scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question

Showing papers on "Water supply published in 2007"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The water implications in 92 developing countries of first attaining the 2015 hunger target and then feeding a growing population on an acceptable standard diet are analyzed, and how far water productivity gains can go in reducing the pressure on freshwater resources is quantified.
Abstract: This article analyzes the water implications in 92 developing countries of first attaining the 2015 hunger target of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and then feeding a growing population on an acceptable standard diet. The water requirements in terms of vapor flows are quantified, potential water sources are identified, and impacts on agricultural land expansion and water tradeoffs with ecosystems are analyzed. This article quantifies the relative contribution from infiltrated rainwater/green water in rain-fed agriculture, and liquid water/blue water from irrigation, and how far water productivity (WP) gains can go in reducing the pressure on freshwater resources. Under current WP levels, another 2,200 km3·yr−1 of vapor flow is deemed necessary to halve hunger by 2015 and 5,200 km3·yr−1 in 2050 to alleviate hunger. A nonlinear relationship between vapor flow and yield growth, particularly in low-yielding savanna agro-ecosystems, indicates a high potential for WP increase. Such WP gains may reduce additional water needs in agriculture, with 16% in 2015 and 45% by 2050. Despite an optimistic outlook on irrigation development, most of the additional water will originate from rain-fed production. Yield growth, increasing consumptive use on existing rain-fed cropland, and fodder from grazing lands may reduce the additional rain-fed water use further by 43–47% until 2030. To meet remaining water needs, a cropland expansion of ≈0.8% yr−1, i.e., a similar rate as over the past 50 years (≈0.65% yr−1), seems unavoidable if food production is to occur in proximity to local markets.

409 citations


Book ChapterDOI
TL;DR: For the first time in human history, human use and pollution of freshwater have reached a level where water scarcity will potentially limit food production, ecosystem function, and urban supply in the decades to come.
Abstract: For the first time in human history, human use and pollution of freshwater have reached a level where water scarcity will potentially limit food production, ecosystem function, and urban supply in the decades to come. The primary reason for this shortage is population growth, which has increased at a faster rate than food production for some years and will add up to 3 billion more people by the middle of the twenty‐first century, mostly in poor and water‐short countries. Water quality degradation has also contributed significantly to a number of problems of global concern, including human drinking water supply and species survival. As of today, some 1.1 billion planetary inhabitants do not have access to clean drinking water, and 2.6 billion do not have sanitation services. Water pollution is a leading cause of death worldwide, and transmits or supports numerous debilitating diseases to populations forced to drink contaminated water. Agriculture is by far the leading user of freshwater worldwide, accounting for almost 85% of global consumption. Because of growing demand, we will need to raise food production by nearly 50% in the next 50 years to maintain our present per capita supply, assuming that the productivity of existing farmland does not decline. Further, we will have to increase it by much more if we are also to alleviate malnutrition among the poorest members of our current population. For a variety of reasons, feasible expansion of irrigated agriculture will be able to accommodate only a portion of this increased demand, and the rest must come from an increase in the productivity of rainfed agriculture. In the absence of coordinated planning and international cooperation at an unprecedented scale, the next half century will be plagued by a host of severe water‐related problems, threatening the well being of many terrestrial ecosystems and drastically impairing human health, particularly in the poorest regions of the world. The latter portion of this chapter discusses ways in which this emerging crisis may be mitigated.

