Showing papers on "Water supply published in 2002"

Managing Water in the Home: Accelerated Health Gains from Improved Water Supply

Abstract: This document is not issued to the general public and all rights are reserved by the World Health Organization. The document may not be reviewed, abstracted, quoted, reproduced or translated, in part or in whole, without the prior written permission of WHO. No part of this document may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical or other without the prior written permission of WHO. The views expressed in documents by named authors are solely the responsibility of those authors. (or The authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this document) FOREWORD Around 2.2 million die of basic hygiene related diseases, like diarrhoea, every year. The great majority are children in developing countries. Interventions in hygiene, sanitation and water supply make proven contributors to controlling this disease burden. For decades, universal access to safe water and sanitation has been promoted as an essential step in reducing this preventable disease burden Nevertheless the target " universal access " to improved water sources and basic sanitation remains elusive. The " Millenium Declaration " established the lesser but still ambitious goal of halving the proportion of people without access to safe water by 2015. Achieving " universal access " is an important long-term goal. How to accelerate health gains against this long-term backdrop and especially amongst the most affected populations is an important challenge. There is now conclusive evidence that simple, acceptable, low-cost interventions at the household and community level are capable of dramatically improving the microbial quality of household stored water and reducing the attendant risks of diarrheal disease and death. Many different water collection and storage systems and strategies have been developed, described and evaluated on the basis of various criteria for household and community use in developed and developing countries. A variety of physical and chemical treatment methods to improve the microbial quality of water are available and many have been tested and implemented to varying extents in developed and developing countries. Some of these water treatment and storage systems have been tested under controlled conditions in the laboratory and implemented in field to evaluate their ability to produce drinking water of acceptable microbiological quality and to maintain this quality during storage and use. Some of them also have been evaluated in the field for their ability to reduce diarrheal and other waterborne diseases among users. Because of …

Bioenergy and water - the implications of large-scale bioenergy production for water use and supply.

Abstract: There are major expectations that bioenergy will supply large amounts of CO2 neutral energy for the future. A large-scale expansion of energy crop production would lead to a large increase in evapotranspiration appropriation for human uses, potentially as large as the present evapotranspiration from global cropland. In some countries this could lead to further enhancement of an already stressed water situation. But there are also countries where such impacts are less likely to occur. One major conclusion for future research is that assessments of bioenergy potentials need to consider restrictions from competing demand for water resources. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Handbook of Water Use and Conservation

Abstract: Review: Handbook of Water Use and Conservation By Amy Vickers Reviewed by Russell A. Cohen Massachusetts Department of Fisheries, USA Amy Vickers. Handbook of Water Use and Conservation. Amherst, MA: WaterPlow Press, 2001. 446 pp. ISBN 1-931579-07-5 (hardcover). US$99.95. Recycled paper. paper. 'Water is our most precious resource' is a refrain expressed by many-from engineers and poets to politicians-yet humanity's actions have often belied those words. Amidst the world's growing population and increasing demand for more water, many regions around the globe are facing the hard realities of groundwater depletion, chronic drought, dried-up rivers, poor water quality, mounting infrastructure costs, and diminishing alternatives for additional supplies. As we peer into the 21st century, water conservation is looking far more like an imperative than an option (p. xv). So begins Amy Vickers' Handbook of Water Use and Conservation, to date the most authoritative, encyclopedic reference work available on this subject. The Handbook contains detailed descriptions of hundreds of water-efficiency technologies and practices for all customer groups-residential, landscape, industrial, commercial, institutional, and agricultural. Vickers backs up her claim that water conservation represents The Great Untapped Water Supply (p. xv) by presenting hundreds of proven water efficiency measures that reduce and control both short-term water demand (such as during drought and peak conditions) as well as long-term demand for each type of customer. Potential water savings and related costs are provided too, so you can know which measures will provide the best benefit/cost ratio for any type of customer. Vickers points out that many, if not most, water conservation measures have a relatively short payback time, often two years or less. As someone from a densely populated state where profligate household water use increasingly threatens the natural integrity of our streams and other hydric ecosystems, I found the Handbook's sections on domestic water use (and abuse) particularly valuable. Here's a brief example: The American obsession with lawns and lawn care products has come under scrutiny in recent years because of concerns about wasted water and the burdens of time, cost, and pollution that a well-manicured green lawn exacts from its owner and the natural environment (p.145). Vickers points out that lawn watering represents one of the biggest non-essential uses of water in many communities as well as the fact that keeping a lawn green with no brown spots during midsummer is often a costly, losing battle, even with regular

