IRRIGATE: A dynamic integrated model combining a knowledge-based model and mechanistic biophysical models for border irrigation management

Water management practices in southern France (the Crau plain) need to be modified in order to ensure greater water use efficiency and less environmental damage while maintaining hay production levels. Farmers, water managers and policy makers have expressed the need for new methods to deal with these issues. We developed the biodecisional model IRRIGATE to test new irrigation schedules, new designs for water channels or fields and new distribution planning for a given water resource. IRRIGATE simulates the operation of a hay cropping system irrigated by flood irrigation and includes three main features: (i) border irrigation with various durations of irrigation events and various spatial orders of water distribution, (ii) species-rich grasslands highly sensitive to water deficit, (iii) interactions between irrigation and mowing. It is based on existing knowledge, adapted models and new modules based on experiments and survey data. It includes a rule-based model on the farm scale, simulating dynamically both irrigation and mowing management, and two biophysical models. The two biophysical models are a dynamic crop model on the field scale simulating plant and soil behaviour in relation to water supply, and a flood irrigation model on the border scale simulating an irrigation event according to plant and hydraulic parameters. Model outputs allow environmental (water supply, drainage), social (labour) and agronomic (yields, water productivity and irrigation efficiency) analyses of the performance of the cropping system. IRRIGATE was developed using firstly a conceptual framework describing the system modelled as three sub-systems (biophysical, technical, and decision) interacting within the farm. Then a component-based spatially explicit modelling based on the identification of the interactions between modules, the identification of temporal and spatial scales of modules and the re-use of previous models was used to develop the numerical model. An example of the use of the biodecisional model is presented showing the effects on a real farm of a severe water shortage in 2006.     

Sensitivity and uncertainty propagation in coupled models for assessing smallholder farmer food security in the Olifants River Basin,South Africa

Using family balance (i.e., combined net farm and non-farm incomes less family expenses), an output from an integrated model, which couples water resource, agronomic and socio-economic models, its sensitivity and uncertainty are evaluated for five smallholder farming groups (A–E) in the Olifants Basin. The crop management practiced included conventional rainfed, untied ridges, planting basins and supplemental irrigation. Scatter plots inferred the most sensitive variables affecting family balance, while the Monte Carlo method, using random sampling, was used to propagate the uncertainty in the model inputs to produce family balance probability distributions. A non-linear correlation between in-season rainfall and family balance arises from several factors that affect crop yield, indicating the complexity of farm family finance resource-base in relation to climate, crop management practices and environmental resources of soil and water. Stronger relationships between family balance and evapotranspiration than with in-season rainfall were obtained. Sensitivity analysis results suggest more targeted investment effort in data monitoring of yield, in-season rainfall, supplemental irrigation and maize price to reduce family balance uncertainty that varied from 42% to 54% at 90% confidence level. While supplemental irrigation offers the most marginal increase in yields, its wide adoption is limited by availability of water and infrastructure cost.     

基于物联网云平台的遂溪县灌区管理系统构建研究

2019年以来,遂溪县连续实施农业水价综合改革,建设了多处用水计量自动监测站点,需要对不同厂商、不同类型用水计量设施进行集中管理。结合遂溪县灌区管理实际,基于物联网云平台构建遂溪县灌区管理系统,包括灌区概况、灌区一张图、实时监测、运行管理、工程管护、智能巡检、水价改革、用水统计、管理APP等模块。该系统的构建有利于全面提高用水计量自动监测站点管理水平,为持续发挥遂溪县农业水价综合改革效能及灌区现代化管理提供技术支撑,为相关地区灌区信息化建设起到示范作用。     

A holistic generic integrated approach for irrigation,crop and field management: the SALTMED model

A successful water management scheme for irrigated crops requires an integrated approach that accounts for water, crop, soil and field management. Most existing models are designed for a specific irrigation system, specific process such as water and solute movement, infiltration, leaching or water uptake by plant roots or a combination of them. There is a shortage in models of a generic nature, models that can be used for a variety of irrigation systems, soil types, soil stratifications, crops and trees, water management strategies (blending or cyclic), leaching requirements and water quality. SALTMED model has been developed for such generic applications. The model employs established water and solute transport, evapotranspiration and crop water uptake equations. In this paper, the model has been run with five examples of applications for one growing season using data from the literature. The model successfully illustrated the effect of the irrigation system, the soil type, the salinity level of irrigation water on soil moisture and salinity distribution, leaching requirements, and crop yield in all cases. Due to the scarcity of data sets that are suitable for model testing over the complete growing season, where different processes are acting simultaneously, a follow up paper will show the results of the model tests using data being collected from two sites in Egypt and in Syria as a part of ongoing SALTMED project.     