332 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results show that all water and sanitation improvements are cost-beneficial in all developing world sub-regions and one-way sensitivity analysis showed that even under pessimistic data assumptions the potential economic benefits outweighed the costs.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to estimate the economic benefits and costs of a range of interventions to improve access to water supply and sanitation facilities in the developing world. Results are presented for eleven developing country WHO sub-regions as well as at the global level, in United States Dollars (US$) for the year 2000. Five different types of water supply and sanitation improvement were modelled: achieving the water millennium development goal of reducing by half in 2015 those without improved water supply in the year 1990; achieving the combined water supply and sanitation MDG; universal basic access to water supply and sanitation; universal basic access plus water purification at the point-of-use; and regulated piped water supply and sewer connection. Predicted reductions in the incidence of diarrhoeal disease were calculated based on the expected population receiving these interventions. The costs of the interventions included estimations of the full investment and annual running costs. The benefits of the interventions included time savings due to easier access, gain in productive time and reduced health care costs saved due to less illness, and prevented deaths. The results show that all water and sanitation improvements are cost-beneficial in all developing world sub-regions. In developing regions, the return on a US$1 investment was in the range US$5 to US$46, depending on the intervention. For the least developed regions, investing every US$1 to meet the combined water supply and sanitation MDG lead to a return of at least US$5 (AFR-D, AFR-E, SEAR-D) or US$12 (AMR-B; EMR-B; WPR-B). The main contributor to economic benefits was time savings associated with better access to water and sanitation services, contributing at least 80% to overall economic benefits. One-way sensitivity analysis showed that even under pessimistic data assumptions the potential economic benefits outweighed the costs in all developing world regions. Further country case-studies are recommended as a follow up to this global analysis.

326 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored challenges to sustainable implementation of domestic rainwater harvesting and proposed some interventions which the South African government could implement to overcome them, which is in fact illegal by strict application of water legislations.
Abstract: Halving the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, is one of the targets of the 7th Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In South Africa, with its mix of developed and developing regions, 9.7 million (20%) of the people do not have access to adequate water supply and 16 million (33%) lack proper sanitation services. Domestic Rainwater Harvesting (DRWH), which provides water directly to households enables a number of small-scale productive activities, has the potential to supply water even in rural and peri-urban areas that conventional technologies cannot supply. As part of the effort to achieve the MDGs, the South African government has committed itself to provide financial assistance to poor households for the capital cost of rainwater storage tanks and related works in the rural areas. Despite this financial assistance, the legal status of DRWH remains unclear and DRWH is in fact illegal by strict application of the water legislations. Beyond the cost of installation, maintenance and proper use of the DRWH system to ensure its sustainability, there is risk of waterborne diseases. This paper explores challenges to sustainable implementation of DRWH and proposes some interventions which the South African government could implement to overcome them.

256 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a strong need to distinguish between community participation and community management is identified as a prerequisite for sustainable water supply management in sub-Saharan Africa, and if such support is not available, alternatives such as household water supplies and private sector service delivery should be considered.
Abstract: Over the past two decades, community management has become the prevalent model for management of rural water supplies throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its widespread popularity among donors and implementing agencies, low water supply sustainability levels throughout the sub-continent indicate that it is not the panacea it is often presented to be. There is a strong need to distinguish between ‘community participation’ which is a prerequisite for sustainability and ‘community management’ which is not. If community management systems are to be sustainable, they require ongoing support from an overseeing institution to provide encouragement and motivation, monitoring, participatory planning, capacity building, and specialist technical assistance. If such support is not available, alternatives such as household water supplies and private sector service delivery should be considered.

241 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Coliform population, Pb, NO3− and Cd in most cases, exceeded the World Health Organization recommended thresholds for potable water and the qualities of the well water samples were therefore not suitable for human consumption without adequate treatment.
Abstract: In most rural settlements in Nigeria, access to clean and potable water is a great challenge, resulting in water borne diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of some physical, chemical, biochemical and microbial water quality parameters in twelve hand – dug wells in a typical rural area (Igbora) of southwest region of the country. Seasonal variations and proximity to pollution sources (municipal waste dumps and defecation sites) were also examined. Parameters were determined using standard procedures. All parameters were detected up to 200 m from pollution source and most of them increased in concentration during the rainy season over the dry periods, pointing to infiltrations from storm water. Coliform population, Pb, NO 3- and Cd in most cases, exceeded the World Health Organization recommended thresholds for potable water. Effect of distance from pollution sources was more pronounced on fecal and total coliform counts, which decreased with increasing distance from waste dumps. The qualities of the well water samples were therefore not suitable for human consumption without adequate treatment. Regular monitoring of groundwater quality, abolishment of unhealthy waste disposal practices and introduction of modern techniques are recommended.

