Sustainable Development of International Waters and their Basins: Implementing the GEF Operational Strategy

If environmentally sustainable development goals are to be achieved for transboundary water resources, fundamental improvements over sector-by-sector development strategies are needed. This article describes the nature of needed improvements as well as lessons learned for multicountry cooperation in managing transboundary water resources. While global agreements, watercourse or basin organizations, and arbitration have fallen short of addressing conflicting priorities, joint institutional arrangements,such as those utilized by the International Joint Commission (Canada and USA), provide opportunities for: (1) creating a neutral ground for building trust among nations; (2) levelling the playing field among small and large nations; and (3) arranging joint mechanisms for working together on shared development of basins without relinquishing a country's sovereignty. The Global Environment Facility is playing a catalytic role in assisting countries in making the transition to comprehensive approaches for addressing transboundary water and land resource issues. The GEF Operational Strategy is described and lessons learned from its first five years are presented with a view to illustrating programmatic opportunities that cooperating nations can utilize for pursuing sustainable development of international waters and their basins.     

Water Resources and Indicators of Conflict

Abstract

Analysis of current economic and environmental trends reveals increasing competition over access to and use of freshwater resources at the same time that population growth, economic development, and potential climate change are adding stress to those resources. Given these trends, it is hardly surprising that in the policy literature and the popular press the issues of water and conflict are being raised together with increasing frequency. The Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database (TFDD) project at Oregon State University delineates 261 international river basins. Professionals concerned with security-related issues have an interest in being able to identify which of those basins may be prone to conflict over water resources, from both a perspective of intra-state and inter-state instability and conflict. Having such knowledge allows for the possibility of “preventive diplomacy,” whereby diplomatic intervention prevents the escalation of disputes over shared water resources into violent conflict. Identification of basins prone to water conflict requires a framework that incorporates a wide array of physical, social, economic, and political variables, the implications of these variables at different spatial and temporal scales, and the linkages across scales. This paper proposes a methodology for defining potential indicators of international water conflict and portraying these indicators spatially within a Geographic Information System. Indicators will be defined across multiple scales in a parallel analysis of global and basin attributes. While indicators should be viewed with a healthy skepticism, they still provide value when defined through an effective analytical framework that takes into account the availability and appropriateness of relevant data and information sources.     

The Inter-American Water Resources Network: A Tool for Capacity Building

While the Latin American and Caribbean Region has an abundance of water resources, the uneven distribution of water and the rapid growth of urban areas have created a set of water management problems which, if left unresolved, are projected to lead to a water crisis of hemispheric proportions during the next century. Shrinking foreign aid and experience gained during the past four decades are changing the traditional mechanisms of technical cooperation between developed and developing nations. Building on the momentum of the Earth Summit (1992), which stressed the need for mechanisms for water resources information exchange, the First Inter-American Dialogue on Water Management (1993) called for the establishment of an Inter-American Water Resources Network (IWRN) to distribute and exchange information on water issues, promote technology transfer, and share water management experiences in the western hemisphere. To date, 22 governments have officially designated water agencies to represent them on the IWRN as country focal points. Current network activities consist of the preparation of directories of water and water-related organizations, educational opportunities and existing networks in the western hemisphere; publication of a newsletter; and operation of an electronic forum and several World Wide Web sites on the Internet. Future activities, defined in part by the Second Inter-AmericanDialogue on Water Management held in Buenos Aires in September 1996, will emphasize the establishment of a regional and sub-regional Internet-based water information network with linkages to the global water resources community, regional dialogues on water management, increased cooperation between all parties in transboundary river basins, and endorsement of a number of recommendations for strengthening integrated water resources management.The Third Inter-American Dialogue on Water Management will be held in Central America in 1999.     

Towards Sustainable Management of Scarce Water Resources in Botswana

Abstract

Proper management of scarce water resources has in recent years become necessary to maintain sustainable societies. This article discusses the management of water resources in Botswana. It highlights the amount of water resources available, relating it to the demand, and observes that the current trend of exploiting these resources will not be sustainable in the long run unless the major strategies suggested herein are adopted. It also looks at the administration of water and water resources in Botswana, focusing on the shared water resources. Government policies and strategies towards sustainable management of scarce water resources are also discussed. The author draws particular attention to the water tariff structure, noting that the prevailing water tariff system promotes sustainable management of water resources.     

Identifying China’s transboundary water risks and vulnerabilities – a multidisciplinary analysis using hydrological data and legal/institutional settings

This paper identifies the vulnerabilities and risks linked with China’s transboundary waters through an analysis of hydrological data and the legal and institutional settings. The risks and vulnerabilities arise in three areas: (1) serious issues of water security arise, both internally and externally, relating to water quantity and water quality; (2) transboundary waters management is hampered by weak capacity across the region; and (3) underdeveloped legal regimes, including procedural requirements for the exchange of information, prior notification and early warning mechanisms, make it difficult to realize effective international transboundary water cooperation.     

