Livelihood functions of fisher households under a cold-water production environment of Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir, India

This study comprehensively investigated the livelihood security scenario of fisher households (FHs) employing the CARE framework with little modifications, in Kashmir, India. Primary data for this study was collected from selected FHs, and a regression function was fitted to quantify the determinants of livelihood security. The findings revealed that fishing has been their dominant livelihood option. The landholding owned by the households was meagre enough to carry out farming or domesticate animals on commercial lines. Poor capital endowments place them at less livelihood security level; however, the respondents with diversified income have a relatively higher index value for livelihood. The regression estimates indicated that barring social and natural capital, all forms of capital have a significant role to play in securing their livelihood. Poor livelihood security, coupled with less income flow, has made their survival vulnerable to various distresses and health disorders, including the prevalence of Infant & Maternal Mortality. Their dietary intake was undesirably less than their dietary recommendations. The COVID-19 pandemic was perceived as a shock to their livelihood security. Further, public investment, which is pertinent for the growth of the fisheries sector, has shown a discouraging trend. The study concluded with a few policy suggestions for securing the livelihood of the fisher community.

Application of the Rural Water Sustainability Index (RWSI) in Amazon rural communities, Pará, Brazil

This paper proposes an adaptation of the Rural Water Sustainability Index (RWSI) to the Brazilian Amazon region. Policymakers can use this tool to identify areas of water stress and develop actions to guarantee water access to rural communities. Multi-criteria analysis and a geographical information system were integrated to incorporate various indicators and produce maps displaying spatial water sustainability levels in rural communities. The RWSI was employed on a case study at 16 rural communities in Santa Luzia do Pará, Pará, Brazil. In total, 380 closed and structured interviews were conducted with people living in the area to collect local information for the model application. The results showed a varied spatial behavior between rural communities of Santa Luzia do Pará, with similarities and differences based on the overall condition of water resources (final index values). Half of the locations had ‘Poor’ or ‘Poor-Medium’ water quality. The remaining sample obtained scores ranging from ‘Medium-Good’ to ‘Good’ water sustainability. RWSI’ scores varied widely (from 5.7 to 6.5) among the communities. It was also found that localities more distant from surface water presented more water stress.

Assessment of surface water management institutions: a case of public irrigation schemes in northern Algeria

The pressure on water resources that Algeria encounters is due to the scarcity and the water demand increase by different sectors of activity. This induces managers to reconsider the traditional supply management approach. The new water policies aim to adopt water demand management by improving the efficiency of its use in the agricultural sector, which consumes more than 59% of freshwater withdrawals. Economic, regulatory, and voluntary instruments have been adopted for better governance of water resources. This study aims to (i) define institutional arrangements on the exploitation of surface water in large irrigation schemes in Algeria and (ii) assess the effectiveness of the current water management instruments. Findings from farmers’ and water distribution agencies’ surveys suggest that objectives expected by the application of the different economic instruments are far from being achieved. Moreover, the absence of effective executive agencies for the implementation of regulations suggests that an improvement in the performance of public administration is necessary to achieve better governance of irrigation water in Algeria. At the local level, and despite a lack of farmers’ will to formally engage in a collective of farmers, they organize themselves around informal arrangements to overcome the challenges associated with water scarcity.

System-wide approaches to mitigate environmental and health impacts of water contamination

There is an urgent need to address the challenges of inadequate safe water and proper sanitation in peri-urban communities in low-income countries. Agencies have tended to focus on a single aspect of the challenge for service delivery, which ultimately fails to capture the full scope of the problem. In this study, 63 household surveys and 15 key informant interviews were conducted in a peri-urban area of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, regarding water and sanitation issues. Results revealed that 87% of households experience water scarcity issues. More than 50% of the homes were surrounded by swampy areas with sewage and stagnant pools, with 40% reporting water source contamination due to seepage and overflowing of sewage collection systems. Key informants reported water scarcity and poor water quality due to poor sanitation practices and a compromised water supply network. We found that a highly integrated approach that invests in cultural, social, political, human, financial, and built community capitals is needed to address these challenges. To accomplish this, the community must feel empowered and believe that they have control over their situation in ways that will effectively protect their health.

Midterm impacts of a water drought experience: evaluation of consumption changes in São Paulo, Brazil

From late 2013 until the beginning of 2015, the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil, experienced a severe water shortage. During that period, economic incentives were implemented by the regional water provider in a successful attempt to reduce water consumption. We aimed to investigate whether such incentives, as well as the experience of a scarcity period itself, had a persistent impact on consumer behaviour after the water crisis was over. This study was conducted by means of a hierarchical linear model with three levels (HLM3) to verify if the reduction effect remained in the midterm and a regression using panel data to understand which factors influenced water consumption behaviour change before, during, and after the local severe water drought. The results indicate that the average water consumption level subsequent to the rain scarcity period was significantly lower than before and that, in addition to the economic incentives, the severity of the scarcity event explained the behaviour change verified in water consumption.