230 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify the determinants of water consumption for detached single-family residential units using ordinary least squares regression (OLS), and compared the results from the OLS model to those of a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model to determine whether there are spatial effects above and beyond the effects of OLS variables.
Abstract: Rapid population growth in the face of an uncertain climate future challenges the desert city of Phoenix, Arizona to consume water more prudently. To better understand the demand side of this important issue, we identified the determinants of water consumption for detached single-family residential units using ordinary least squares regression (OLS). We compared the results from the OLS model to those of a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model to determine whether there are spatial effects above and beyond the effects of the OLS variables. Determinants of residential water demand reflect both indoor and outdoor use and include household size, the presence of swimming pools, lot size, and the prevalence of landscaping that requires a moist environment. Results confirm the statistical significance of household size, the presence of a pool, landscaping practices, and lot size. Improvement of the GWR over the OLS model suggests that there are spatial effects above and beyond the effects for household size and pools - two of the four determinants of water demand. This means that census tracts exhibit water consumption behavior similar to neighboring tracts for these two variables. Model parameters can be used to investigate the effects of policies designed to regulate lot size, pool construction, and landscaping practices on water consumption and to forecast water demand in areas of new construction.

230 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The overall view of the water quality index of the present study area revealed that most of the study area exhibited poor, very poor and unfit water quality except in places like Banjara Hills, Erragadda and Tolichowki.
Abstract: Groundwater quality in Hyderabad has special significance and needs great attention of all concerned since it is the major alternate source of domestic, industrial and drinking water supply. The present study monitors the ground water quality, relates it to the land use / land cover and maps such quality using Remote sensing and GIS techniques for a part of Hyderabad metropolis. Thematic maps for the study are prepared by visual interpretation of SOI toposheets and linearly enhanced fused data of IRS-ID PAN and LISS-III imagery on 1:50,000 scale using AutoCAD and ARC/INFO software. Physico-chemical analysis data of the groundwater samples collected at predetermined locations forms the attribute database for the study, based on which, spatial distribution maps of major water quality parameters are prepared using curve fitting method in Arc View GIS software. Water Quality Index (WQI) was then calculated to find the suitability of water for drinking purpose. The overall view of the water quality index of the present study area revealed that most of the study area with > 50 standard rating of water quality index exhibited poor, very poor and unfit water quality except in places like Banjara Hills, Erragadda and Tolichowki. Appropriate methods for improving the water quality in affected areas have been suggested.

213 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The evaluation of pathogen indicators and summary of epidemiological studies presented are resources for those developing TMDLs to achieve water quality standards and restore water bodies to their intended uses.
Abstract: A serious concern for managers of water resources, pathogens in the urban environment easily enter waters through a number of pathways, including discharge of inadequately treated sewage, stormwater runoff, combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows. Pathogens in US ambient water bodies are regulated under the Clean Water Act (CWA), while pathogens in drinking water supplies are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) are developed in accordance with CWA regulations for ambient water bodies with bacterial concentrations exceeding the water quality standard, which generally is a measure of a bacterial indicator organism. However, developing a TMDL for a supplementary indicator or pathogen is also required if a use impairment would still exist even after the water body is in compliance with the standard. This occurs because indicator organisms do not reflect the presence of pathogen contamination with complete certainty. The evaluation of pathogen indicators and summary of epidemiological studies presented are resources for those developing TMDLs to achieve water quality standards and restore water bodies to their intended uses.

