Reduction of Errors in Hydrological Drought Monitoring – A Novel Statistical Framework for Spatio-Temporal Assessment of Drought

Water Resources Management - Continuous and accurate drought monitoring has an important role in early warning drought mitigation policies. This study aims to provide an accurate standardized...     

Region Manager软件技术在水土保持规划设计中的应用

目前,东北黑土地的水土流失已成为备受世界关注的热点同题.黑土地水土流失综合治理已成为国家水土保持工作的重点内容.该项工作具有涉及面广、数据和图象分析工作量大、空间分布复杂等特征,因此,一般方法对土地利用现状调查、坡度统计和措施布局及图件绘制工作的完成有极大的工作量与难度.经过筛选,将"RegionManager"技术应用于水土保持规划设计中,能够准确直观地绘制出图件,并对生态效益、经济效益和社会效益作出合理的评估,较精确地完成水土保持规划设计工作,为我省黑土地水土流失综合治理与水土保持设计提供强有力的技术支持.     

2005 Training Course on SHP for Asia-Pacific Region

“2005 Training Course on Small Hydropower for Asia-Pacific Countries” is specifically for developing countries under the list of aid to foreign countries by the Chines egovernment. Entrusted by the Ministry of Commerce, Hangzhou Regional Center for Small Hydro Power (HRC) will undertake the mission.     

Region Manager3．0软件在水土保持初步设计中的应用

随着计算机技术的发展，采用高新技术是水土保持工作发展的必然，努力提高工作效率和智能化水平。特别是在流域规划或小流域规划的初步设计阶段，工程设计，编制专题图和统计表等方面GIS软件有着广阔的发展空间。文章以RegionManager3.0软件实际应用为例，总结和探索出GIS与现代水土保持结合的有效途径。     

2005 Training Course on SHP for Asia-Pacific Region 〈Prospectus〉

“2005 Training Course on Small Hydropower for Asia-Pacific Countries”is specifically for developing countries under the list of aid to foreign countries by the Chinese government. Entrusted by the Ministry of Commerce, Hangzhou Regional Center for Small Hydro Power （HRC） will undertake the mission.     

The use of NDVI and its Derivatives for Monitoring Lake Victoria’s Water Level and Drought Conditions

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which is a measure of vegetation vigour, and lake water levels respond variably to precipitation and its deficiency. For a given lake catchment, NDVI may have the ability to depict localized natural variability in water levels in response to weather patterns. This information may be used to decipher natural from unnatural variations of a given lake’s surface. This study evaluates the potential of using NDVI and its associated derivatives (VCI (vegetation condition index), SVI (standardised vegetation index), AINDVI (annually integrated NDVI), green vegetation function (F _g ), and NDVIA (NDVI anomaly)) to depict Lake Victoria’s water levels. Thirty years of monthly mean water levels and a portion of the Global Inventory Modelling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) NDVI datasets were used. Their aggregate data structures and temporal co-variabilities were analysed using GIS/spatial analysis tools. Locally, NDVI was found to be more sensitive to drought (i.e., responded more strongly to reduced precipitation) than to water levels. It showed a good ability to depict water levels one-month in advance, especially in moderate to low precipitation years. SVI and SWL (standardized water levels) used in association with AINDVI and AMWLA (annual mean water levels anomaly) readily identified high precipitation years, which are also when NDVI has a low ability to depict water levels. NDVI also appears to be able to highlight unnatural variations in water levels. We propose an iterative approach for the better use of NDVI, which may be useful in developing an early warning mechanisms for the management of lake Victoria and other Lakes with similar characteristics.     

Method and Practice on Water Function Division of the Yangtze River Region

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Priority Water Rights for Irrigation at the River Basin Level. Do They Improve Economic Efficiency During Drought Periods?

