Urban Water Management in Developing Arid Countries

Urbanization, industrialization and rapid population growth in developing countries of the Arabian Peninsula are putting increasing pressure on local water authorities and water planners to satisfy the growing urban water and sanitation demands. In the Arabian Peninsula, water resources are limited, average rainfall is low and the seawater and brackish water desalination in addition to limited groundwater resources are the major water supply sources. The population increased from about 17.688 million in 1970 to 38.52 million in 1995 and is expected to reach 81.25 million in 2025. The urban population is expected to rise from 60% in 1995 to more than 80% in 2025. The domestic water demand is expected to rise from 2863 million cubic metres (MCM) in 1990 to about 4264 MCM in 2000 and 10580 MCM in 2025. In Saudi Arabia, the population increased by 143.6% between 1970 and 1995; and it is expected to reach about 40.426 million in 2025, with about 80% urban population. The domestic water demand in the Kingdom is expected to be about 2350 MCM in 2000 and 6450 MCM in 2025. Specialized agencies have been established for water production and distribution, and for wastewater collection, treatment and reuse. Special legislation has been introduced to manage water demands and to protect the interests of the community and its natural resources. Fifty-seven costly desalination plants have been constructed in the Peninsula on the Gulf and Red Sea coasts, as well as water transmission lines to transport the desalinated water to coastal and inland major cities. The seawater desalination unit cost is about US$0.70/m 3 for a large desalination plant with energy priced at world prices. More than $30 billion has been invested on water and sanitation projects. Present desalination production is about 46% of the total domestic demand, and the rest is pumped from deep and shallow aquifers. In general, fragmented legislation and institutional arrangements and low water charges have indirectly resulted in over-usage of domestic water, production of excessive quantities of wastewater, significant leakage, and enhancement of shallow water-table formation and rise in some cities. Facing the challenges of satisfying the growing urban water demands requires several essential measures such as: (a) introduction of new technologies to reduce water demands, and losses, and to enhance wastewater recycling and water conservation; (b) the updating of legislation to coordinate both responsibilities and actions among different water agencies; (c) the introduction of a strong and transparent regulatory framework to adopt different forms of water supply privatization, to reduce the costs of building, operation and maintenance of water and sanitation facilities, and to improve the level of services and billing, leakage and wastewater collection and treatment; (d) an increase in water tariffs to reflect the actual value of the water, and to enhance the awareness of public as to the value of water; and (e) development of short-term and long-term national water plans based on realistic water demand forecasting.     

Causes of Water Supply Problems in Urbanised Regions in Developing Countries

An analysis was made of the underlying factors leading to water supply problems in urbanized regions in developing countries. Three interrelated factors were identified and described: (1) a high rate of population growth, (2) lack of investments in water supply infrastructure, and (3) the upper limit imposed by the availability of water sources. This background allows understanding failures in water supply systems in large cities in developing countries. Each of these factors may individually compromise water supply, but in many cases the context is a complex interplay of these factors, often fed by political or military instability and poverty. Sanitation is often closely related to water supply systems, although the situation is generally worse. Based on this analysis, an evaluation was made of water supply in Kinshasa, D.R. Congo, in comparison with the historical case of London, UK, and the development of Los Angeles, CA, USA. In addition, reference is made to the case of Tokyo, Japan. From this comparison, opportunities and threads for Kinshasa can be shown.     

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.     

Factors Influencing Per Capita Water Consumption In Urban Areas Of Developing Countries And Their Implications For Management,With Special Reference To The Khartoum Metropolitan Area

ABSRTACT

The fast growing population in Third World countries and the limited physical resources in rural areas have led to the dramatic expansion of the urban areas of these countries. It is now recognized that when planning for the development of these areas, early consideration must be given to the difficulties and cost of providing potable water equitably to all users. Detailed studies are necessary for particular situations so as to provide a basis for better management practices.

Khartoum, a growing urban area in Sudan, has been chosen as a case study. A proposed framework and technique of analysis is shown. Factors influencingper capita consumption are correlated and mathematical models have been generated for the two distinct classifictions of consumers: (1) consumers with piped supply and (2) consumers obtaining water from water vendors or from standpipes (squatter settlements).