203 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The study suggests that the pit latrines were a major source of contamination of the wells with fecal matter and there is a high possibility of the presence of disease pathogens in the water; thus, the water from the wells in Langas may not be suitable for human consumption.
Abstract: As a result of rapid urbanization in a context of economic constraints, the majority of urban residents in sub-Saharan Africa live in slums often characterized by a lack of basic services such as water and sewerage. Consequently, the urban poor often use inexpensive pit latrines and at the same time may draw domestic water from nearby wells. Overcrowding in slums limits the adequate distance between wells and pit latrines so that micro-organisms migrate from latrines to water sources. Sanitary practices in these overcrowded slums are also poor, leading to contamination of these wells. This study sought to assess sanitary practices of residents of a Kenyan urban slum and fecal contamination of their domestic water sources. This cross-sectional study involved 192 respondents from Langas slum, Kenya. Forty water samples were collected from the water sources used by the respondents for laboratory analysis of coliforms. Of these 40 samples, 31 were from shallow wells, four from deep wells, and five from taps. Multiple-tube fermentation technique was used to enumerate coliform bacteria in water. The study found that most people (91%) in the Langas slum used wells as the main source of domestic water, whereas the rest used tap water. Whereas most people used pit latrines for excreta disposal, a substantial percentage (30%) of children excreted in the open field. The estimated distance between the pit latrines and the wells was generally short with about 40% of the pit latrines being less than 15 m from the wells. The main domestic water sources were found to be highly contaminated with fecal matter. Total coliforms were found in 100% of water samples from shallow wells, while 97% of these samples from shallow wells were positive for thermotolerant coliforms. Three out of the four samples from deep wells were positive for total coliforms, while two of the four samples were positive for thermotolerant coliforms. None of the samples from taps were positive for either total or thermotolerant coliforms. Because the presence of thermotolerant coliforms in water indicates fecal contamination, facilitated by the proximity between the wells and pit latrines, the study suggests that the pit latrines were a major source of contamination of the wells with fecal matter. However, contamination through surface runoff during rains is also plausible as indiscriminate excreta disposal particularly by children was also common. Owing to the fecal contamination, there is a high possibility of the presence of disease pathogens in the water; thus, the water from the wells in Langas may not be suitable for human consumption. To address this problem, treatment of the water at community or household level and intensive behavioral change in sanitary practices are recommended. Efforts should be made to provide regulated tap water to this community and to other slums in sub-Saharan Africa where tap water is not accessible. However, more sampling of different water sources is recommended.