Groundwater Quality Protection: A Guide for Water Utilities, Municipal Authorities and Environment Agencies

Abstract: This publication provides guidance to water-sector decision makers and planners on how to deal with the quality dimension of groundwater resources management in the World Bank's client countries. There is growing evidence of increasing pollution threats to groundwater and some well-documented cases of irreversible damage to important aquifers. This guide has been produced in the belief that groundwater pollution hazard assessment must become an essential part of environmental best practice for water supply utilities. The guide is particularly relevant for the World Bank's Latin American and Caribbean Region, where many countries have initiated major changes to modernize their institutional and legal framework for water resources management, but may not yet have considered groundwater at the same level as surface water, because of lack of awareness and knowledge of groundwater issues and policy options.

Sustainability Analysis for Yellow River Water Resources Using the System Dynamics Approach

Abstract: The water resource issue is one of the most significant problemsthat the Yellow River basin will face this century, and one which has received much attention by public and government for several years Water authorities will face great challenges in meeting the in-stream flow requirements and providing more water for growing populations, industry and agriculture In order toevaluate the sustainability of the water resource system inthe study area, an object-oriented system dynamics approachhas been used to develop a model for the water resourcessystem in the Yellow River basin, which is referred to asthe Water Resources System Dynamics (WRSD) model It hasbeen developed for simulating a water resource system andcapturing the dynamic character of the main elements affectingwater demand and supply in the study area For thebusiness-as-usual (BaU) scenario, the water demands in theYellow River basin are estimated 509, 565, and 595billion m3 for 2010, 2020, and 2030 The existing andpotential water supplies from surface water, aquifers andtreated waste-water are estimated, and potential waterdemands for domestic, industrial and agricultural uses areprojected Various water supply and demand scenarios havethen been explored by changing variables and parameters,and the sustainability index of the water supply system isestimated for different sub-regions over various periods

Sector Organization, Governance and the Inefficiency of African Water Utilities

Abstract: The authors analyze the determinants of the efficiency levels reached by twenty one African water utilities They assess efficiency through the estimation of a production frontier for the sector in Africa The efficiency estimates confirm much of the common perceptions from partial productivity indicators They point to a great heterogeneity in the African water utilities' performances, the predominance of constant returns to scale, and the great rate of technological progress And the authors show that the institutional capacity of the country, as well as its governance quality, are significant driving factors in the performance of each firm

Global water demand and supply projections: Part 1 - A modeling approach

Abstract: This paper presents a modeling approach for projections of water demand and supply for domestic, industrial, livestock, and irrigation at the basin or country level in a global scope. Particular emphasis is put on simulating water availability for crops taking into account total renewable water, non-irrigation water demand, water supply infrastructure, and economic and environmental policies at the basin or country level. This paper focuses on concepts and methodology involved in the modeling exercise. Data assessment and results are presented in a companion paper (Rosegrant and Cai, 2002).

U.S. Drinking Water Challenges in the Twenty-First Century

Abstract: The access of almost all 270 million U.S. residents to reliable, safe drinking water distinguishes the United States in the twentieth century from that of the nineteenth century. The United States is a relatively water-abundant country with moderate population growth; nonetheless, current trends are sufficient to strain water resources over time, especially on a regional basis. We have examined the areas of public water infrastructure, global climate effects, waterborne disease (including emerging and resurging pathogens), land use, groundwater, surface water, and the U.S. regulatory history and its horizon. These issues are integrally interrelated and cross all levels of public and private jurisdictions. We conclude that U.S. public drinking water supplies will face challenges in these areas in the next century and that solutions to at least some of them will require institutional changes.

Domestic transmission routes of pathogens: the problem of in-house contamination of drinking water during storage in developing countries

Abstract: Even if drinking water of poor rural communities is obtained from a 'safe' source, it can become contaminated during storage in the house. To investigate the relative importance of this domestic domain contamination, a 5-week intervention study was conducted. Sixty-seven households in Punjab, Pakistan, were provided with new water storage containers (pitchers): 33 received a traditional wide-necked pitcher normally used in the area and the remaining 34 households received a narrow-necked water storage pitcher, preventing direct hand contact with the water. Results showed that the domestic domain contamination with indicator bacteria is important only when the water source is relatively clean, i.e. contains less than 100 Escherichia coli per 100 ml of water. When the number of E. coli in the water source is above this value, interventions to prevent the domestic contamination would have a minor impact on water quality compared with public domain interventions. Although the bacteriological water quality improved, elimination of direct hand contact with the stored water inside the household could not prevent the occasional occurrence of extreme pollution of the drinking water at its source. This shows that extreme contamination values that are often thought to originate within the domestic domain have to be attributed to the public domain transmission, i.e. filling and washing of the water pitchers. This finding has implications for interventions that aim at the elimination of these extreme contaminations.

