An Operational Model for Support of Integrated Watershed Management

This paper presents a computer simulation-based methodology for operational support of integrated water resources management. The methodology is based on the systems approach, and use of feedback to capture physical and socio-economic processes occurring within a watershed. The approach integrates well established simulation models of physical processes with simulation models that describe socio-economic processes. The proposed methodology is illustrated by the evaluation of risk and vulnerability to changing climatic and socio-economic conditions in the Upper Thames watershed (south-western Ontario, Canada).The model results indicate that flooding in the watershed will be more severe as a result of climate change, while low flows are expected to remain at their current level. The most significant socio-economic factor in the Upper Thames watershed is water availability, shown to become under climate change a limiting factor for future growth and development.     

Integrated Reservoir Management System for Flood Risk Assessment Under Climate Change

Operations of existing reservoirs will be affected by climate change. Reservoir operating rules developed using historical information will not provide the optimal use of storage under changing hydrological conditions. In this paper, an integrated reservoir management system has been developed to adapt existing reservoir operations to changing climatic conditions. The reservoir management system integrates: (1) the K-Nearest Neighbor (K-NN) weather generator model; (2) the HEC-HMS hydrological model; and (3) the Differential Evolution (DE) optimization model. Six future weather scenarios are employed to verify the integrated reservoir management system using Upper Thames River basin in Canada as a case study. The results demonstrate that the integrated system provides optimal reservoir operation rule curves that reflect the hydrologic characteristics of future climate scenarios. Therefore, they may be useful for the development of reservoir climate change adaptation strategy.     

Management Implications to Water Resources Constraint Force on Socio-economic System in Rapid Urbanization: A Case Study of the Hexi Corridor,NW China

As water has become the shortest resources in arid, semi-arid and rapid urbanization areas when the water resources utilization has approached or exceeded its threshold, water resources system slows down the socio-economic growth rate and destroys the projected targets to eradicate poverty and realize sustainable development. We put forward the concept of Water Resources Constraint Force (WRCF) and constructed a conceptual framework on it. Conceptual models on the interactions and feedbacks between water resources and socio-economic systems in water scarce regions or river basins indicate that, if the socio-economic system always aims at sustainable development, WRCF will vary with a normal distribution curve. Rational water resources management plays an important role on this optimistic variation law. Specifically, Water Demand Management (WDM) and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) are considered as an important perspective and approach to alleviate WRCF. A case study in the Hexi Corridor of NW China indicates that, water resources management has great impact on WRCF both in Zhangye and Wuwei Region, and also the river basins where they are located. The drastic transformation of water resources management pattern and the experimental project – Building Water-saving Society in Zhangye Region alleviated the WRCF to some extent. However, from a water resources management view, WRCF in Zhangye Region still belongs to the severe constraint type. It will soon step into the very severe constraint type. In order to shorten the periods from the very severe constraint type finally to the slight constraint type, WDM and IWRM in the Hei River Basin should be improved as soon as possible. However, in the Shiyang River Basin, WRCF belongs to the very severe constraint type at present due to poor water resources management in the past. Though the socio-economic system adapted itself and alleviated the WRCF to some extent, the Shiyang River Basin had to transform the water supply management pattern to WDM, and seek IWRM in recent years. It is concluded that WDM and IWRM is a natural selection to alleviate the WRCF on the socio-economic system and realize sustainable development.     

Water Resources Management and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Cameroon

Cameroon is blessed with abundant water resources. Rapid population increase, unplanned urbanisation, intensive industrial and socio-economic development have led to poor and unsustainable management of these resources. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is a promising approach in ensuring sustainable management of Cameroon’s water resources. It entails management of water for various purposes and not for a single purpose which therefore involves different stake holders aiming at achieving sustainable water resources management. This paper seeks to evaluate recent efforts to implement in IWRM in Cameroon by examining the institutional framework for IWRM in Cameroon, conditions for the implementation of IWRM and proposes reforms for improving IWRM in Cameroon. The paper concludes that reforms such as public participation at local council levels, recognition of water as both an economic and a social good, putting IWRM within the larger context of Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM) and the exploitation of mathematical models within hydrological basins will improve IWRM in Cameroon.     