The most significant factors affecting the consumption appear in the fitted equations. Of these factors, the number of occupants in the household influences the per capita consumption but at a decreasing rate. Price has a significant impact on demand: price elasticities of about -0.60 and -0.78 are obtained for households with piped connections and squatter areas respectively. Water utility authorities can use price as a tool to ration or discourage water consumption in the piped connection households and to increase the rate of consumption in the squatter areas.     

Transposing of Water Policies from Developed to Developing Countries

Abstract

This paper examines the potential issues faced by developing country water authorities when subjected to the transposition of developed country water reform policies such as user pays. A case study approach employing two mutually compatible frameworks was adopted in examining these issues. The two frameworks used were a policy transposition comparative framework and an organisationally integrated planning and revenue modelling framework. The combined comparative and modelling approach provides a form of triangulation that, it is argued, strengthens support for the conclusion arrived at as a result of this study. The study found that, in terms of the case organisation, direct transposition of user pays policy was not sustainably viable. Areas for future research are identified, including improved policy review and adaptation mechanisms in facilitating bi-directional developed/developing country policy transposition.     

Water Quality Programs In Developing Countries

Abstract

In many developing countries water quality has become the principal limiting factor to water availability. Estimates of future levels of water pollution in many parts of the world under “business as usual” scenarios will be catastrophic for public health, the environment, and national economies in many countries that have limited resources to deal with a contaminated resource. The reality in many developing countries is that political and institutional instability, combined with financial restraint, and poor domestic scientific capacity, means that “western” approaches to water quality management are often inappropriate and unsustainable. Traditional models of technical assistance and technology transfer, including foreign aid and international loans for water quality management, often leave little real change in domestic capacity while generating substantial cash flow for the foreign company. Without a major change in how water quality is managed, including adoption of new paradigms of policy effectiveness, institutional and technical modernization, new methods of knowledge and technology transfer, and innovative investment, the situation can only become more and more serious until the final collapse of major freshwater and coastal ecosystems, and associated economic and public health implications. This paper addresses these various technical, policy, institutional, and financing issues and proposes actions which can lead to sustainability and self-reliance     

Water Supply and Groundwater Issues in Developing Countries

Abstract

The growing populations of most developing countries occur disproportionally in urban areas. This places considerable pressure on already overburdened budgets to increase the water supply and wastewater infrastructure. Moreover, little or no resources are left to supply, let alone, improve rural water supplies. To add to the problems, money has been spent on studies that have never been implemented. Projects have been constructed that have not fulfilled their purpose. This paper examines some of these problems, emphasizing groundwater, and suggests ways to prevent them in the future     

Challenges to Urban Water Management in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has an urban population of 22% of the national population living in 1% of its land area in 1985. Coastal lands in the wet zone are thickly populated and demand for water supply is increasing for pipe-borne safe drinking water. Surface drainage and shallow groundwater are purified and distributed for domestic connections and public standposts. Municipal Councils, the National Water Supply & Drainage Board and the Irrigation Department control water resources for the benefit of the residents. Annual new domestic connections are around 100 000 under new projects and the plan is for 100% completion by 2005. The institutional and funding issues are discussed in this paper.     

Developing a Model for Decision-Makers in Dynamic Modeling of Urban Water System Management

Water managers may modify many components of urban water systems to minimize water shortage. Since each modification activity has its own positive and negative effects, it is necessary to define an appropriate procedure to predict the consequences of each action. As the parameters of urban water supply and demand system have internal relationships in the time domain, a dynamic model is needed to forecast the result of changes and select the best modification activity. Here the Vensim® is applied as a modeling tool to choose the most effective water management activities in Tehran province. It has been found that the annual increase rate of water tariff by 16.4% and assigning 4.5% of revenue on reducing non-revenue water may be the most effective demand management activity to reduce water shortage in Tehran province. It has also been revealed that, even by implementing the most effective demand management activities in Tehran, the amount of required water in the next 10 years is more than the sustainable capacity of its resources and activities like seawater desalination are inevitable to prevent unsustainable use of water sources.

