solve problems in the Indus Basin for the livelihood of people. The research will benefit the state, water experts, institutions as well as civil society to promote efficient use of water in Indus Basin.

scholarly journals Advancing urban water security: The urbanization of water–society relations and entry–points for political engagement

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Vanessa Lucena Empinotti ◽  
Jessica Budds ◽  
Wendy Jepson ◽  
Nate Millington ◽  
Luciana Nicolau Ferrara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Security ◽  
Political Engagement ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Entry Points

scholarly journals Impact of Extreme Drought Climate on Water Security in North Borneo: Case Study of Sabah

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1135
Author(s):  
Carolyn Payus ◽  
Lim Ann Huey ◽  
Farrah Adnan ◽  
Andi Besse Rimba ◽  
Geetha Mohan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Resource ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Extreme Drought ◽  
Northeast Monsoon ◽  
Water Insecurity ◽  
The North ◽  
North Borneo

For countries in Southeast Asia that mainly rely on surface water as their water resource, changes in weather patterns and hydrological systems due to climate change will cause severely decreased water resource availability. Warm weather triggers more water use and exacerbates the extraction of water resources, which will change the operation patterns of water usage and increase demand, resulting in water scarcity. The occurrence of prolonged drought upsets the balance between water supply and demand, significantly increasing the vulnerability of regions to damaging impacts. The objectives of this study are to identify trends and determine the impacts of extreme drought events on water levels for the major important water dams in the northern part of Borneo, and to assess the risk of water insecurity for the dams. In this context, remote sensing images are used to determine the degree of risk of water insecurity in the regions. Statistical methods are used in the analysis of daily water levels and rainfall data. The findings show that water levels in dams on the North and Northeast Coasts of Borneo are greatly affected by the extreme drought climate caused by the Northeast Monsoon, with mild to the high risk recorded in terms of water insecurity, with only two of the water dams being water-secure. This study shows how climate change has affected water availability throughout the regions.

Perspectives of current and future urban water security in Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 321 ◽  
pp. 129004
Author(s):  
Nooshin Karimi Alavijeh ◽  
Mohammad Ali Falahi ◽  
Mohammad Taher Ahmadi Shadmehri ◽  
Narges Salehnia ◽  
Morten Andreas Dahl Larsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Security ◽  
Urban Water

Addressing the Crisis in Urban Water Access

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria A. Beard ◽  
Diana Mitlin
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Accurate Assessment ◽  
Water Access ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Policy Responses ◽  
Insufficient Attention ◽  
Global Data

This paper highlights challenges of water access in towns and cities of the global South and explores potential policy responses. These challenges are not new, although, we argue that they have been underestimated by policy makers due to a focus on global data, thus, resulting in decision makers paying insufficient attention to these problems. Policies need to be based on a more accurate assessment of challenges, specifically the need for continuous and affordable water service, and the need to provide services to informal settlements. We share findings from research on 15 cities across Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

Designing tradeable rights to manage aquifer recharge according to robust separation principles

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Ward ◽  
Peter Dillon ◽  
Agnes Grandgirard
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Reform Process ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Market Exchange ◽  
Aquifer Recharge ◽  
Australian Water ◽  
Aquifer Storage ◽  
Robust Separation ◽  
Water Reform

Many cities are experiencing mature urban water economies, characterised by limited opportunities for future water impoundments, rising incremental supply and infrastructure costs, intensified competition and increased interdependencies between diverse water uses. Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is currently promoted as one option to augment existing supplies and in many jurisdictions is assuming increasing importance in the portfolio of urban water management strategies. Consistent with trends in international water policy development, Australian water reform has emphasised institutional and governance approaches promoting voluntary transfers of water through market exchange. The reform process has made substantial advances in addressing the constraints and tensions associated with mature rural water economies, with limited influence in urban water systems. What remains unclear is the degree of alignment of new water management technologies such as ASR operations with explicit water reform directives of market development and the capacity of subsequent urban water legislation to provide consistent and coherent ASR guidelines. The paper describes a systematic approach to align the hydrological characteristics of an aquifer with economic and policy interpretations central to the development and management of ASR. The paper introduces a schema to identify the elements of the urban terrestrial water cycle specific to ASR, the development of a typology to characterise the aquifer potential for ASR, and identify and determine the nature of property rights for each system element according to the principles of robust separation of water rights.

Strategic water source areas for urban water security: Making the connection between protecting ecosystems and benefiting from their services

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 251-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanne L. Nel ◽  
David C. Le Maitre ◽  
Dirk J. Roux ◽  
Christine Colvin ◽  
Janis S. Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Security ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Source Areas

Working towards sustainable urban water management: the vulnerability blind spot

2011 ◽  
Vol 64 (12) ◽  
pp. 2362-2369 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Werbeloff ◽  
R. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Blind Spot ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Urban Water Management ◽  
Sustainable Urban Water Management ◽  
Diversity Strategy

The unprecedented water scarcity in Australia coincides with the adoption of a new urban water rhetoric. The ‘Security through Diversity’ strategy has been adopted in a number of Australian cities as a new and innovative approach to urban water management. Although this strategy offers a more holistic approach to urban water management, in practice, the Security through Diversity strategy is largely being interpreted and implemented in a way that maintains the historical dependence on large scale, centralised water infrastructure and therefore perpetuates existing urban water vulnerabilities. This research explores the implementation of Security through Diversity as the new water scarcity response strategy in the cities of Perth and Melbourne. Through a qualitative study with over sixty-five urban water practitioners, the results reveal that the practitioners have absorbed the new Security through Diversity language whilst maintaining the existing problem and solution framework for urban water management. This can be explained in terms of an entrenched technological path dependency and cognitive lock-in that is preventing practitioners from more comprehensively engaging with the complexities of the Security through Diversity strategy, which is ultimately perpetuating the existing vulnerability of our cities. This paper suggests that greater engagement with the underlying purpose of the security though diversity strategy is a necessary first step to overcome the constraints of the traditional technological paradigm and more effectively reduce the continued vulnerability of Australian cities.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document