Linking integrated water resources management and integrated coastal zone management.

Some of the world's most valuable aquatic ecosystems such as deltas, lagoons and estuaries are located in the coastal zone. However, the coastal zone and its aquatic ecosystems are in many places under environmental stress from human activities. About 50% of the human population lives within 200 km of the coastline, and the population density is increasing every day. In addition, the majority of urban centres are located in the coastal zone. It is commonly known that there are important linkages between the activities in the upstream river basins and the environment conditions in the downstream coastal zones. Changes in river flows, e.g. caused by irrigation, hydropower and water supply, have changed salinity in estuaries and lagoons. Land use changes, such as intensified agricultural activities and urban and industrial development, cause increasing loads of nutrients and a variety of chemicals resulting in considerable adverse impacts in the coastal zones. It is recognised that the solution to such problems calls for an integrated approach. Therefore, the terms Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) are increasingly in focus on the international agenda. Unfortunately, the concepts of IWRM and ICZM are mostly being developed independently from each other by separate management bodies using their own individual approaches and tools. The present paper describes how modelling tools can be used to link IWRM and ICZM. It draws a line from the traditional sectoral use of models for the Istanbul Master Planning and assessment of the water quality and ecological impact in the Bosphorus Strait and the Black Sea 10 years ago, to the most recent use of models in a Water Framework Directive (WFD) context for one of the selected Pilot River Basins in Denmark used for testing of the WFD Guidance Documents.     

Web Based Meta-database and its Role in Improving Water Resources Management in the Mediterranean Basin

Water is a very crucial natural resource in the world and because of its selective availability among different countries; it will be the most precious commodity in the future. In the Mediterranean basin one can find a mosaic of countries rich in water and others poor. However, the common issue for all these countries is how to improve water resources management. NOSTRUM-DSS [Network on Governance, Science and Technology for Sustainable Water Resources Management in the Mediterranean. The role of DSS (Decision Support System) tools. Contract 509158. August 2004–August 2007], which is a co-ordination action funded by the European Commission under the Sixth Framework Program, aims to contribute to the achievement of improved governance and planning in the field of sustainable water management. In order to achieve this goal, DSS tools which can ease the problem of accessing information about an Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) for decision makers, scientific community, and other organizations must be created. An online database is one of these tools which can help in creating an IWRM. This tool can reduce information redundancy, eliminate unneeded expenses, and create regional cooperation in the area of water resources management. In this paper a new Web based meta-database about climate, remote sensing, and Geographic Information System (GIS) related to water resources management is introduced, and its role in improving water resources management is discussed.     

Multicriteria Decision Support System for Regionalization of Integrated Water Resources Management

Successful implementation of integrated water resources planning and management (IWRM) requires delineation of regions that are relatively homogeneous with respect to multiple criteria, including hydrographic, physical-environmental, socioeconomic, and political-administrative aspects. The water resources planning and management (WARPLAM) DSS is presented as tool for regionalization in support of IWRM through: (1) GIS processing of spatial data related to multiple criteria for defining the homogeneity of clustered base units (e.g., catchments) with respect to multiple criteria; (2) application of fuzzy set theory to development of composite measures of homogeneity over all criteria for alternative clustering of adjacent base units; and (3) development of a modified dynamic programming clustering algorithm that guarantees consistent optimal solutions based on user preferences on the relative importance of the suite of criteria considered for regionalization. The viability of WARPLAM DSS as a tool for regional delineation in support of IWRM is demonstrated through a case study application to the Tocantins-Araguaia River Basin, the second largest in Brazil.     

