International River Basins of the World

It is becoming acknowledged that water is likely to be the most pressing environmental concern of the next century. Difficulties in river basin management are only exacerbated when the resource crosses international boundaries. One critical aid in the assessment of international waters has been the Register of International Rivers a compendium which listed 214 international waterways that cover 47% of the earth's continental land surface. The Register, though, was last updated in 1978 by the now defunct United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The purpose of this paper is to update the Register in order to reflect the quantum changes that have taken place over the last 22 years, both in global geopolitics and in map coverage and technology. By accessing digital elevation models at spatial resolutions of 30 arc seconds, corroborating at a unified global map coverage of at least 1:1 000 000, and superimposing the results over complete coverage of current political boundaries, we are able to provide a new register which lists 261 international rivers, covering 45.3% of the land surface of the earth (excluding Antarctica). This paper lists all international rivers with their watershed areas, the nations which share each watershed,their respective territorial percentages, and notes on changes in or disputes over international boundaries since 1978.     

Decision Making in Multi-jurisdictional River Basins

Abstract

In the Murray-Darling basin in Australia, a management framework has been adopted to permit the different states that control this basin to manage it cooperatively. This framework consists of joint bodies at both the political and technical level. Similar frameworks have been adopted in other multi-jurisdictional river basins, such as the Mekong in southeast Asia. Analysis of a number of case study decisions in the Murray-Darling Basin Initiative reveals a variety of bases upon which decisions may be made, with the process being led by those from both higher up and lower down the decision making hierarchy and that a semi-rational process is generally followed. By establishing a political body to title the co-operative framework, some sort of balance between political and technical considerations is achieved in an environment, which otherwise would risk being dominated by the individual political concerns of the different jurisdictions.     

Integrated River Basin Management in the Multi-jurisdictional River Basins: The Case of the Mekong River Basin

Achieving integrated river basin management in large multi-jurisdictional river basins is a difficult task. In the Mekong River basin some of the countries have begun to implement a cooperative framework, which indicates a desire to achieve a form of integrated management. Significant progress has been made but results still fall short of the ideal. The primary reasons for this includes the lack of institutional capacity of the multi-jurisdictional cooperative authority and its counterpart organizations in each of the participating countries, together with a lack of political drive to develop integrated management as a priority.     

长江上游及清江流域土地覆被变化分析

随着长江上游电站及清江流域电站开工、投产发电,其控制的流域成为重要敏感性区域。利用国家基础地理信息中心于2014年研制的2000,2010 年两期30 m分辨率土地覆被数据产品GlobeLand30,对2000~2010年长江上游及清江流域土地覆被的空间分布格局、变化幅度、区域差异及主要土地覆被类型的变化原因进行了综合分析。研究发现,总体上2010年较2000年,长江上游及清江流域耕地、森林变化率较低,分别为-0.09%,0.31%;冰川及永久积雪、人造地表、湿地、水体变化率较高,分别为-7.25%,22.9%,10.60%,2.87%。分析结果客观反映了气候变暖、城市扩张、水电站建设等活动对流域的影响,可为长江上游及清江流域调查、生态评价提供依据。     

International Environmental Conflict Management in Transboundary River Basins

Despite signing a bilateral water treaty in 1973, water utilization in the Hirmand River Basin (HRB) has been a source of dispute between Iran and Afghanistan for many decades. While Iran accuses Afghanistan of depriving it of the Hirmand water due to dam construction in the upper basin, Afghanistan assures that it enforces the treaty. An evident reduction of the Hirmand River flow to Iran in recent years is fully attributed by Afghanistan to a reduction in precipitation in the basin. Although Iran disagrees and remains unconvinced by this line of reasoning. A fundamental lack of trust in collected and shared hydrological data has hindered dialog between the two neighbors. To address this issue, this study investigates the use of remote sensing information, as an independent source of data, for fact-finding in a highly disputed transboundary river basin. For this purpose, historical data (34 years) from two satellite precipitation products, PERSIANN-CDR and CHIRPS, were used to understand if precipitation characteristics and, subsequently, rainfall-runoff regimes have changed in the HRB. Results reveal that the frequency and amount of heavy precipitation have been increasing over the mountainous areas. The total amount of precipitation has been increasing significantly. The intensity of heavy precipitation, however, has been decreasing over the basin. In the upper basin, the duration of the wet period has increased, although the share of wet months in annual precipitation has been decreasing. In the lower basin, trends in seasonal and annual precipitation and most of the indices are insignificant, indicating water availability issues cannot be attributed to the changes in precipitation in the downstream area itself. These results can be used as an integral part of mutual fact-finding and trust-building exercise that supports water diplomacy to promote environmental cooperation between Iran and Afghanistan.