     

Using Survey Data and Mathematical Modeling to Prioritize Water Interventions in Developing Countries

Water Resources Management - A traditional cost-benefit analysis of potential water interventions in a given locality is a laborious and time-intensive process. To help decision makers identify...     

境外欠发达国家水电工程施工的安全管理

重点从安全管理的角度分析海外施工管理的现状、存在的问题以及需要改进的方法,目的在于总结经验教训,提升公司海外项目的安全管理质量,减少人身伤害事故和财产损失,提高公司的正面形象,为深入进行海外经营活动做好铺垫。     

Globalization and Management of Water Resources: Development Opportunities and Constraints of Diversified Developing Countries

The powerful forces of market-based globalization have been the central concern in the consideration of the development policies of individual developing countries for several years and will increase their salience in the coming period. Water policy should not be an exception. Market-based globalization having diametrically opposite forces, namely integration into the world economy and marginalization from it, the developing world has been divided into three categories, each requiring a different set of policy responses, including water policies. They are: (1) those countries that are being integrated into the world economy; (2) those that are marginalized from it; and (3) those where both forces (integration and marginalization) are at work simultaneously. Relevant policies, such as full cost pricing, environmental considerations, water productivity in agriculture, conflict in water allocation and others, need to be elaborated along the lines of these three categories of countries.     

欧美城市给水处理技术考察与比较

根据近年对欧美国家及地区 2 6座水厂进行的考察和调研 ,较详细地介绍了欧美城市给水处理的水源、常规工艺流程、设计参数、加药、消毒 ,以及活性炭过滤、微过滤技术、水质控制、水厂自控和管理等情况     

The Changing Face of Water Infrastructure Financing in Developing Countries

For decades the financing of water-related infrastructure was a sleepy backwater: the financing of hydro-powerplants, water supply and irrigation systems all depended heavily on government financing. All infrastructure financing-for telecommunications, power, transport and water accounts for about one-half of all government spending and about 20% of all investment in developing countries. The results are now broadly perceived as unsatisfactory: these put a heavy strain on public finance; there is too little investment; investments are not efficient; performance of the investments is unsatisfactory both in terms of outputs and in terms of impact on the environment; and the poor often do not benefit from these investments. In recent years, the sweeping changes affecting most economies in the world-changingroles of government, increasing involvement of the private sector, globalization-havehad a profound effect on how infrastructure is provided and financed. During the 1990s, while official development assistance actually declined slightly in real terms, private investment increased from about half of official assistance to about five times the volume of official assistance. Some 15% of infrastructure investment in developing countries now comes from the private sector. This paper provides an overview of the changing face of infrastructure financing in developing countries. A companion paper to be published in this journal examines the situation in water-related infrastructure in greater detail.     

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Water Management Policies in Bangladesh

Water resources development and management policies initiatives in Bangladesh are primarily driven by the need for sufficient food grain production for the country's teeming population and curtailing the perennial flooding problems. It is therefore necessary to investigate whether or not these objectives are being met. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impacts of past water resources development and management strategies on agriculture, food security, flood management and socio-economic development in Bangladesh. The research is based on the historical data of the relevant parameters of the water resources management over the period 1947–2005. The outcomes of the study demonstrate that past policies and strategies of water development have resulted in significant irrigation expansion, especially through intensified groundwater utilization, which has helped to achieve the country's primary objective of self-sufficiency in food production. However, the provision of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities still remains a challenge in the country. Similarly, the impact of the flood control policies was diverse with success mostly apparent with regard to protection against modest events, while catastrophic, extreme events still effectively defying answer.     

A Compromise Programming Model to Integrated Urban Water Management

Integrated urban water management is an important and critical matter in every city and country. Many objectives and criteria such as satisfaction of the urban water consumers, the national benefits and social hazards must be considered in the integrated urban water management. So the integrated urban water management can be considered as a multi-objective problem. In this paper, a mathematical model which uses the compromise programming model is presented to optimize this multi-objective problem. Three famous objectives involving water distribution cost, leakage water and social satisfaction level are considered. To evaluate the performance and efficiency of the proposed model, Hamedan potable water network is chosen as a case study. Results show that the proposed model is capable to present effective solutions for the considered problem. So the proposed mathematical model can be used as an efficient tool for the integrated urban water management in every urban area.