Multi-criteria Decision Analysis: A Strategic Planning Tool for Water Loss Management

Water utilities particularly in the developing countries continue to operate with considerable inefficiencies in terms of water and revenue losses. With increasing water demand and scarcity, utilities require effective strategies for optimum use of available water resources. Diverse water loss reduction options exist. Deciding on which option to choose amidst conflicting multiple criteria and different interests of stakeholders is a challenging task. In this paper, an integrated multi-criteria decision-aiding framework for strategic planning of water loss management is presented. The PROMETHEE II method was applied within the framework in prioritizing water loss reduction options for Kampala city. A strategic plan that combines selective mains and service lines replacement and pressure management as priorities is the best compromise based on preferences of the decision makers and seven evaluation criteria characterized by financial-economic, environmental, public health, technical and social impacts. The results show that the most preferred options are those that enhance water supply reliability, public health and water conservation measures. This study demonstrates how decision theory coupled with operational research techniques could be applied in practice to solve complex water management and planning problems.     

海河流域水资源规划工作思路及初步成果

海河流域水资源短缺,影响着整个流域社会经济的发展。为了更好地研究海河流域水资源的可持续利用,海河水利委员会组织的海河流域水资源规划工作已全面展开。目前,对流域的水资源量、水质状况、供用水现状等进行了调查分析,并取得了初步的成果。     

Development and Application of a Nowcast and Forecast System Tool for Planning and Managing a River Chain of Lakes

A nowcast and forecast system for providing real-time water information of a River Chain of Lakes (RCL) is developed. The system infrastructure comprises a web portal to retrieve and display observations that are used to drive models under a high performance computing server. Water level and flow discharge information are obtained from a suite of models that be directly simulate the RCL system. A new data assimilation technique based upon flow routing algorithm and nested-mesh domain reduction is developed to update the Manning’s roughness. It is demonstrated that the INFOS can reliably and effectively model real-time reverse flows due to sustained wind forcings or tranisent seiches, and flow choking due to channel constriction. Applications of the developed system are illustrated. Specifically water level planning scenarios provide a quantitative measure for lake management to reduce floods under extreme rainfall events. Alternative management philosophies to minimize exceeding the water level orders are evaluated. Overall, the Integrated Nowcast and Forecast Operation System (INFOS) provides reliable and timely water information for the RCL for sharing information to the community, planning for water use and delivery, and management of the Yahara RCL.     

A Landscape Planning and Management Tool for Land and Water Resources Management: An Example Application in Northern Ethiopia

Land and water degradation due to on-site soil/nutrient loss and off-site pollution/sedimentation are serious environmental problems. Landscape planning and management tools are essential to implement best management practices targeted at locations where they are needed most. Although many soil/water-landscape studies have been published in the last 2 decades, progress in developing operational tools for supporting landscape planning to minimize land and water degradation in developing regions is still modest. Some of the existing tools are data demanding and/or complicated to be useful to data scarce regions. Some require detailed understanding of the hydrological and modelling processes and thus less applicable to local stakeholders involved in land use planning and management. A user-friendly LAndscape Planning and MAnagement Tool (LAPMAT) developed to facilitate land management decision-making. LAPMAT is a menu-oriented interactive graphical user interface that can aid decision makers identify hotspot areas of soil erosion and evaluate the effects of alternative land use management practices at a catchment scale. The modelling framework and its interfaces are designed to guide the user through a series of menus that: 1) allow input model parameters, adjusting coefficients, visualizing input parameters and executing the model; 2) enable changing land use and management practices and re-evaluating potential consequences; 3) allow viewing results in tabular, graphical or map form side-by-side; and 4) (re)-evaluating the respective impacts of management/conservation options. The framework has been applied to assess the severity of soil erosion and simulate the impact of different land management practices using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) adjusted for sediment delivery ratio in an example catchment of northern Ethiopia. The results showed average sediment yield rate of 55 t ha^?1 y^?1. Conservation measures targeted at high soil loss areas and gullies gave the maximum reduction in sediment yield by about 80 %. Since LAPMAT allows users handle the selection of management/planning options and provide fast and responsive outputs, it can assist in effective multi-stakeholder negotiations over land-use planning where the minimization of land/water degradation is the ultimate goal.     