     

Integrated Ecosystem Management of River Basins and the Coastal Zone in Brazil

International society has begun to consider river basins and the coastal zone as one management unit that requires an ecosystem approach. Various countries have undertaken initiatives since the 1970s and have improved the approach to integrated coastal zone management. Brazil has not been one of them. Its sector-based approach to most environmental issues started in the 1980s with the National Environmental Policy Act (Law 6,938/1981). The National Coastal Zone Management Plan (NCZMP) was then approved by Law 7,661 in 1988. Shortly thereafter, the 1988 Brazilian Constitution was enacted, which established the environment as a common good to be used by the entire society but in such a way as to prevent environmental degradation and conserve its quality for present and future generations. The National Water Resources Policy (NWRP) was not enacted until 1997 (Law 9,433/1997). This law established that water resource management in Brazil must take into account estuarine ecosystems and the coastal zone, using an integrated approach. Only in 2006 did the National Water Resources Council (NWRC) create a technical chamber dedicated to developing regulatory measures for integrated management in Brazil. There has been substantial discussion and various proposals to implement it, as outlined in this article. This paper concludes with suggestions for implementing integrated river basin and coastal zone management in Brazil.     

流域生态需水研究进展

一、为什么研究生态需水 在我国,水资源已经成为生态系统健康和经济发展的限制性因素,水生态系统退化和人类对水生态系统服务功能需求不断增加构成的矛盾,使社会安全、经济安全、生态安全和水资源安全受到威胁.因此,如何解决这种矛盾,合理地安排水资源在社会经济和生态环境中的比例,维护生态环境的相对稳定,是流域规划和管理中需要解决的根本性问题,同时也是实现社会-经济-生态复合系统可持续发展的关键性问题.     

Assessing Downstream Impacts of Detention Basins in Urbanized River Basins Using a Distributed Hydrological Model

It is widely recognized that urban development alters infiltration capacity and enhances its spatial variability, but also constrains watercourses into narrow channels making them unable to contain the runoff that is generated by relatively small, but intense, rainfall events. Network of detention basins are designed to reduce the flood peak by temporarily storing the excess storm water and then releasing the water volume at allowable rates over an extended period. This paper shows the use of a distributed hydrological model for the assessment of effectiveness of a network of detention facilities in a heavily urbanized river basin. The distributed hydrological model FEST was used to assess design hydrograph and, in parallel to design the seven detention basins optimized for the specific purpose of maintaining the flow rate within the range of the maximum allowable discharge. This permitted to estimate the design hydrograph considering both the spatial variability of soil infiltration capacity and routing characteristics induced by each detention basins along the main river. Results indicate that on-stream detention ponds can increase duration of the critical event and runoff volume of design flood with possible negative implications on downstream facilities.     

Precipitation Trends and Variability in River Basins in Urban Expansion Areas

River basins are important territorial units for geographical analysis, and are crucial for environmental planning, especially in metropolitan settings. The aim of this article was to evaluate rainfall trends and variability in the Guapimirim-Macacu basin, located in an urban development area in the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region. Annual, monthly and daily records were collected from twenty rain gauge stations, for the period of 1967 to 2015. Analyses conducted using the RClimDex software revealed an increase in rainfall volume and number of wet days. The remaining indicators and patterns observed across stations also suggested that changes in precipitation trends occurred mostly on the day scale, and were likely attributable to global climate change. After controlling for seasonality and normalizing the series, a linear tendency between the mean monthly precipitation in the Guapimirim-Macau basin and sea surface temperature (SST), obtained from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, revealed that rainfall in the region is strongly correlated with Pacific and Atlantic SST, revealing the importance of the South Atlantic Convergence Zone for rainfall variability in the area of study, especially in summer. These data are important for development planning and the management of water resources and supply in the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Region.