南水北调中线水源区与受水区旱涝特征统计

根据<中国近500年旱涝图集>资料及近年降水资料,分析了南水北调中线沿线水源区及受水各区近530 a的旱涝特征,得出以下结论:各区旱涝存在不同的周期,20世纪是水源区汉江旱涝的频繁期,17世纪是供水各区旱涝频繁期;各区均存在连旱连涝特征;水源区与受水各区洪涝年同步机会多于干旱年.     

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。     

Cooperation on International Rivers

Abstract

It is generally accepted that conflicting demands over international rivers will intensify. There is an active debate on whether this will lead to “water wars” or to unprecedented cooperation. Framing the debate in this manner, however, tends to cast the concept of cooperation as all-or-nothing, implying that “cooperation” is an extreme, in direct opposition to “war.” This conceptual construct obscures the many practical levels of cooperation that states can undertake to their mutual advantage. It is important to recognize that it is entirely rational that states will always have a “national agenda” for a river that they share with other states, and that they will cooperate if it serves that national agenda. In practice, there can be a continuum of levels of cooperation, from simple information sharing, to joint ownership and management of infrastructure investments. Furthermore, it may not necessarily be the case that “more” cooperation reaps “more” benefits in all river basins. There are many different types of benefits that can be secured through the cooperative management of international waters, with each individual basin offering different potential cooperative benefits with different associated costs. For each international basin, the optimal mode of cooperation will depend on a mix of factors including hydrologic characteristics, the economics of cooperative investments, numbers and the relationships of riparians, and the costs of parties coming together.     

广东省水利数据中心应用效果分析

随着水利信息化的发展,水利数据中心建设进入新的阶段。水利数据中心在支撑水利信息的整合、交换等服务的同时,需要实现水利领域所有业务应用间的数据共享和业务协同,以及对水利综合决策的支持。结合广东省水利数据中心建设实践,讨论国内水利数据中心研究与建设现状,概述广东省水利数据中心的建设背景,阐述广东省水利数据中心的主要作用,并对应用效果进行初步分析,为全国各级水利数据中心建设提供可供参照的具体实践。     

GEF海河流域水资源与水环境综合管理知识管理系统

GEF海河流域水资源与水环境综合管理知识管理系统是GEF海河项目的核心内容之一,是海河流域水资源和水环境管理信息的存储、管理和共享交换中心;利用先进的3S（GIS/RS/GPS）和IT技术,建设流域水资源与水环境知识共享平台,实现海河流域水利与环保部门之间的信息交流与共享;以遥感监测ET为管理措施、水功能区为管理单元、水权为管理核心、模型为支撑工具、取水许可与排污许可为控制手段,构建海河流域水资源与水环境综合业务管理系统;该系统的建设为加强海河流域水资源与水环境综合管理,促进各级水行政管理部门间的协调合作,改善海河流域水资源与水环境状况提供了重要的技术手段和成功经验。     

WELL-BEING & INTEGRITY

ABSTRACT

There is evidence that the driving force behind IWRA's congresses on water resources keeps the integrity of our water resources. This effect could be tested at IWRA's VIth World Congress by support for a plea to keep it.

This evidence led to the main deduction that water resources, being the universal carrier of life in the exchange processes in nature, have to be managed with integrity to keep their integrity.

Specific deductions were made about the exchange process of consumption of natural resources and the return of the resulting refuse to nature. This process appears to determine man's impact on his natural resources. It seems to be managed in Institutions and Cultures as well as in the domain of Technology. It could be reintegrated in man's economic, social and ethical behaviour, to be managed for optimum well-being.

It was also deduced that the required state of water resources could be kept by local managers with sound national and international programmes integrated in water resources management information systems.     

Communiquk

Abstract

This article provides an overview of trends relating to information and communication technologies, revealing an explosive cycle of growth. These technologies present global dilemmas of unequal access to information and of differing capacities for converting information into effective knowledge for decision-making purposes. The interactions between the rapid emergence of the Internet and the sustainable development and knowledge management communities is outlined. Potential consequences for water policy and management activities, water information needs, research and education activities, and water organizations are examined. Lastly, some challenges these information technologies pose to the water resources community of practice are posited. Current ICT trends challenge our thinking, provide an opportunity to examine our various knowledges and practices and to implement changes for a more sustainable water agenda.     

The Participatory Regime of Water Governance in the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

Transparency and public participation are important ingredients to achieve effective water governance. Since the Rio Conference, diverse international instruments advocate access to information and public participation in river basin management. At the European Union level, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) establishes specific obligations for member states to include the public in the planning and management of river basins processes. In addition, the WFD Guideline on Public Participation includes three forms of public participation: active involvement, consultation, and provision of information. At the present moment, Spain has a legal and institutional framework that allows a very limited participatory process: only water users holding an economic stake can participate in the management of Spanish river basins. Concerning transparency, the law establishes the right to accede to information but this right has two different levels: for the general public and for water users. In the Iberian shared river basins regulated by the 1998 Luso-Spanish Convention, mechanisms allowing public participation in the terms of the WFD are not in place yet. It is necessary to reform the legal and institutional framework to facilitate real participation and to achieve effective water governance.     