Organizational networks and sustainable urban water practices in US local governments

Organizational networks are regarded as key in policy innovation for sustainable development. They are thought to enhance innovation through access to first-hand experience, enhanced trust within a community, and exposition to role models and competitors. Despite theoretical pertinence, organizational networks have not been studied as much as other drivers of innovation, such as organizational capacity, leadership, and the socio-political environment. This empirical study explores how networks affect the implementation of Sustainable Water Management Practices (SUWM) at the local level. Using data from 110 local governments in five US regions, we examine the relationship between the social interaction and the implementation of SUWM, and how this relationship depends on the types of interaction partners. Our findings show that local governments with larger organizational networks implement more SUWM practices. Collaboration with non-governmental organizations, particularly water sector associations, is strongly associated with an increase in use of SUWM practices. Overall, our findings suggest that creating and maintaining a robust organizational network of other government agencies and non-governmental organizations, especially water sector associations, increases the chances that a local government will implement more SUWM practices.

Acceptability of reclaimed municipal wastewater in cities: evidence from India's National Capital Region

Willingness to reuse reclaimed municipal wastewater was ascertained through a questionnaire completed by 424 respondents, opinions of 17 experts, and interviews with 15 farmers. Information was collected to assess their knowledge of water scarcity and to determine the influence of demographics, correlation to perceived risk, willingness, challenges, and barriers related to the acceptance of reclaimed water. Most respondents were receptive to the idea of using it for purposes other than drinking, and ‘water conservative’ individuals were inclined towards using it even for drinking. Farmers were concerned about its quality and implications for the health of using it for irrigation. Effective communication between authorities and end-users can promote the idea of reusing greywater and reclaimed water for domestic use, and, eventually, for drinking. These findings will be useful in developing an integrated, practical, and strategic framework for treating wastewater for reuse in other cities not only in India but also in other developing countries.

Bathing water quality analysis, management and policy: an integrated assessment for Ireland

Every bathing season in Ireland several bathing sites are closing and receiving warnings against bathing. In this report, their water quality status is assessed, and the broader picture of each case is investigated. A database is formed including location-maps, the restrictions they were/are subject to, the official justification, past and current annual water quality status, (sub)catchment where they are located, main water bodies flowing in, the closest WasteWater Treatment Plants with their characteristics and performance based on EU treatment standards, the closest meteorological stations and the rainfall data related with stormwater overflow events (correlation analyses) and the surrounding land cover. For each case, possible causes were discussed; the actions so far and the relevant literature are analyzed to provide key policy recommendations which are useful for the review of the European Bathing Water Directive.

China pollutant discharge permits as a link between total emission control and water quality: a pilot study of the pesticide industry

The deficiency of China's current pollution discharge permit system lies in the failure to improve the water quality effectively. This paper discusses the premise that the water quality of a water environmental functional zone (WEFZ) is mostly affected by industrial pollution sources. By reviewing the related policy, we noted the link between total emission control, effluent limitations and pollutant discharge permits to configure a practical framework for pollutant discharge permits based on water quality. China's pollutant discharge permit system provides an administrative foundation for reducing polluters' total emissions at the scale of the WEFZ, and it is best implemented through the imposition of limitations on polluters to identify the related treatment technology levels. Owing to the importance of limitations, the methodology of limitation classification and the related treatment technology classification are presented for the pesticide industry. Additionally, a comprehensive analysis of the pollutant reduction potential for the pesticide industry is conducted to determine the current level of sewage treatment. More importantly, this study offers an innovative way to investigate pollutant reduction potential and provides an example that may be useful to other key industries.

Characteristics of carbon source greenhouse gas flux in the water–air formation in the middle and upper reaches of the Three Gorges Reservoir

This study selected five points in the middle and upper mainstream of the Three Gorges Reservoir area. Starting from May 2016, the greenhouse gases CO2 and CH4 from the water–air formation at the sampling points have been monitored month by month for 10 months. Using the headspace balance method and the thin boundary layer model estimation method, we obtained the CO2 and CH4 partial pressure ranges and the water–air formation diffusion flux at the mainstream point. It is found that the CH4 partial pressure of water body is significantly positively correlated with water temperature, and significantly negatively correlated with DO; the CH2 partial pressure of water body is positively correlated with water temperature, but negatively correlated with conductivity, DO, pH and wind speed. The diffusion fluxes of CH4 and CO2 at the water–air formation are positively correlated with CH4 partial pressure and water temperature, and negatively correlated with ph, DO and conductivity. It is also found that the reservoir has a certain mitigation effect on the release of CO2 from the river water body, and the CH4 diffusion flux at the water–air formation is roughly equivalent.