This paper assesses the potential efficiency gains of reforming the water rights regime in the Spanish agricultural sector by replacing current allocation procedures based on the proportional rule with a priority allocation procedure based on two tiers of security-differentiated water rights. This assessment is useful for evaluating whether said change in water rights can be considered a suitable policy instrument to improve water management during droughts events. For this purpose, a mathematical programming model is built to simulate the performance of the proposed reform. The empirical analysis is implemented at the basin scale, where water rights holders are highly heterogeneous, considering different climate scenarios accounting for changes in water supply reliability. The Guadalquivir River Basin (GRB) in southern Spain is used as a case study. The results obtained show that this change in the water allocation regime would yield only modest economic efficiency gains under the current climate scenario. However, it is also evidenced that this policy instrument could play a more relevant role as an efficiency enhancer in a climate change scenario, given that more frequent and intense drought episodes are expected. Moreover, priority rights represent an interesting risk management instrument for farmers, allowing the most vulnerable farmers to reduce income volatility. These findings suggest that the combined implementation of the proposed shift in the allocation regime with spot or allocation water markets would lead to successful outcomes, significantly improving drought management in the irrigation sector.

     

The Management of Urban Water Conflicts in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo

Abstract

In Latin America, after the democratization process in the 1980s, public pressure imposed new models of management in the water sector. These new models have been extremely successful in making the political class more aware of the water problem, as illustrated by the Brazilian example. Public pressure forced congressmen to propose a new Federal Constitution in 1988 in which environmental and water issues are explicitly considered. This paper discusses the technical, legal, and institutional aspects of integrated water management in the Upper Tiet[etilde] basin in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, with 16.5 million inhabitants and the largest industrial complex in Latin America. Emphasis is placed on the conflicting interests of upstream and downstream groups in the basin. A successful experiment of integrated water resources planning on a watershed basis is described, where modern decision support systems technology is combined with effective public participation.     

Delineation of Groundwater Potential Zones in Arid Region of India—A Remote Sensing and GIS Approach

The present research is an attempt to find out the groundwater potential zones within an arid region of India supported by the scientific investigation of lithology, geomorphology, geohydrological characterization of geological formations and their interrelationship. Thematic layers of drainage, lithology, geomorphology, lineaments, slope, soil, digital elevation model, rainfall, landuse/land cover and well inventory have been generated by using ancillary data, digital satellite image, water level data of 90 observation wells for last 11?years (2000?C2010), litholog data along with ground truthing. The groundwater potential zones have been classified into five categories like very poor, poor, moderate, good and excellent. The potential zones were obtained by weighted overlay combination using the spatial analyst tool in ArcGIS 9.2. During weighted overlay analysis, the ranking was given for each individual parameter of each thematic map and weights were assigned according to their influence such as lithology (20?%), geomorphology (15?%), lineament density (15?%), drainage density (15?%), soil (10?%), slope (10?%), rainfall (5?%), land use and land cover (5?%) and digital elevation model (DEM) (5?%) and it was found that the potential zones in terms of very poor, poor, moderate, good and excellent zones covered 13.7?%, 42.8?%, 27.3?%, 10.8% and 5.4% respectively of the total area. The result also has been validated by yield data collected from existing sources and it confirms that the higher yield categories are falling within excellent groundwater potential zones where yield ranges from 23 to 40.3?l/s and lower values ranging from 8.1 to 10.6?l/s are falling within poor groundwater potential zones.     

Preliminary Analysis on Environmental Impact of Relocation of Cities and Towns in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region

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Analysis of the El Niño Effect on the Discharge of Selected Rivers in the Asia-Pacific Region

Abstract

Discharge records originating from 78 rivers within the Asia-Pacific region are used to assess a possible relationship between a temporal El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Index and regional discharges of rivers. The rivers selected have long monthly discharge series and are geographically distributed throughout the whole region. Analyses of variance are used to identify the sub-regions most teleconnected to the ENSO signal. Composite analyses show the temporal patterns of the relationships between river discharge and the ENSO signal and the possible presence of a time lagged relationship. The analyses show that the rivers of the Oceania-Pacific region are the most affected and that a majority of rivers show a similar temporal pattern, thus allowing the construction of a regional composite streamflow index. The temporal patterns of the identified relationships demonstrate the possibility of forecasting the occurrence of abnormally high or low flows (floods/droughts) months ahead of time.     