     

Water Poverty Situation of Medium-sized River Basins in Nepal

Water and poverty are closely related to each other. The Water Poverty Index (WPI) can identify and track the drivers (physical, environmental, social and economic) that link water and poverty. This study uses WPI framework to assess water poverty situation of medium-sized river basins in Nepal that cover 8.7?% of the country??s territory, produce 6.5?% of the country??s water resources and host 23.1?% of the country??s population. The study results show that water poverty index varies from 40.6 (in West Rapti basin) to 55.5 (in Kankai basin). Based on the WPI results, the basins in decreasing order of priority need for water poverty situation improvement can be listed as West Rapti, Babai, Bagmati, Kamala and Kankai. Even in the basin with high water poverty (i.e., West Rapti basin), suggested priority order for the areas of intervention need is Use?>?Environment?>?Capacity?>?Resources?>?Access. The results are useful to prioritize areas and extent of policy intervention need at different scales.     

虚拟水贸易与跨流域调水

虚拟水贸易被认为是提高全球水资源利用效率及保障缺水地区水安全的有效工具.借助于虚拟水的概念,以我国南北方及各区域间的虚拟水贸易量为切入点,计算了我国各区域间的虚拟水流量关系,分析了水以真实形式和虚拟形式在我国南北方之间逆向流动的主要原因.在目前及将来虚拟水区域关系不发生根本性变化的情况下,南水北调工程不仅是解决我国北方地区水资源短缺和优化农业资源合理配置的有效途径,也是保障国家粮食安全,维护社会稳定,促进社会经济可持续发展的重大举措.虚拟水贸易可以作为跨流域调水的补充在保障缺水地区水安全方面发挥重要作用.     

河湖长制下流域统筹能力建设研究

如何发挥河湖长制平台作用,加强流域统筹协调,提升河湖管理“共抓”和“大保护”水平,是深化河湖长制需要破解的管理难题。研究系统梳理河湖长制演进历程,分析深化河湖长制对流域统筹的需求,以河湖长制为抓手,提出流域统筹能力建设建议:①修订现行涉水管理法律、推进大江大河保护立法、出台流域保护条例和跨省界河湖联防联控指导意见;②依托全面推行河湖长制工作部际联席会议平台深化部际合作,建立完善“流域管理机构+省级河长办”协作机制深化流域协作,省级河长制办公室(简称“河长办”)互聘互派人员深化区域合作;③在全流域探索形成统一规划、统一标准、联合执法的流域统筹机制;④部际联席会议办公室监督检查跨界河湖流域统筹工作,检查结果作为省级领导干部的年度综合评价依据;⑤流域监测与信息共享开展部际合作,流域管理机构建立流域涉水大数据中心,相邻区域省级河长办组织开展省际边界联合监测监控;⑥ 生态补偿作为部际合作重点事项,赋予流域管理机构参与生态补偿管理的行政职能。     

试述减压井在北江大堤的功效

通过对北江大堤堤基环境工程地质问题的分析,详述在北江大堤采用减压井方法,对汛期堤内的渗漏、流土等不良工程地质现象的处理是有效的。它的功能主要是疏导汛堤内的地下渗流量,从而降低渗透压力。     

推进流域综合管理保护长江生命之河

流域一般包括上游、中游、下游、河口等地理单元,涵盖淡水生态系统、陆地生态系统、海洋和海岸带生态系统,水是流域不同地理单元与生态系统之间联系的最重要纽带.大河流域往往是文明的发源地,人类文明史也是人与自然、人与河流相互作用的历史."我住长江头,君住长江尾,日日思君不见君,共饮一江水".这首词生动地描述了流域上下游之间的自然与人文联系.     