A Modelling Solution for Developing and Evaluating Agricultural Land-Use Scenarios in Water Scarcity Contexts

To meet sustainability challenges, regional water management and planning require approaches that assess the land-use visions of various stakeholders using their own evaluation criteria. Models and information systems are keystones in such integrated assessment activities. SPACSS (the SPAtial Cropping System Scenarios builder and evaluator) is a modelling solution that aims to help decision-makers evaluate normative land-use scenarios. A prototype of SPACSS was developed to explore concerns raised by a dam-building project in south-western France, specifically the relation between cropping system distribution and water uptake. This paper presents the initial steps of SPACSS development by scientists and agricultural experts and its evaluation by users through alternative scenarios of maize cropping (altering either its precocity or management to reduce irrigation). SPACSS can represent a wide range of land-use scenarios and aggregate impact indicators at several spatial and temporal scales. Although SPACSS served as a solid support for discussions with stakeholders and decision-makers, it needs modifications to represent more realistic, and thus more complex, land-use scenarios. These modifications will make SPACSS potentially valuable for dealing with a variety of issues concerning agricultural landscapes, far beyond the single question of quantitative water management.     

Regional Water Balance as a Tool for Water Management in Developing Countries

The method of material flux analysis is applied as an instrument for the early recognition of environmental problems in an urban region of developing countries. It is shown that, even with poor data quality and quantity, it is possible to apply the method in Tunja, an urban region in Colombia. With sensitivity analysis monitoring points are developed to attain 'early recognition' concerning changes in water quality and quantity in this region. Using the scenario technique it is shown that, owing to the low dilution capacity for sewage in the region, surface water cannot reach the quality of water at a natural state even if technical measures used in industrialized countries are taken.     

澳大利亚北澳区域水资源开发利用和管理措施

介绍了澳大利亚北澳地区的水资源开发利用现状,通过和河北省水资源开发利用与管理的对比分析,总结了北澳在水资源的权属、规划、水量分配、开发利用与保护及管理体制等方面和河北省的差异,提出了河北省水资源管理可以借鉴的经验和做法,对河北省实现水资源可持续利用,保护好有限的水资源,改善水生态与环境,具有重要参考意义。     

Bayesian network models for environmental flow decision making in the Daly River,Northern Territory,Australia

This paper reports the development and application of two Bayesian Network models to assist decision making on the environmental flows required to maintain the ecological health of the Daly River (Northern Territory, Australia). Currently, the Daly River is unregulated, with only a small volume of water extracted annually for agriculture. However, there is considerable pressure for further agricultural development in the catchment, particularly with demand for extra water extraction during the dry season (May–November). The abundances of two fish species—barramundi (Lates calcarifer) and sooty grunter (Hephaestus fuliginosus)—were chosen as the ecological endpoints for the models, which linked dry season flows to key aspects of the biology of each species. Where available, data were used to define flow–fish habitat relationships, but most of the relationships were defined by expert opinion because of a lack of quantified ecological knowledge. Recent field data on fish abundances were used to validate the models and gave prediction errors of 20–30%. The barramundi model indicated that the adult sub‐population was key to overall fish abundance, with this sub‐population particularly impacted by the timing of abstraction (early vs. late dry season). The sooty grunter model indicated that the juvenile sub‐population dominated the overall abundance and that this was primarily due to the amount of hydraulically suitable riffle habitat. If current extraction entitlements were fully utilized, the models showed there would be significant impacts on the populations of these two fish species, with the probability of unacceptable abundances increasing to 43% from 25% for sooty grunter and from 36% for barramundi under natural conditions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

澳大利亚可持续发展水政策及启示

介绍和分析澳大利亚的可持续发展的水政策及具体管理措施 ,包括水环境保护、水资源的高效利用、全流域的统一综合管理、水权的初始分配和市场交易、水利工程的企业化管理等 .结合我国水利的特点 ,提出了水利产业改革、水资源可持续利用、建立水市场等方面的建议 .     

Calibration, Validation and Sensitivity Analysis of the MIKE-SHE Model Using the Neuenkirchen Catchment as Case Study

Calibration and validation of the MIKE-SHE model was performed using the Neuenkirchen research catchment hydrologic characteristics and a two-year time series of stream flows at the outlet of the catchment. A reasonable match was obtained between the observed and simulated hydrograph at the catchment outlet with minor calibration effort. For the validation runs, the base flows were overestimated in the period of high rainfall intensity while the peak flows were reasonably matched. Sensitivity of the model to structural parameters such as grid size and time step, and to the functional parameters, including hydraulic resistance coefficient, surface and subsurface hydraulic properties, was investigated. The results indicated that the peak overland flow and the total overland flow were very sensitive to the flow resistance parameters and to the vertical hydraulic conductivity of the surface soil, while the peak aquifer discharge and the total aquifer discharge were sensitive to the horizontal hydraulic conductivity in the saturated zone. The model output variables considered were neither affected, to a significant extent, by the vegetation parameters nor by the specific storage coefficient.     