195 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report the first national-level survey of stable isotope ratios in tap water, including spatially and temporally explicit samples from a large number of cities and towns across the contiguous United States.
Abstract: [1] Understanding links between water consumers and climatological (precipitation) sources is essential for developing strategies to ensure the long-term sustainability of water supplies. In pursing this understanding a need exists for tools to study and monitor complex human-hydrological systems that involve high levels of spatial connectivity and supply problems that are regional, rather than local, in nature. Here we report the first national-level survey of stable isotope ratios in tap water, including spatially and temporally explicit samples from a large number of cities and towns across the contiguous United States. We show that intra-annual ranges of tap water isotope ratios are relatively small (e.g., <10‰ for δ2H) at most sites. In contrast, spatial variation in tap water isotope ratios is very large, spanning ranges of 163‰ for δ2H and 23.6‰ for δ18O. The spatial distribution of tap water isotope ratios at the national level is similar to that of stable isotope ratios of precipitation. At the regional level, however, pervasive differences between tap water and precipitation isotope ratios can be attributed to hydrological factors in the water source to consumer chain. These patterns highlight the potential for monitoring of tap water isotope ratios to contribute to the study of regional water supply stability and provide warning signals for impending water resource changes. We present the first published maps of predicted tap water isotope ratios for the contiguous United States, which will be useful in guiding future research on human-hydrological systems and as a tool for applied forensics and traceability studies.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Based on a general equilibrium model, a method for investigating the role of water resources and water scarcity in the context of international trade is offered, analyzing the effects of water scarcity due to reduced availability of groundwater.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: While increasing access to piped water supply and sewage connections on plot was the intervention that had the largest health impact across all sub-regions, household water treatment was found to be the most cost-effective intervention.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to estimate the costs and the health benefits of the following interventions: increasing access to improved water supply and sanitation facilities, increasing access to in house piped water and sewerage connection, and providing household water treatment, in ten WHO sub-regions. The cost-effectiveness of each intervention was assessed in terms of US dollars per disability adjusted life year (DALY) averted. This analysis found that almost all interventions were cost-effective, especially in developing countries with high mortality rates. The estimated cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) varied between US$20 per DALY averted for disinfection at point of use to US$13,000 per DALY averted for improved water and sanitation facilities. While increasing access to piped water supply and sewage connections on plot was the intervention that had the largest health impact across all sub-regions, household water treatment was found to be the most cost-effective intervention. A policy shift to include better household water quality management to complement the continuing expansion of coverage and upgrading of services would appear to be a cost-effective health intervention in many developing countries.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Investments in communal water infrastructure short of piped water may serve other needs, and may reduce diarrhea in particular circumstances, but the case for prioritizing communal infrastructure provision needs to be made rather than assumed.
Abstract: The millennium development goals call for reducing by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water. This goal was adopted in large part because clean water was seen as critical to fighting diarrheal disease, which kills two million children annually. There is compelling evidence that provision of piped water and sanitation can substantially reduce child mortality. However, in dispersed rural settlements, providing complete piped water and sanitation infrastructure to households is expensive. Many poor countries have therefore focused instead on providing community level water infrastructure, such as wells. Various traditional child health interventions have been shown to be effective in fighting diarrhea. Among environmental interventions, hand washing and point-of-use water treatment both reduce diarrhea, although more needs to be learned about ways to encourage households to take up these behavior changes. In contrast, there is little evidence that providing community-level rural water infrastructure substantially reduces diarrheal disease or that this infrastructure can be effectively maintained. Investments in communal water infrastructure short of piped water may serve other needs, and may reduce diarrhea in particular circumstances, but the case for prioritizing communal infrastructure provision needs to be made rather than assumed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors assess the water footprints of Morocco, a semi-arid/arid country, and the Netherlands, a humid country and show that international trade can result in global water saving when a water-intensive commodity is traded from an area where it is produced with high water productivity to an area with lower water productivity.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used the output of two GCMs, the PCM and the HadCM3, run under two different greenhouse gas (GHG) emission scenarios: the high emission A1fi and the low emission B1.
Abstract: Using the latest available General Circulation Model (GCM) results we present an assessment of climate change impacts on California hydrology and water resources. The approach considers the output of two GCMs, the PCM and the HadCM3, run under two different greenhouse gas (GHG) emission scenarios: the high emission A1fi and the low emission B1. The GCM output was statistically downscaled and used in the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) macroscale distributed hydrologic model to derive inflows to major reservoirs in the California Central Valley. Historical inflows used as inputs to the water resources model CalSim II were modified to represent the climate change perturbed conditions for water supply deliveries, reliability, reservoir storage and changes to variables of environmental concern. Our results show greater negative impacts to California hydrology and water resources than previous assessments of climate change impacts in the region. These impacts, which translate into smaller streamflows, lower reservoir storage and decreased water supply deliveries and reliability, will be especially pronounced later in the 21st Century and south of the San Francisco bay Delta. The importance of considering how climate change impacts vary for different temporal, spatial, and institutional conditions in addition to the average impacts is also demonstrated.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Investigation of the occurrence of 45 pesticides in drinking water from reservoirs in this area that received water primarily from snowmelt and rainfall runoff from agricultural crop lands suggested that atmospheric deposition was the principal pathway from fields to the reservoirs.