基于规制的灌区配水管理

针对传统灌区配水过程基于灌溉制度和规则进行配水,没有将宏观的制度规则落实到具体的人和事上,不具有可操作性,配水管理水平不高的现状,提出基于规制的配水管理方法。首先对配水管理需要规制的原因进行分析,然后介绍配水规制概念、类型、变化过程,接着对规制如何指导配水管理进行说明,最后将配水规制组件化,并在灌区配水管理业务应用知识图中对其进行调用,以指导灌区的配水管理。应用结果表明,规制能够适应灌区配水管理基本和动态变化的需求,具有可操作性。     

The implications of complexity for integrated resources management

Integrated environmental resources management is a purposeful activity with the goal to maintain and improve the state of an environmental resource affected by human activities. In many cases different goals are in conflict and the notion “integrated” clearly indicates that resources management should be approached from a broad perspective taking all potential trade-offs and different scales in space and time into account. However, we are yet far from putting into practice integrated resources management fully taking into account the complexity of human-technology-environment systems. The tradition of resources management and of dealing with environmental problems is characterized by a command and control approach. The increasing awareness for the complexity of environmental problems and of human-technology-environment systems has triggered the development of new management approaches. The paper discusses the importance of focusing on the transition to new management paradigms based on the insight that the systems to be managed are complex adaptive systems. It provides arguments for the role of social learning processes and the need to develop methods combining approaches from hard and soft systems analysis. Soft systems analysis focuses on the importance of subjective perceptions and socially constructed reality. Soft systems methods and group model building techniques are quite common in management science where the prime target of management has always been the social system. Resources management is still quite slow to take up such innovations that should follow as a logical consequence of adopting an integrated management approach. Integrated water resources management is used as example to provide evidence for the need to implement participatory and adaptive management approaches that are able to cope with increasing uncertainties arising from fast changing socio-economic conditions and global and climate change. Promising developments and future research directions are discussed. The paper concludes with pointing out the need for changes in the scientific community to improve the conditions for interdisciplinary, system-oriented and trans-disciplinary research.     

Governing the data commons: Policy,practice, and the advancement of science

Property rights of shared scientific data are often analyzed by applying formal intellectual property law. However, the scales at which these laws apply are not necessarily relevant to data sharing practice among individuals (e.g., in virtual, social communities). Rather, the data sharing communities and their members often form their own policies, practices and norms governing data sharing. Using common property theory, our research objectives were to determine: (1) parallels between data sharing communities and natural resource-sharing communities; (2) factors that lead to successful data sharing; (3) circumstances under which rules, laws and policies govern data sharing. We used cases from two emerging data sharing communities in the environmental sciences—a micrometeorology community (FLUXNET) and a satellite remote sensing community. Cases of data sharing without conflict or irresolvable disputes had more principles in common with a successfully managed natural resource commons than did those characterized by conflict. Successful data sharing requires that biophysical scientists be more attentive to the social nature of data sharing.     

基于GIS的玛纳斯河灌区信息系统设计与应用

为进一步提高水资源利用的效率和灌区管理水平，本文针对玛纳斯灌区的实际情况，提出空间信息与灌区业务管理信息有机融合的理念，依据业务管理需求，设计了灌区信息系统的体系结构并定义了系统功能。在对灌区的量测水方法进行研究的基础上，玛纳斯灌区信息系统实现了灌区信息管理中的监测监控、量水测水、配水调度、水费计收以及防汛和工程运行管理等业务工作的自动化和智能化。     

Visual analysis of geospatial habitat suitability model based on inverse distance weighting with paired comparison analysis

Geospatial data analytical model is developed in this paper to model the spatial suitability of malaria outbreak in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. In general, Disease control strategies are only the spatial information like landscape, weather and climate, but also spatially explicit information like socioeconomic variable, population density, behavior and natural habits of the people. The spatial multi-criteria decision analysis approach combines the multi-criteria decision analysis and geographic information system (GIS) to model the spatially explicit and implicit information and to make a practical decision under different scenarios and different environment. Malaria is one of the emerging diseases worldwide; the cause of malaria is weather & climate condition of the study area. The climate condition is often called as spatially implicit information, traditional decision-making models do not use the spatially implicit information it most often uses spatially explicit information such as socio-economic, natural habits of the people. There is need to develop an integrated approach that consists of spatially implicit and explicit information. The proposed approach is used to identity an effective control strategy that prevents and control of malaria. Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) is a type of deterministic method used in this paper to assign the weight values based on the neighborhood locations. ArcGIS software is used to develop the geospatial habitat suitability model.     