Systemic Input-Output Computation of Green and Blue Virtual Water ‘Flows’ with an Illustration for the Mediterranean Region

The term virtual water refers to the volume of water used in the production of a commodity or service. Accordingly, virtual water ??trade?? is the amount of water ??embedded?? in commodities being transferred from one place to another as a consequence of trade. This paper argues that the conventional methods so far adopted for the computation of virtual water ??flows?? (based on Hoekstra and Hung 2002) have considered only direct water usage and not sufficiently distinguished between blue and green water resources. This has brought about flawed estimates of virtual water ??flows??, thereby limiting the usefulness of the virtual water concept as a tool for informing water policy. A novel approach for computing virtual water ??flows?? which applies the Input?Coutput (IO) methodology to account for both direct and indirect water consumption, and simultaneously distinguishes between the different typologies of water, is presented. The study upholds that the integration of these two methods can not only provide a more robust framework for quantifying virtual water ??flows??, but also enhance the relevance of the concept as a tool for water resource management policy. The implications of these alternative estimation methods are here illustrated using data referring to 11 Mediterranean economies and 7 internationally traded agricultural commodities.     

Drought coincident with aeolian activity in a Great Lakes coastal dune setting during the Algoma Phase (3.1–2.4 ka), southwest Michigan

Aeolian studies of Lake Michigan’s coastal dunes have yet to elucidate what factors control their episodic activity over the past 5000 years. High lake levels exposing sand along with increased storminess is generally accepted for high perched dunes. This hypothesis, however, remains poorly tested for low perched dunes along the southeast Lake Michigan coastline. Here, small lakes in the lee of dune complexes contain aeolian sand and various biological proxies. Age and sedimentation rate models from Gilligan Lake cores guide analysis of aeolian sand, charcoal, pollen, and diatoms at high resolution (1 cm [10.4 yr/cm]) during the high-water Algoma Phase (3.1–2.4 ka) of the upper Great Lakes. The diatoms record a transition from a deep, more acidic lake to a shallower, more alkaline lake with fewer wetlands. This transition is accompanied by a stepped increase in the amount of aeolian sand. There is a weak correlation (R² 0.5, p < 0.01) between increasing abundances of charcoal chunks and sand. Peaks of sand follow peaks in charcoal threads and sheets, suggesting fire played a role in removing vegetation, presaging the landscape for increases in storminess. Arboreal pollen records a transition from a mesic forest Fagus-Acer-Quercus-Abies assemblage suggestive of moister conditions to one richer in mesic hardwoods tolerant of drier conditions. Together, the environmental proxy data record a shallowing lake concomitant with increasing aeolian sand, suggesting that drought-like conditions along the coastline conditioned the landscape for renewed aeolian activity. Once initiated, increased storminess and shoreline erosion maintained dune activity through increased sediment supply.     

Characterization of Irrigated Holdings in the Terra Chá Region of Spain: A First Step Towards a Water Management Model

The European Unions Water Framework Directive, and in Spain the National Irrigation Plan, call for the sustainable and integrated use of water resources. Here we report the results of a questionnaire administered to irrigation users in the Terra Chá region of northwest Spain, as the basis for a water management model, and to allow identification of a representative subsample of respondents for ongoing monitoring of irrigation use in this region. The proposed management model should fulfill the dual aims of sustainable water management, namely to promote long-term social and economic development and at the same time ensure long-term environmental protection.     