Mathematical Modelling for the Integrated Management of Water Resources in Hydrological Basins

Mathematical models are tools that can facilitate the instrumentation of the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The first basin models to be developed were completely hydrological; today, due to the urgent need to plan the sustainable use of water resources, new models are needed that in addition to hydrology also incorporate social, economic, legal, environmental and other aspects. The objective of this work was to identify the characteristics that mathematical basin models must have in order to satisfy the requirements of IWRM. To achieve this, the conclusions of the main international conferences on water and the environment were analyzed; these were conferences in which IWRM was promoted as a strategy to face the challenges of both sectors. IWRM considers social participation as a key element in the decision-making process; consequently, the models must be accepted and applied, and their results interpreted, by those who participate in the process even if they are not modelling experts. This requires a change of perspective in the scientific community for the development of new IWRM models, in government institutions regarding their role as water administrators, and in water stakeholders regarding their role as decision-makers. The results of the analysis indicate that models for IWRM must be accessible to non-expert users, integrate different viewpoints, representing adequately the problem to be solved, in addition be flexible and have a structure focused on practical solutions.     

Water resources management and Integrated Water Resources Management implementation in Malawi: Status and implications for lake basin management

Many countries, including Malawi, are implementing integrated approaches for the development, management and use of water and other natural resources. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is, arguably, one approach considered helpful in addressing water issues effectively and sustainably. This study assesses the implementation of IWRM in Malawi to the present time, in relation to the five priority areas the country's Integrated Water Resources Management/Water Efficiency (IWRM/WE) Plan (2008–2012) sought to address, as well as the potential benefits of infusing Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM) in this approach. Document reviews, key informant interviews, questionnaire surveys and site visits were the employed methods in this analysis. Considering the significant importance of lakes in the country, this study, through application of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats framework, provides insight on how lake basin management issues can best be incorporated within the existing IWRM‐based framework to promote the management and utilization of lakes for sustainable use. While acknowledging the relevance of a holistic approach, the study highlights the importance for the country to ensure that its development agenda is not negatively affected in the course of implementing IWRM.     

Integrated Water Resources Management in the Cross River Basin,Nigeria

This paper examines the implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in the Cross river basin, Nigeria. The Cross River Basin Development Authority (CRBDA) was established in 1976 with a mandate for integrated development, using the abundant water resources available in the region. Thirty years after the creation of the CRBDA, there is still a large gap between the original objectives and the actual delivery of services to meet the needs of the people. A wide range of study methods, including stakeholder meetings, focus group sessions, interviews and observations at village meetings of selected communities was used to examine the implementation of IWRM against the expectations and needs of the people. The paper concludes that IWRM in the Cross river basin (CRB) has not been very successful. This is attributed to a number of institutional factors, including legal, political, administrative and financial obstacles. This paper recommends that IWRM policies in the CRB should be reformed to reflect local circumstances and conditions.     

Identifying Uncertainty Guidelines for Supporting Policy Making in Water Management Illustrated for Upper Guadiana and Rhine Basins

In recent years, guidelines have been developed for supporting water managers in dealing with uncertainty in integrated water resources management (IWRM). Usually such guidelines have concentrated on certain aspects of processes in IWRM, notably on uncertainty associated with the modelling process and monitoring data. While this is of undisputed importance for supporting water managers in making well balanced and informed decisions, less attention has been paid to guiding policy makers in where uncertainty may emerge when considering the whole water management process. In this paper it is assessed in what way the policy makers can benefit from support in accounting for uncertainty at various stages in the water management process. Point of departure is an analysis of a broad range of uncertainty guidelines and their categorization in the water management process using a recently developed framework. Emphasis is on linking sources of uncertainty to uncertainty guidelines from an applied point of view in water management by developing a way to assist water managers to deal with uncertainty in IWRM and make informed and robust decisions. To support this, the Upper Guadiana basin in Spain and three Rhine basins are used as cases for water management issues in which it is demonstrated how water managers potentially can benefit from uncertainty guidelines in support of policy making, for instance with respect to implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD).     