Integrated assessment and modelling: features,principles and examples for catchment management

To meet the challenges of sustainability and catchment management requires an approach that assesses resource usage options and environmental impacts integratively. Assessment must be able to integrate several dimensions: the consideration of multiple issues and stakeholders, the key disciplines within and between the human and natural sciences, multiple scales of system behaviour, cascading effects both spatially and temporally, models of the different system components, and multiple databases. Integrated assessment (IA) is an emerging discipline and process that attempts to address the demands of decision makers for management that has ecological, social and economic values and considerations. This paper summarises the features of IA and argues the role for models and information systems as a prime activity. Given the complex nature of IA problems, the broad objectives of IA modelling should be to understand the directions and magnitudes of change in relation to management interventions so as to be able to differentiate between associated outcome sets. Central to this broad objective is the need for improved techniques of uncertainty and sensitivity analysis that can provide a measure of confidence in the ability to differentiate between different decisions. Three examples of problems treated with an IA approach are presented. The variations in the way that the different dimensions are integrated in the modelling are discussed to highlight the sorts of choices that can be made in model construction. The conclusions stress the importance of IA as a process, not just as a set of outcomes, and define some of the deficiencies to be overcome.     

Economic and environmental assessment of irrigation water policies: A bioeconomic simulation study

We present a bioeconomic modeling approach that links the biophysical crop growth model CropSyst to an economic decision model at field scale. The developed model is used in conjunction with a genetic algorithm to optimize management decisions in potato production in the Broye catchment (Switzerland) in the context of different irrigation policy scenarios. More specifically, we consider the effects of water bans, water quotas, and water prices on water consumption, profitability, and the financial risks of potato production. The use of a genetic algorithm enables the direct integration of the considered decision variables as management input factors in CropSyst. We employ the farmer's certainty equivalent, measured as the expected profit margin minus a risk premium, as the objective function. Using this methodological framework allows us to consider the potential impacts of policy measures on farmers' crop management decisions due to their effects on both expected income levels and income variability.Our results show that the region's current water policy, which frequently prevents irrigation during hot and dry periods by banning water withdrawal, causes high levels of income risk for the farmer and increases the average water demand in potato production. In contrast, the implementation of an appropriate water quota could significantly decrease water consumption in potato production while allowing the farmer's certainty equivalent to remain at the same level as it is under the current irrigation water policy.     

一体化综合管控技术在茨淮新河灌区的建设研究

针对茨淮新河灌区信息化涉及多个专业、监控类型及对象多等问题,设计具有多元物联测控和低功耗的一体化综合管控硬件平台,研制智能装置与产品,实现灌区水情、闸泵站等多业务的综合监控,并建立集全面感知、精准配水、协同管控于一体的灌区一体化综合管控软件平台。在茨淮新河灌区通过一体化综合管控硬件和软件平台的应用,构建一个以灌区工程核心业务为需求的、通用的、规范的、适应未来发展的灌区信息化综合管控系统,覆盖水量监测、视频监视、调度控制、生产运行等全业务,解决传统灌区自动化系统技术差异大、资源共享困难、业务协同性差及运行管理效率低等问题,提高灌区水资源高效利用和管理水平,形成农业水资源可持续利用新型模式。     

灌区信息化建设发展现状及应对策略

灌区信息化的建设发展是提升灌区管理水平和提高灌溉效益的有效手段之一。针对灌区信息化建设发展不同阶段中存在问题进行归纳总结,分别对规划、建设和运行管理阶段信息化建设发展现状进行分析,对规划质量、建设水平、设备维护、人才队伍建设相关问题进行探讨,并对存在的问题提出应对策略以供灌区信息化建设及长期运行管理需要。     

Coupling real-time control and socio-economic issues in participatory river basin planning

In this paper an approach for coupling real-time control and socio-economic issues in participatory river basin planning is presented through a case study. It relies on the use of Bayesian Networks (Bns) to describe in a probabilistic way the behaviour of farmers within an irrigation district in response to some planning actions. Bayesian Networks are coupled with classical stochastic hydrological models in a decision-making framework concerning the real-time control of a water reservoir network. The approach is embedded within the framework of the Participatory and Integrated Planning (PIP) procedure.     

Interfacing remote sensing and GIS methods for sustainable rural development

Remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) are two important tools in developmental planning. This study demonstrates their application in sustainable rural development planning especially for people at the grass root level, the farmers, in the Bahal-Singhani area of Bhiwani district, Haryana, in north-western India. A holistic approach was adopted considering the production and the conservation functions of the ecosystem. Remotely sensed data were utilized to assess the natural resources of the area. A thorough analysis of climatic, socio-economic and natural resources conditions was made. A set of rules was formulated and all the information was integrated to prepare realistic action plans. These action plans have found wide acceptance due to their practicability and soundness.     