Abstract: In agricultural landscapes, rural and municipal residents can be exposed to agricultural pesticides either directly during crop applications or indirectly in air, water, or food. In the northern Great Plains of the United States and Canada, pesticides have been detected in atmospheric samples, in surface and groundwaters, and in a variety of food products. Studies in the United States (Garry et al. 1996), Spain (Garcia-Rodriguez et al. 1996), and New Zealand (Hanify et al. 1981) have shown that environmental exposure to agricultural chemicals is associated with increases in human health anomalies. These include reduced stamina, gross and fine eye–hand coordination, and cognitive abilities in children (Guillette et al. 1998); an increased incidence of human birth malformations (Garry et al. 1996; Hanify et al. 1981; Schreinemachers 2003); and cryptorchidism in male children (Garcia-Rodriguez et al. 1996). Pesticide exposure through potable water has become a concern. Using a statewide survey of 856 Iowa municipal drinking water supplies, Munger et al. (1997) compared the rate of intrauterine growth retardation in births by women whose drinking water contained higher levels of herbicides [atrazine, cyanazine, metolachlor, and (2,4-dichloro-phenoxy)acetic acid (2,4-D)] with that in births by women using other sources of drinking water. The authors concluded that atrazine, metolachlor, and cyanazine were each significant predictors of intrauterine growth retardation and that areas with drinking water containing higher herbicide concentrations had higher rates of intrauterine growth retardation than nearby communities with other sources of drinking water. In the northern Great Plains of Canada and the United States, drinking water sources include groundwater and large rivers. However, because of inadequate volume or unsuitability of groundwater because of high mineral content, residents of some smaller communities derive their drinking water from small reservoirs with drainage areas imbedded in agricultural landscapes. In a 3-year study, Cessna and Elliott (2004) monitored prairie farm dugouts (constructed ponds) in Saskatchewan for several herbicides used extensively in crop production on the Canadian prairies. Two of these small reservoirs were used by the farm families for drinking water and household water. Herbicides detected in these dugouts were those expected from an agricultural landscape dominated by cereal and oilseed production and included 2,4-D, diclofop, bromoxynil, (2-chloro-4-methylphenoxy)acetic acid (MCPA), triallate, dichlorprop, dicamba, clopyralid, and tri-fluralin. Consequently, we hypothesized that rural populations obtaining drinking water from catchments that are predominantly crop lands may be exposed to relatively high concentrations of pesticides in drinking water. In the present study, we assessed the potential for occurrence of pesticides in drinking water of residents of 15 rural communities situated in the northern Great Plains in Canada (Figure 1). Figure 1 Study area showing the locations of drinking water reservoirs in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, Canada.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A review of the literature suggests that the lack of gender-disaggregated data on the impacts of water policies, and underlying disagreements on how gender and development should be theorized, makes it difficult to reach robust conclusions on which policies can best assure poor women reliable access to water for their lives and livelihoods as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: That women play a central role in the provision, management, and safeguarding of water is one of the four internationally accepted principles of water management. This principle is especially important for the developing world where millions of women lack access to water for their basic needs. The objectives of this chapter are to summarize what is known about women with respect to water and about water with respect to women as well as to provide a sense of the current debates around these themes. A review of the literature suggests that the lack of gender-disaggregated data on the impacts of water policies, and underlying disagreements on how gender and development should be theorized, makes it difficult to reach robust conclusions on which policies can best assure poor women reliable access to water for their lives and livelihoods.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The proposed model, which is called Stochastic Varying Chromosome Length Genetic Algorithm with water Quality constraints (SVLGAQ), is applied to the Ghomrud Reservoir–River system in the central part of Iran and shows, the proposed model for reservoir operation and waste load allocation can reduce theSalinity of the allocated water demands as well as the salinity build-up in the reservoir.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a modeling system was developed to evaluate the sustainability of water resources management strategies in the two major basins of Thessaly Region in Greece, namely the Pinios River and the Lake Karla basins.
Abstract: A modeling system was developed to evaluate the sustainability of water resources management strategies in the two major basins of Thessaly Region in Greece, namely the Pinios River and the Lake Karla basins. The intense and extensive agriculture of water demanding crops, such as cotton, and the absence of reasonable water resources management have lead to a remarkable water demand increase, which is usually fulfilled by the over-exploitation of groundwater resources. This unsustainable practice has deteriorated the already disturbed water balance and accelerated water resources degradation. The modeling system consists of a hydrological model, a reservoir operation model and methods for the estimation of water demands. The study area was sub-divided into sub-basins and water balance analyses were performed for each sub-basin and each control node of the system for a number of water resources management strategies. Four strategies of hydro-technical project development were coupled with two strategies of groundwater withdrawal and three water demand strategies. In total, more than 24 water management strategies were evaluated. The results showed that, under the existing water resources management, the water deficit of the Pinios River and Lake Karla basins is very large. However, the development of proposed hydro-technical projects in the Pinios River basin coupled with water demand management measures, like improvement of existing water distribution systems, change of irrigation methods, and changes of crop cultivation could alleviate the problem and lead to sustainable and ecological use of water resources in the study area.