The role of rainfed agriculture in the future of global food production

Abstract: This paper examines future prospects for rainfed cereal production, and its importance in the evolving global food system First, the paper undertakes a critical synthesis of the literature to assess three primary ways to enhance rainfed cereal yields: increasing effective rainfall use through improved water management, particularly water harvesting; increasing crop yields in rainfed areas through agricultural research; and reforming policies and increasing investments in rainfed areas Second, the IMPACT-WATER integrated water-food modeling framework is applied to assess the current situation and plausible future options of irrigation water supply and food security, primarily on a global scale This model simulates the relationships among water availability and demand, food supply and demand, international food prices, and trade at regional and global levels The results show that rainfed agriculture will maintain an important role in the growth of food production in the future, although appropriate investments and policy reforms will be required to enhance the contribution of rainfed agriculture

Gender, Class, and Access to Water:Three Cases in a Poor and Crowded Delta

Abstract: Water plays a pivotal role in economic activity and in human well-being. Because of the prominence of water in production (primarily for irrigation) and in domestic use (drinking, washing, cooking), conflict over water and the effects of gender-influenced decisions about water may have far-reaching consequences on human well-being, economic growth, and social change. At the same time, social conflicts and social change are shaped and mediated, often in unexpected ways, by the natural conditions in which water occurs. The social relations of water are poorly understood. This article introduces a framework for disaggregating conditions of access to water and uses it to examine three pressing questions in Bangladesh. First, extraction of groundwater for irrigation has made many drinking-water hand pumps run dry. Second, increasing use of groundwater for drinking has been associated with the poisoning of at least 20 million people through naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater. Third, the article examines...

Diarrhoea and effects of different water sources, sanitation and hygiene behaviour in East Africa

Abstract: published studies on domestic water use and environmental health in East Africa, based on direct observations or other reliable research methods. The objective of this study was to carry out a repeat analysis of domestic water use and environmental health in East Africa based on DOW I. The study was conducted in the same sites as DOW I. Field assistants spent at least 1 day in each household observing and conducting semi-structured interviews. They measured the amount of water collected, recorded the amount of water used in the home, and noted household socio-demographic characteristics, prevalence of diarrhoea, state and use of latrines, sources of water and conditions of use. We surveyed 1015 households in 33 sites in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya in 1997. From 1967 to 1997, the prevalence of diarrhoea, in the week preceding the survey, increased from 6% to 18% in Kenya and from 16% to 21% in Uganda; it declined slightly in Tanzania (11–8%). Determinants of diarrhoea morbidity included poor hygiene (unsafe disposal of faeces and wastewater), education level of household head, obtaining water from surface sources or wells and per capita water used for cleaning. Hygiene practices are an important complement to improved water and sanitation in reducing diarrhoea morbidity.

An impact evaluation of education, health, and water supply investments by the Bolivian social investment fund

Abstract: This brief summarizes the results of a gender impact evaluation study, entitled An impact evaluation of education, health, and water supply investments by the Bolivian social investment fund, conducted between 1994 and 1998 in Bolivia. The study observed the impact of small-scale rural infrastructure projects in health, water, and education financed by the Bolivian social investment fund on project beneficiaries and control or comparison groups on a school level, health clinic level, student level, and individual level. The social fund improved the quality of school infrastructure; however it has little impact on education outcomes. The fund's interventions in health clinics raised utilization rates and were associated with reduction in under-five mortality. Prenatal checkups significantly reduced under-age five mortality. Funding for the study derived from the Impact Evaluation of Social Funds.