甘肃内陆河流域水问题及对策研究

一、甘肃内陆河流域水资源基本情况 甘肃省内陆河流域由东到西包括石羊河、黑河、疏勒河(含苏干湖哈尔腾河)三个水系,共有大小河流50余条,年径流量在1亿m~3以上的河流有12条。其中,石羊河水系中的黄羊河、杂木     

古里雅河和叶尔羌河流域不同海拔水循环特征

以水循环为纽带,把水、沙、汽和冰作为一个有机整体,研究了古里雅河和叶尔羌河流域在不同海拔地区的水循环特征及其在环境变化中的作用,发现这两条流域内水循环在不同海拔地区存在着一些特征差异,并对这些特征差异进行了分析。从机制上揭示了这两条流域的水循环在不同海拔地区特征差异的原因,证实了沙尘在该流域不同海拔地区的水循环中起纽带作用。从这两条流域的水循环在环境变化中的作用的研究中,进一步得出了沙尘对我国西北干旱地区的气候变化影响较大的结论。     

云南省华坪县新庄河、乌木河流域水能规划

《新庄河、乌木河流域规划》于2001年完成,并由当地政府组织审查通过。文章重点介绍了新庄河、乌木河流域特点及水能水资源的分布情况,针对流域内存在的主要问题,提出了综合、合理开发利用流域水资源的总体规划思路和布局,特别是充分考虑灌溉与发电相结合以及通过跨流域调水使水资源达到充分利用的规划思路。规划的实施将对当地社会经济快速发展起到十分重大的作用。     

务实创新探索实践推动松辽流域水利事业健康持续发展

2005年,松辽委在部党组的领导下,以推动流域水利可持续发展为目标,以维护河流健康生命为己任,牢固树立和贯彻落实科学发展观,充分发挥流域管理职能作用,积极实践,努力探索,扎实工作,为振兴东北老工业基地和全面建设流域小康社会作出了自己的贡献.     

长江中游蓄滞洪区分洪运用方案研究

蓄滞洪区是降低洪水风险的一种有效工程措施,能够充分有效地分蓄超额洪量,最大程度地降低高洪水位,从而减轻甚至消除下游的防洪压力。然而,蓄滞洪区的运用效果与洪水的类型密切相关。在水系复杂的长江中游地区,理想地运用蓄滞洪区一般比较困难,特别是在需要决策分洪运用蓄滞洪区又不知道未来的洪水过程时。以宜昌站至汉口站为研究范围,包括洞庭湖区及支流汉江,对钱粮湖、共双茶、大通湖东及洪湖东分块共计4个蓄滞洪区的分洪运用方案进行了研究。对于1998年实际洪水,利用水动力模型．研究出4个蓄滞洪区的理想运用方案。基于未来洪水的不确定性,对1998年实际洪水理想运用方案进行不同影响因素（包括水文、决策及洪水类型等因素）测试,总结出蓄滞洪区分洪运用的一般规律,并对本项目的进一步研究提出合理化建议。     

Predicting Flood Hazard Indices in Torrential or Flashy River Basins and Catchments

Flood hazard maps are one of the main components of any flood risk management strategy. It is predicted that the degree of flood risk is going to significantly increase in the future due to climatic and environmental changes, and hence it is increasingly important that state-of-the-art methods are implemented for assessing human stability in floodwaters. Therefore, this paper focuses on proposing more accurate and detailed guidelines for predicting flood hazard indices in small and steep river basins or catchments, prone to the occurrence of flash flooding. The results obtained in this study indicate that for river basins with an average bed gradient greater than 1% (i.e. torrential or flashy river basins or catchments), then the flood hazard indices should be predicted using criteria which are based on the physical interpretation of the processes that affect the human stability in floodwaters, i.e. mechanics based and experimentally calibrated flood hazard assessment methods.