Management of Alluvial Aquifers in Two Southern African Ephemeral Rivers: Implications for IWRM

This paper summarises innovative research into the assessment of long-term groundwater recharge from flood events in dryland environments of the Kuiseb (Namibia) and the Buffels (South Africa) rivers. The integrated water resource management (IWRM) policies and institutions affecting the exploitation of groundwater resources in each of these developing countries are compared. The relatively large alluvial aquifer of the Kuiseb River (～240 Mm³) is recharged from irregular floods originating in the upper catchment. Reported abstraction of 4.6 Mm³ per year is primarily consumed in the town of Walvis Bay, although the groundwater decay (pumping and natural losses along the period 1983–2005) was estimated in 14.8 Mm³ per year. Recharge is variable, occurring in 11 out of 13 years in the middle Kuiseb River, but only in 11 out of 28 years in the middle-lower reaches. In contrast, the Buffels River has relatively minor alluvial aquifers (～11 Mm³) and recharge sources derive from both lateral subsurface flow and floodwater infiltration, the latter limited to a recharge maximum of 1.3 Mm³ during floods occurring once every four years. Current abstractions to supply the adjacent rural population and a few small-scale, irrigated commercial farms are 0.15 Mm³ yr^???1, well within the long-term sustainable yield estimated to be 0.7 Mm³ yr^???1. Since independence in 1990, Namibia’s water resource management approach has focussed on ephemeral river basin management of which the Kuiseb Basin Management Committee (KBMC) is a model. Here, some water points are managed independently by rural communities through committees while the national bulk water supplier provides for Walvis Bay Municipality from the lower aquifers. This provides a sense of local ownership through local participation between government, NGOs and CBOs (community-based organisations) in the planning and implementation of IWRM. Despite the potential for water resource development in the lower Buffels River, the scope for implementing IWRM is limited not only by the small aquifer size, but also because basin management in South Africa is considered only in the context of perennial rivers. Since 2001, water service delivery in the Buffels River catchment has become the responsibility of two newly created local municipalities. As municipal government gains experience, skills and capacity, its ability to respond to local needs related to water service delivery will be accomplished through local participation in the design and implementation of annual ‘integrated development plans’. These two case studies demonstrate that a variety of IWRM strategies in the drylands of developing countries are appropriate depending on scales of governance, evolving policy frameworks, scales of need and limitations inherent in the hydrological processes of groundwater resources.     

Avoiding Tragedies of the Intellectual Commons through Integrated Impact Assessments

This paper suggests that an ex ante assessment of future social, environmental, and economic impacts – i.e., an Integrated Impact Assessment, as advocated by the European Commission – might be precisely the sort of interdisciplinary and numerate analytical tool to give administrative reality to the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). For these assessments to be an effective administrative tool for IWRM, the general public must be able to use them to transparently compare environmental, social, and economic values and to compel states to pursue policies consistent with their underlying analyses. In making this argument, this paper compares the use of integrated assessments by the European Union and the United States in addressing mercury pollution.     

Modeling and Simulation of Baseflow to Drainage Ditches During Low-flow Periods

Quantification of baseflow to drainage ditches is essential in understanding flow dynamics in a watershed. The mass balance estimation for a stream section may not give an accurate measure of the baseflow during low-flow periods due to the lack of accuracy in flow measurements in the flumes. Modeling may be useful for estimation of baseflow during low-flow periods. In this study, numerical and analytical solutions of the Boussinesq equation were used to simulate baseflow rates during low-flow periods in two watersheds, namely the Big Ditch watershed and the Upper Embarras River watershed in Illinois, USA. Additionally, MODFLOW was also used to simulate baseflow for these periods. At each site, a stream section of 200 m was selected for baseflow simulation and six observation wells were installed at one bank of each stream section for model calibration. A total of seven low-flow periods were considered for baseflow simulation. The mean baseflow rates simulated by the numerical model were higher than that simulated by the other two models. There is no significant difference between the mean baseflow rates simulated by the analytical model and MODFLOW. It was observed that proper estimation and/or measurement of model parameters were necessary for simulation of reliable baseflow rates. Since flow measurements during low-flow periods may include possible errors, the model results might also be acceptable for all practical purpose.     