Posted Content
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, which assumes the continuation of current trends of key water demand drivers, will meet the future food demand However, it leads to a severe regional water crisis by 2050, where many river basins will reach closure, will be physically water-scarce and will have regions with severely overexploited groundwater resources.
Abstract: With a rapidly expanding economy many changes are taking place in India today The business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, which assumes the continuation of current trends of key water demand drivers, will meet the future food demand However, it leads to a severe regional water crisis by 2050, where many river basins will reach closure, will be physically water-scarce and will have regions with severely overexploited groundwater resources While the alternative scenarios of water demand show both optimistic and pessimistic water futures, the scenario with additional productivity growth is the most optimistic, with significant scope for reducing future water demand

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Anticipated water efficiencies resulting from higher water tariffs, increasing water reuse and water infrastructure improvements (including inter-basin transfers), in conjunction with increasing use of desalinated water, are expected to address the province of Almería's current water overdraft.

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jan 2007
TL;DR: The what-if analysis performed by the DSS shows that the incremental water supply from the S2N project helps the recipient region to catch up with the development pace of the country as a whole.
Abstract: The South to North Water Transfer Project is one of the four largest trans-century projects in China, which is expected to be completed by 2008. The project seeks to promote Northern China's economic growth by relaxing water constraints in a region now facing severe water shortage. In this paper, a decision support system (DSS) for assessing the social-economic impact of China's South-to-North (S2N) Water Transfer project is presented. The DSS provides decision support through simulation with an embedded water computable general equilibrium model (WCGE). The system is able to perform qualitative analysis on regional water resource vulnerability with mathematical modeling. In addition, the system is also able to examine a region's water demand-supply balance dynamics through forecasting with the WCGE model on the basis of various scenarios for the time horizon up to the year 2020. The what-if analysis performed by the DSS shows that the incremental water supply from the project helps the recipient region to catch up with the development pace of the country as a whole.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A case study in the Tri-State Mining District which is located in the conjunction of three states, showed that landscape characteristics in mine waste-located watersheds could account for as much as 77% of the variation of water quality indicators.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the potential effects of specific levels of atmospheric warming on water-year streamflow in the Colorado River basin are evaluated using a water-balance model, and the results are analyzed within the context of a multi-century tree-ring reconstruction (1490-1998) of streamflow for the basin.
Abstract: [1] The high demand for water, the recent multiyear drought (1999–2007), and projections of global warming have raised questions about the long-term sustainability of water supply in the southwestern United States. In this study, the potential effects of specific levels of atmospheric warming on water-year streamflow in the Colorado River basin are evaluated using a water-balance model, and the results are analyzed within the context of a multi-century tree-ring reconstruction (1490–1998) of streamflow for the basin. The results indicate that if future warming occurs in the basin and is not accompanied by increased precipitation, then the basin is likely to experience periods of water supply shortages more severe than those inferred from the long-term historical tree-ring reconstruction. Furthermore, the modeling results suggest that future warming would increase the likelihood of failure to meet the water allocation requirements of the Colorado River Compact.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of the current South African forest water use situation, and in particular the attitude towards new afforestation, outlining the requirements of the National Water Act that was passed in 1998, is presented.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Game theory was applied to a multiobjective conflict problem for the Alto Rio Lerma Irrigation District, located in the state of Guanajuato in Mexico, where economic benefits from agricultural production should be balanced with associated negative environmental impacts.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the impact of climate change on the operation of the Integrated Resource Zone (IRZ), a complex conjunctive-use water supply system in north-western England, using the UKCIP02 Medium-High (SRES A2) scenario for 2070-2100.
Abstract: . Over the last two decades, the frequency of water resource drought in the UK, coupled with the more recent pan-European drought of 2003, has increased concern over changes in climate. Using the UKCIP02 Medium-High (SRES A2) scenario for 2070–2100, this study investigates the impact of climate change on the operation of the Integrated Resource Zone (IRZ), a complex conjunctive-use water supply system in north-western England. The results indicate that the contribution of individual sources to yield may change substantially but that overall yield is reduced by only 18%. Notwithstanding this significant effect on water supply, the flexibility of the system enables it to meet modelled demand for much of the time under the future climate scenario, even without a change in system management, but at significant expense for pumping additional abstraction from lake and borehole sources. This research provides a basis for the future planning and management of the complex water resource system in the north-west of England.