白令海和阿留申群岛水文地理特征——《The Bering Sea and Aleutian Island:Region of Wonders》简评

由海事咨询计划顾问、阿拉斯加大学费尔班克斯分校渔业与海洋科学学院教授特里·约翰逊撰写的《The Bering Sea and Aleutian Island:Region of Wonders》一书于2003年由阿拉斯加海洋基金出版。该书一共分为八章,共191页,450多张彩色照片、地图等图件,88条参考文献,对白令海和阿留申群岛及其周边区域的水文地理特征进行了详细的描述。包括地理要素、自然环境、人文生态,以及资源能源等方面的内容。特里·约翰逊梳理了白令海和阿留申群岛区域水文地理探索的新成果,对中国寒区海域认识和研究具有重要的参考价值。     

Quantifying the Human Induced Water Level Decline of China’s Largest Freshwater Lake from the Changing Underlying Surface in the Lake Region

In recent years, dramatic decline in China’s largest freshwater lake, Poyang Lake, has raised wide concerns about water supply and ecological crises in the middle–lower Yangtze River reaches. To assist in resolving the debates regarding the low water regime of the lake, the current study quantitatively assessed the enhanced water level decline from the changing underlying surface in the Poyang Lake region. It is the first time that the magnitude, temporal–spatial difference, trend development and background mechanism of lake water level variation and its causes are studied comprehensively. The results revealed that the changing underlying surface in the lake region has caused an average decline of annual water level of 0.26 m ~ 0.75 m across the lake during 2000–2014, which shows great seasonal and spatial differences. The enlarged outflow cross–section due to extensive sand mining was the major reason for the effect on water level decline in the northern lake. While, increased water surface gradient should be attributed to water level decline in the southern lake. The long–term increasing trend of annual lake water level decline reflects the cumulative effects of lake bottom topography change caused by the continuous south movement of sand mining activities.     

Toward Resurrection Ecology: Daphnia mendotae and D. retrocurva in the Coastal Region of Lake Superior,among the First Successful Outside Invaders?

In Lake Superior, almost all embayment and coastal species depend on overwintering stages. Diapausing eggs from sediments provide a long-term record of species presence in addition to furnishing individuals for genetic characterization and experimental studies (resurrection ecology). Here we begin to clarify the historical development of present day species distributions in Lake Superior by examining species composition in time and space around the Keweenaw Peninsula. Keweenaw Bay sediments document the relatively recent increased abundance (perhaps arrival) of Daphnia mendotae and D. retrocurva in coastal assemblages, two species previously assumed to be characteristic of late summer assemblages. Ephippial eggs are confirmed to species by hatching experiments and genetic characterization. The timing of D. mendotae and D. retrocurva appearance coincides roughly with initial ship traffic through the St. Marys River, suggesting colonization from the lower Great Lakes at that time. An alternative hypothesis is that run-off from forest clearance altered coastal waters and encouraged Daphnia development. Eutrophication and increased abundance of planktivorous fishes, particularly perch and smelt, may also have contributed to Daphnia species succession in the Keweenaw Waterway, whereas recent interactions with Bythotrephes in Keweenaw Bay may be pushing assemblages towards dominance of D. mendotae and Holopedium. Contact between D. mendotae and resident D. dentifera in the Keweenaw Waterway led to hybridization. In the waterway, hybrids were more common in the past, yet hybridization continues in small ponds and embayments near regions of species contact.     

Discussion of “Investigating the Vulnerability of dry-Season Water Supplies to Climate Change: A Case Study of the Gwangdong Reservoir Drought Management System, Korea” by Donghoon Cha; Sangeun Lee; and Heekyung Park

Cha et al. (Water Resources Management, 26(18):4183–4201 2012) improved the method used to measure the vulnerability of a reservoir water supply that arises due to water scarcity in a dry season. Water supply vulnerability is expected to increase due to climate change. The authors showed that the Gwangdong Reservoir Drought Management Model (GRDM2), developed in a previous study and based on the adaptation mechanism, is useful to estimate the vulnerability of water supplies. The authors assumed 48 future scenarios, consisting of a combination of 6 future inflow scenarios and 8 future water requirement scenarios, of the Gwangdong reservoir drought management system. They computed damage cost of water scarcity in dry seasons until the 2050s. Simulation results showed that severe damage may take place from the 2020s and damage four times greater than in the 2009 water scarcity event may occur in the 2050s. As a result, GRDM2 was reported to be useful to measure the magnitude of climate change vulnerability, concentrating on damage of water scarcity in a dry season.