Enhancing integrated environmental modelling by designing resource-oriented interfaces

Integrated environmental modelling is gaining momentum for addressing grand scientific challenges such as monitoring the environment for change detection and forecasting environmental conditions along with the consequences for society. Such challenges can only be addressed by a multi-disciplinary approach, in which socio-economic, geospatial, and environmental information becomes inter-connected. However, existing solutions cannot be seamlessly integrated and current interaction paradigms prevent mainstream usage of the existing technology. In particular, it is still difficult to access and join harmonized data and processing algorithms that are provided by different environmental information infrastructures. In this paper we take a novel approach for integrated environmental modelling based on the notion of inter-linked resources on the Web. We present design practices for creating resource-oriented interfaces, driven by an interaction protocol built on the combination of valid linkages to enhance resource integration, accompanied by associated recommendations for implementation. The suggested resource-oriented approach provides a solution to the problems identified above, but still requires intense prototyping and experimentation. We discuss the central open issues and present a roadmap for future research.     

南水北调西线一期工程调水区生态环境质量遥感分析与综合评价

南水北调西线工程,是从长江上游干支流调水入黄河上游的跨流域调水重大工程,对解决黄河水资源短缺有着重大意义,但是在调水工程实施前,对调水区生态环境质量进行客观评价是很有必要的。在大量的野外调查和室内综合分析的基础上,对南水北调西线调水区域的生态环境进行了评价。主要利用现代遥感技术和地理信息系统分析方法,在地学综合思想和生态系统理论的指导下,提取了研究区影响环境质量的6个因子图层数据,叠加形成一个综合环境指数图层数据,对其等间距划分成4个环境分区。各综合自然环境指数的空间分析结果表明,综合自然环境指数一级和二级区具有较好的自然环境条件, 集中分布在研究区的东部,约占研究区面积的50％;三级区是自然环境比较敏感的地区,主要分布在调水区域的西部高原丘陵上; 四级区是自然环境比较脆弱、恶劣的区域,主要分布在调水区域的高寒山原地带。所以,一级和二级区的自然环境具有一定的抗干扰能力,在适当的环境保护措施下,可以进行一定规模的工程建设;三级区进行工程建设时, 必须特别注意对自然环境的各项保护措施,加大环境保护的力度及投入;四级区上进行工程建设会造成较大的环境破坏,不宜进行工程建设。     

Analysing complex behaviour of hydrological systems through a system dynamics approach

The interaction among various water cycle components consists of complex, non-linear, and bidirectional (interdependent) biophysical processes which can be interpreted using feedback loops in a system dynamics (SD) environment. This paper demonstrates application of an SD approach with two case studies using a specialised software tool, Vensim. The first case study simulates water balance in a rice field system on a daily basis under aerobic conditions with provision of supplemental irrigation on demand. A physically based conceptual water balance model was developed and then implemented using Vensim to simulate the processes that occur in the field water balance system including percolation, surface runoff, actual evapotranspiration, and capillary rise. The second case study simulates surface–groundwater dynamic interactions in an irrigation area where river water and groundwater are two key sources of irrigation. The modelled system encompasses dynamically linked processes including seepage from the river, evaporation from a shallow watertable, groundwater storage, and lateral flow from upland to lowland areas. The model can be applied to simulate responses of different irrigation management scenarios, to develop strategies to improve water use efficiency and control watertable, to prevent salinization in upland, and to reduce the cost of groundwater abstraction in lowland areas. The discussed applications of the SD approach conclude that it helps to conceptualize and simulate complex and dynamic water system processes deterministically which are otherwise partly simulated by conventional hydrologic and stochastic modelling approaches. It is recognised that conceptualization and implementation phases of this approach are challenging, however, the latter is greatly assisted by modern computer softwares.     

Managing natural resources using GIS: Experiences in India

GIS technology is considered an exciting tool in the context of governmental planning systems for natural resource management in developing countries. However, despite rhetoric to the contrary, its impact has been of little value to national processes of development. The Indian government seems to be in the process of making long-term commitments to using GIS for natural resource management. National initiatives are being conceptualised and implemented by different organisations. They involve huge outlays of resources and have the potential to initiate large scale changes in district administration. For these changes to be productive, it is important that these initiatives are carefully planned. Here, we discuss four technological and management implications for the management of natural resources using GIS based on our past experience of districtlevel computerisation.