Balancing Water Demand Needs with Protection of River Water Quality by Minimising Stream Residence Time: an Example from the Thames,UK

Water Resources Management - Freshwater resources in the River Thames basin in southern UK are faced with combined pressures of future population growth and climate change. River basin managers are...     

Water governance, resilience and global environmental change - a reassessment of integrated water resources management (IWRM).

Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) is gaining increased acceptance among water policy makers and researchers as a way to create more effective governance institutions, leading towards integrated water development solutions for poverty alleviation, while addressing social, economic and environmental aspects of water challenges. However, global environmental change poses fundamental challenges to water policy makers as it implies vast scientific, and hence, policy uncertainty; its implications for international water governance initiatives remain unspecified, effectively hindering dialogue on how current IWRM initiatives should be modified. This paper addresses the lag between our growing understanding of resilient interconnected freshwater resources (and their governance) and the reforms being promoted by policy makers. In particular, there is a need to rethink some of IWRM's key components to better tackle the challenges posed by the complex behaviour of interconnected social-ecological systems and global environmental change.     

Identification of Major Sources of Uncertainty in Current IWRM Practice. Illustrated for the Rhine Basin

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) can be viewed as a complex process in which the effect of adopted water management measures must be monitored and adjusted in an iterative way as new information and technology gradually become available under changing and uncertain external impacts, such as climate change. This paper identifies and characterises uncertainty as it occurs in the different stages of the IWRM process with respect to sources, nature and type of uncertainty. The present study develops a common terminology that honour the most important aspects from natural and social sciences and its application to the entire IWRM process. The proposed framework is useful by acknowledging a broad range of uncertainties regarding data, models, multiple frames and context. Relating this framework to the different steps of the IWRM cycle is helpful to determine the strategies to better handle and manage uncertainties. Finally, this general framework is illustrated for a case study in the transboundary Rhine river basin.     

A Systematic Review of Water Vulnerability Assessment Tools

The important relationship between health and water necessitates consideration of water vulnerability. Water vulnerability is contingent upon biophysical and social drivers operating at multiple scales, and is difficult to assess. This paper offers a systematic review of 50 water vulnerability assessment tools. We identify and synthesise the contents of these assessment tools (710 indicators) into five dimensions and 22 sub-dimensions and consider the extent to which they reflect environmental and social aspects. The findings are discussed in light of a holistic approach to water resources management, and specifically Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). Significant opportunities exist to enhance the efficacy of water vulnerability assessment tools by incorporating indicators and operational measures for social considerations (e.g., adaptation, institutions, governance) that are developed outside the context of water.     

Suitability of the SWAT Model for Simulating Water Discharge and Sediment Load in a Karst Watershed of the Semiarid Mediterranean Basin

Water Resources Management - This paper presents a case study conducted in the Upper Argos River, in southeast Spain, to verify the applicability of the SWAT model for prediction of the water...     

Generation of Daily and Hourly Weather Variables for use in Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment

This paper evaluates the impact of climate change, as projected by two Global Climate Models (GCMs) on the occurrence of extreme precipitation events in the Upper Thames River Basin in the Canadian province of Ontario. The modelling approach presented herein involves a two-stage process of generating daily weather data followed by disaggregation to an hourly time step of select variables for some events. Monthly change fields for three weather variables (maximum temperature, minimum temperature, and precipitation) were obtained from the output of two GCMs. The historical data set is modified by applying change fields to the weather variables simultaneously and then using this as the driving data set for an improved K-nearest neighbour weather-generating model. Weather sequences representative of climatic conditions in 2050 were simulated. Disaggregation of precipitation data is carried out using a new method that is a hybrid key site approach. A distinct practical advantage of the approach presented here is that extreme wet and dry spells are simulated, which is crucial for evaluation of effective flood and drought management policies for the basin.