Proceedings ArticleDOI
15 Oct 2007
TL;DR: The preliminary results show that sensor networks are a promising solution to deploying a sustainable irrigation system, e.g., maximizing the amount of water pumped out from an area with minimum impact on water quality.
Abstract: This paper investigates a wireless sensor network deployment - monitoring water quality, e.g. salinity and the level of the underground water table - in a remote tropical area of northern Australia. Our goal is to collect real time water quality measurements together with the amount of water being pumped out in the area, and investigate the impacts of current irrigation practice on the environments, in particular underground water salination. This is a challenging task featuring wide geographic area coverage (mean transmission range between nodes is more than 800 meters), highly variable radio propagations, high end-to-end packet delivery rate requirements, and hostile deployment environments. We have designed, implemented and deployed a sensor network system, which has been collecting water quality and flow measurements, e.g., water flow rate and water flow ticks for over one month. The preliminary results show that sensor networks are a promising solution to deploying a sustainable irrigation system, e.g., maximizing the amount of water pumped out from an area with minimum impact on water quality.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) developed a climate risk management framework through its Climate Change Task Force, a government-university collaborative effort as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Managing risk by adapting long-lived infrastructure to the effects of climate change must become a regular part of planning for water supply, sewer, wastewater treatment, and other urban infrastructure during this century. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP), the agency responsible for managing New York City’s (NYC) water supply, sewer, and wastewater treatment systems, has developed a climate risk management framework through its Climate Change Task Force, a government-university collaborative effort. Its purpose is to ensure that NYCDEP’s strategic and capital planning take into account the potential risks of climate change—sea-level rise, higher temperature, increases in extreme events, changes in drought and flood frequency and intensity, and changing precipitation patterns—on NYC’s water systems. This approach will enable NYCDEP and other agencies to incorporate adaptations to the risks of climate change into their management, investment, and policy decisions over the long term as a regular part of their planning activities. The framework includes a 9-step Adaptation Assessment procedure. Potential climate change adaptations are divided into management, infrastructure, and policy categories, and are assessed by their relevance in terms of climate change time-frame (immediate, medium, and long term), the capital cycle, costs, and other risks. The approach focuses on the water supply, sewer, and wastewater treatment systems of NYC, but has wide application for other urban areas, especially those in coastal locations.