提高监测水平保障供水安全做好新时期水质监测工作

水利部新时期治水思路强调水利工作要向加强对水资源综合管理的方向转变.水质监测是管理水资源重要的基本手段之一.水质动态信息是各大流域和各级政府防治水污染、实施监督管理、保护和改善水质的重要依据.在总结多年来水质监测工作经验的基础上,根据新形势新要求,提出了新时期水质监测工作要为全国水资源的有效管理与保护提供支撑和保障,提高能力、突出重点、增强能力.     

A Comparative Study of the Performance of Public Water Rights Allocation in China

Pubic water rights allocation, in which water resources are allocated to users administratively as shared public property, is an effective and powerful policy for water resource management. Dozens of public water right allocation systems have been established in China since 1998 without any unified standard across the country. An indicator-based assessment approach, based on equity, efficiency and sustainability, is proposed in this study to evaluate the performance of public water rights allocation systems in China in a quantitative way. The approach was applied in 11 river basins of China in which water rights have been defined. The results show that the performance of the allocation systems depends on the spatial density and exploitation ratio of the water resources. The performance of allocated water rights systems is better in river basins with greater resource densities and smaller water exploitation ratios. This assessment approach is very useful for evaluating policy options for public water rights allocation with appropriate consideration of the local conditions of the river basins.     

上海市水资源综合管理系统设计与实现

根据上海市水资源管理特点,综合利用数据交换、网络地理信息系统、集成发布等技术,建设了基于1张电子地图和1个门户网站的市级水资源综合管理系统,实现了多源水资源信息的汇聚整合及集成发布,水资源数量、质量及开发利用程度的动态评价,以及对水资源突发事件的综合管理,为城市水资源的合理开发和利用决策提供科学依据。     

基于生态文明视角的典型干旱区流域水资源污染损失测算研究——以新疆区域为例

为促进新疆社会经济与水资源环境协调发展,对水资源污染损失进行经济核算,从而为政府制定区域经济发展规划及重大项目的实施提供科学决策依据。研究方法采用模糊综合评价法,选择7个社会经济活动较为频繁的典型流域,结合调查的不同流域5类水质标准数据进行具体评价。评价结果表明,2015年新疆水资源污染经济损失为175.79亿元,占当年新疆GDP总量的1.89%,相对于全国各省(自治区)水污染经济损失情况处于中等偏下水平。调查的7个流域普遍存在水资源污染情况,形成水资源污染的主观原因包括城市排污、农业排污、生活排污等,客观原因为水污染处理能力不足。亟需从产业结构调整、非点源污染治理及加强水污染处理能力等方面进行流域水资源污染综合治理。     

Transboundary Groundwater Resources of the West Bank

The political boundaries between the Palestinian and Israelismake the water issues critical and sensitive. Groundwater is theprimary source for the Palestinian in the West Bank. Although, there are many studies on the shared surface resources (Jordan River Basin), there are few studies on the groundwater shared resources between the Palestinians and Israelis.There are three primary groundwater basins underlying the West Bank (Eastern, Northeastern and Western Basins) as shown in Figure 1. Both the Northeastern and Western basins are shared between Israelis and Palestinians. The Palestinians have a limited access to the Northeastern Basin and strictly limited access to the Western Basin. In addition to the quantity of available water resources, thequality of water is emerging as a critical issue. Threats to ground water quality include disposal of untreated wastewater, increasing salinity due to agricultural activities and intrusion of native groundwater of poor quality. Widespread use of herbicides and pesticides also represent a threat to drinking water supplies.The Declaration of Principles, signed in Washington D.C in 1993,was a major step toward resolution of the political conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. However, the water issue is part of the final status negotiations, which still unresolved.As resolution to political conflict is pursued, it is clear that water resources management issues remain at the forefront becauseof the transboundary nature of the hydrologic regime. Cooperative management on the technical level appears to be the only alternative to further conflict and degradation of the region's scare water resources. This article will study the impact of the transboundary resources on both sides and explore some of the most significant groundwater management issues facing both the Palestinians and Israelis.     

Regional cooperation and benefit sharing for sustainable water resources management in the Lower Mekong Basin

Benefit sharing is a concept associated with regional cooperation for sustainable water resources management. To this end, the present study analyses how implementation of this concept may contribute to economic growth and the promotion of sustainable livelihoods in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB). It focuses on the balance between economic and human development, national interests, and the procedures used to manage water resources in the basin. It was found that: (a) Benefits obtained from the Mekong River are not equally shared between riparian countries because of inadequate regional cooperation, with economic and social development in the LMB being uneven, with Thailand and Vietnam achieving better human development, poverty reduction and food security outcomes than Laos and Cambodia; (b) Lack of shared national interests, or a common development agenda, has resulted in unsustainable water resource management outcomes; and (c) Procedures for water resources management agreed by the four LMB countries are well‐aligned with the conceptual framework for benefit sharing defined by Sadoff and Grey (2002, Water Policy, 4, 389), although while these procedures have the potential to facilitate a more cooperative agenda for equitable sharing of social, economic and environmental benefits from the water resources of the Mekong River, implementation of the 1995 Mekong Agreement currently remains controversial. The five procedures for water resource management developed by the Mekong River Commission have not resulted in satisfactory outcomes, due in part to the institution lacking regulatory authority.