Urban Water Management Problems in Developing Countries with Particular Reference to Bangladesh

Worldwide, urban population is forecast to more than double from about 2.5 billion in 1994 to some 5.1 billion in 2025. Urbanization is increasingly located in developing countries: in 1970, 50% of the population lived in urban areas in these countries; this rose to 66% in 1994 and is forecast to be close to 80% by 2020 (United Nations, 1995). Cities in developing countries report shortages of sources for raw water, as well as the basic infrastructure for provision of urban household, industrial and commercial water supply. Sources for water and protection of water quality will indeed become more critical with more cases emerging of severe shortages that directly affect daily life.     

Energy and Water in Arid Developing Countries: Saudi Arabia,a Case-study

In Saudi Arabia, where water resources are limited, the availability of energy resources, including petroleum, natural gas and electricity, helped in solving the challenge of satisfying rapid and substantial increases in water demand for drinking and industrial and agricultural purposes. Thirty-five major dual-purpose multi-stage flash distillation (MSF) and reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plants were constructed on the Red Sea and Gulf coast to produce drinking water. The process energy requirements for MSF and RO range between 19.5 and 38 kWh/m3, and 0.5 and 9 kWh/m3, respectively. The MSF plants produce about 20% of the total national electricity production. About 85 000 wells were drilled to satisfy the increasing irrigation water demands. The energy requirements to pump 1 m3 from wells range between 0.4 and 0.8 kWh. The adoption of advanced technologies is continuing to reduce power consumption and water demand to conserve energy and water, and to minimize negative impacts on the environment.     

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.     

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     

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.

     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Developing Countries

Abstract

The use of water for food production accounts for about 75 percent of the total withdrawal in developing countries and is crucial for sustenance. It is also important for addressing poverty and rural development. With developing countries endeavoring to enter the mainstream of development, a formidable challenge in water resources development, resource use efficiency and environmental conservation is faced by these countries, in which management of water for food will continue to remain prominent. A review of the current state of the sector in the developing countries is presented with a brief case study in India for realism. It is clear that although considerable development in the area has occurred, there are serious policy, engineering, environmental and management deficiencies. Approaches for modernisation of the sector are suggested in terms of quantum change in concepts, policies, planning approaches, institutions. and attitudes. Approaches for implementation are proposed     

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.