The Collapse of the Classic Maya: A Case for the Role of Water Control

Abstract: This article focuses on the role of water control in the emergence and demise of Classic Maya political power (c. C.E. 250-950), one that scholars have long underestimated. The scale of water control correlates with the degree of political power, re- flected in three levels of Maya civic-ceremonial centers—regional, secondary, and minor. Such power derives from a complex relation- ship among center location, seasonal water supply, amount of agricultural land, and settlement density. Maya kings monopolized artificial reservoirs and other water sources during annual drought, providing the means to exact tribute from subjects. Climate change undermined the institution of rulership when existing ceremonies and technology failed to provide sufficient water. The collapse of rul- ers' power at regional centers in the Terminal Classic (c. C.E. 850-950) had differing impacts on smaller centers. Secondary and minor centers not heavily dependent on water control survived the drought and the collapse of regional centers. (Keywords: political power, water control, Classic Maya collapse)

A Perspective of Riverbank Filtration

Abstract: Riverbank filtration-technology used for more than 130 years in Europe- holds great potential as a pretreatment method for water utilities near large rivers in the united states.

A framework for sustainability analysis in water resources management and application to the Syr Darya Basin

Abstract: [1] Sustainable water management in irrigation-dominated river basins attempts to ensure a long-term, stable, and flexible water supply to meet crop water demands, as well as growing municipal and industrial water demands, while mitigating negative environmental consequences. To achieve this delicate balance, new models are needed which can use indicators of sustainability to guide the decision-making process. This paper presents a new long-term modeling framework which uses quantified sustainability criteria in a long-term optimization model of a basin, ensuring risk minimization in water supply, environmental conservation, equity in water allocation, and economic efficiency in water infrastructure development. “Current” and “future” water supply and demand are combined into a coherent system which takes account of the cumulative effects of short-term water use decisions and deals with the tradeoffs between the benefits of current and future generations. The modeling framework is demonstrated with an application to the Syr Darya River Basin of central Asia. Model results show the effectiveness of this tool for policy analysis in the context of the river basin.

Thirsting for efficiency : the economics and politics of urban water system reform

Abstract: List of figures List of tables List of contributors Preface 1 Cities awash: a synthesis of the country cases (MM Shirley, C Menard) 2 The economics of urban water systems (RG Noll) 3 The Buenos Aires water concession (L Alcazar, MA Abdala, MM Shirley) 4 Institutions, politics, and contracts: the privatization attempt of the water and sanitation utility of Lima, Peru (L Alcazar, LC Xu, AM Zuluaga) 5 Water sector service contracts in Mexico City, Mexico (L Haggarty, P Brook, AM Zuluaga) 6 Reforming urban water supply: the case of Chile (MM Shirley, LC Xu, AM Zuluaga) 7 Reforming water supply in Abidjan, Coc te d'Ivoire: a mild reform in a turbulent environment (C Menard, GRG Clarke) 8 A transitory regime: water supply in Conakry, Guinea (C Menard, GRG Clarke) 9 Prospects for private water provision in developing countries: lessons from 19th-century America (KJ Crocker, SE Masten) Statistical appendix Author index Subject index

Irrigation Performance using Hydrological and Remote Sensing Modeling

Abstract: Development of water saving measures requires a thorough understanding of the water balance Irrigation performance and water accounting are useful tools to assess water use and related productivity Remote sensing and a hydrological model were applied to an irrigation project in western Turkey to estimate the water balance to support water use and productivity analyses Remote sensing techniques can produce high spatial coverage of important terms in the water balance for large areas, but at the cost of a rather sparse temporal resolution Hydrological models can produce all the terms of the water balance at a high temporal, but low spatial resolution Actual evapotranspiration for an irrigated area in western Turkey was calculated using the surface energy balance algorithm for land (SEBAL) remote sensing land algorithm for two Landsat images The hydrological model soil-water-atmosphere-plant (SWAP) was setup to simulate the water balance for the same area, assuming a certain distribution in soil proper

Groundwater Quality Protection: A Guide for Water Utilities, Municipal Authorities, and Environment Agencies

Abstract: This publication provides guidance to water-sector decision makers and planners on how to deal with the quality dimension of groundwater resources management in the World Bank's client countries There is growing evidence of increasing pollution threats to groundwater and some well-documented cases of irreversible damage to important aquifers This guide has been produced in the belief that groundwater pollution hazard assessment must become an essential part of environmental best practice for water supply utilities The guide is particularly relevant for the World Bank's Latin American and Caribbean Region, where many countries have initiated major changes to modernize their institutional and legal framework for water resources management, but may not yet have considered groundwater at the same level as surface water, because of lack of awareness and knowledge of groundwater issues and policy options