水利枢纽工程施工进度计划编制检查调整技术的探讨

介绍上僚水利枢纽施工进度计划编制、检查、调整经验,对水利枢纽工程施工进度计划的编制、检查、调整技术进行探讨.     

新疆头屯河流域水资源开发利用现状及供水需求分析

阐述头屯河流域现状水资源及流域水资源的需水量,通过现状供需水及发展趋势分析,针对水资源开发利用过程中存在的问题提出相应的对策,即建章立制、统一规划、加强水资源的统一管理和调度,以达到节约保护水资源的目的,保障流域内水资源的可持续发展。     

河北省中小河流水能资源开发规划工作概述

根据水利部、河北省政府要求,河北省水利厅开展了全省河流水能资源开发规划工作。本文介绍了河北省在规划前期开展技术培训、技术人员现场查勘、跨省河流沟通以及已建电站评估等做法。本文对开展省级规模的水能资源开发规划工作,具有指导意义。     

扎实推进规划工作 培植绿色发展理念——湖北省中小河流水能资源开发规划工作情况介绍

本文介绍了湖北省中小河流水能资源开发规划工作进展,规划工作在树立绿色发展理念、摸清水能资源开发状况等方面取得的成效,以及湖北省为推动规划工作采取的主要做法。     

万年县水利风景区建设发展规划浅析

本文以万年县为例,通过重点分析当地水利风景区的发展现状,充分挖掘其水利风景资源禀赋,结合周边日益增长的旅游需求和旅游发展规划,合理规划建设布局与重点景区,对该县水利风景区的建设提出了战略性建议.     

开展水资源规划和水权制度建设做好流域水资源配置工作

自1998年嫩江、松花江大水以来,松辽委认真学习和贯彻落实部党组可持续发展治水新思路,根据流域水资源特点,分析水资源开发利用中存在的矛盾,研究解决矛盾的对策措施,把新时期水资源优化配置作为主要工作来抓.在水资源管理中与各省(自治区)水利厅密切协作,充分利用行业内外智力资源,认真组织水资源规划和专题研究,积极开展流域初始水权分配工作,探索流域水资源可持续利用的有效途径.     

从''98洪水看鄱阳湖流域的水土保持可持续发展

’98洪水给鄱阳湖流域造成了严重的灾害 ,笔者在分析洪水成因和鄱阳湖流域水土流失现状的基础上 ,指出传统农业生产模式单一、毁林开荒、林地林种结构单一等是影响鄱阳湖流域水土流失的重要因素。并针对鄱阳湖流域的情况 ,提出了鄱阳湖流域水土保持可持续发展的具体对策和措施     

磁分离/人工湿地工艺在河道水净化中的应用

采用磁分离/人工湿地组合工艺处理河道水,磁分离净水技术在去除水体当中的悬浮颗粒物和总磷时具有去除效率高、运行费用低、占地少的优点;人工湿地可以对溶解性污染物进行去除,是一种较好的生态废水处理方式,处理成本低、管理简单.将磁分离技术和人工温地有机结合起来,可以取长补短,充分发挥两者的优势.在人工湿地的基础上发展磁分离/人工湿地工艺,可以处理受污染的城市河道水和城市公园湖泊景观水,也可以应用于农村水环境治理,具有广阔的应用前景.     

全面贯彻和落实科学发展观提高水利规划计划行政能力和水平

2004年,水利规划计划工作以科学发展观为指导,全面落实中央水利工作方针,积极实践可持续发展治水思路,认真履行职能,取得了明显的工作成效.2005年,水利规划计划工作必须进一步树立和落实科学发展观,认清形势,把握方向,与时俱进,不断提高规划计划行政能力和水平,为推进可持续发展水利发挥基础和保障作用.     

Optimal Crop Planning and Conjunctive Use of Water Resources in a Coastal River Basin

Due to increasing trend of intensive rice cultivation in a coastal river basin, crop planning and groundwater management areimperative for the sustainable agriculture. For effective management, two models have been developed viz. groundwater balance model and optimum cropping and groundwater management model to determine optimum cropping pattern and groundwater allocation from private and government tubewells according to different soil types (saline and non-saline), type of agriculture(rainfed and irrigated) and seasons (monsoon and winter). A groundwater balance model has been developed considering mass balance approach. The components of the groundwater balance considered are recharge from rainfall, irrigated rice and non-rice fields, base flow from rivers and seepage flow from surface drains. In the second phase, a linear programming optimization model is developed for optimal cropping and groundwater management for maximizing the economic returns. Themodels developed were applied to a portion of coastal river basin in Orissa State, India and optimal cropping pattern forvarious scenarios of river flow and groundwater availability wasobtained.