Managing Water Resources in Large River Basins

Managing Water Resources in Large River Basins PDF Author: William Young
Publisher: MDPI
ISBN: 3036504664
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
Management of water resources in large rivers basins typically differs in important ways from management in smaller basins. While in smaller basins the focus of water resources management may be on project implementation, irrigation and drainage management, water use efficiency and flood operations; in larger basins, because of the greater complexity and competing interests, there is often a greater need for long-term strategic river basin planning across sectors and jurisdictions, and considering social, environmental, and economic outcomes. This puts a focus on sustainable development, including consumptive water use and non-consumptive water uses, such as inland navigation and hydropower. It also requires the consideration of hard or technical issues—data, modeling, infrastructure—as well as soft issues of governance, including legal frameworks, policies, institutions, and political economy. Rapidly evolving technologies could play a significant role in managing large basins. This Special Issue of Water traverses these hard and soft aspects of managing water resources in large river basins through a series of diverse case studies from across the globe that demonstrate recent advances in both technical and governance innovations in river basin management.

Managing Water Resources in Large River Basins

Managing Water Resources in Large River Basins PDF Author: William Young
Publisher: MDPI
ISBN: 3036504664
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 190

Get Book Here

Book Description
Management of water resources in large rivers basins typically differs in important ways from management in smaller basins. While in smaller basins the focus of water resources management may be on project implementation, irrigation and drainage management, water use efficiency and flood operations; in larger basins, because of the greater complexity and competing interests, there is often a greater need for long-term strategic river basin planning across sectors and jurisdictions, and considering social, environmental, and economic outcomes. This puts a focus on sustainable development, including consumptive water use and non-consumptive water uses, such as inland navigation and hydropower. It also requires the consideration of hard or technical issues—data, modeling, infrastructure—as well as soft issues of governance, including legal frameworks, policies, institutions, and political economy. Rapidly evolving technologies could play a significant role in managing large basins. This Special Issue of Water traverses these hard and soft aspects of managing water resources in large river basins through a series of diverse case studies from across the globe that demonstrate recent advances in both technical and governance innovations in river basin management.

Himalayan Glaciers

Himalayan Glaciers PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309261015
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 218

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Book Description
Scientific evidence shows that most glaciers in South Asia's Hindu Kush Himalayan region are retreating, but the consequences for the region's water supply are unclear, this report finds. The Hindu Kush Himalayan region is the location of several of Asia's great river systems, which provide water for drinking, irrigation, and other uses for about 1.5 billion people. Recent studies show that at lower elevations, glacial retreat is unlikely to cause significant changes in water availability over the next several decades, but other factors, including groundwater depletion and increasing human water use, could have a greater impact. Higher elevation areas could experience altered water flow in some river basins if current rates of glacial retreat continue, but shifts in the location, intensity, and variability of rain and snow due to climate change will likely have a greater impact on regional water supplies. Himalayan Glaciers: Climate Change, Water Resources, and Water Security makes recommendations and sets guidelines for the future of climate change and water security in the Himalayan Region. This report emphasizes that social changes, such as changing patterns of water use and water management decisions, are likely to have at least as much of an impact on water demand as environmental factors do on water supply. Water scarcity will likely affect the rural and urban poor most severely, as these groups have the least capacity to move to new locations as needed. It is predicted that the region will become increasingly urbanized as cities expand to absorb migrants in search of economic opportunities. As living standards and populations rise, water use will likely increase-for example, as more people have diets rich in meat, more water will be needed for agricultural use. The effects of future climate change could further exacerbate water stress. Himalayan Glaciers: Climate Change, Water Resources, and Water Security explains that changes in the availability of water resources could play an increasing role in political tensions, especially if existing water management institutions do not better account for the social, economic, and ecological complexities of the region. To effectively respond to the effects of climate change, water management systems will need to take into account the social, economic, and ecological complexities of the region. This means it will be important to expand research and monitoring programs to gather more detailed, consistent, and accurate data on demographics, water supply, demand, and scarcity.

Colorado River Basin Water Management

Colorado River Basin Water Management PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309105242
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
Recent studies of past climate and streamflow conditions have broadened understanding of long-term water availability in the Colorado River, revealing many periods when streamflow was lower than at any time in the past 100 years of recorded flows. That information, along with two important trends-a rapid increase in urban populations in the West and significant climate warming in the region-will require that water managers prepare for possible reductions in water supplies that cannot be fully averted through traditional means. Colorado River Basin Water Management assesses existing scientific information, including temperature and streamflow records, tree-ring based reconstructions, and climate model projections, and how it relates to Colorado River water supplies and demands, water management, and drought preparedness. The book concludes that successful adjustments to new conditions will entail strong and sustained cooperation among the seven Colorado River basin states and recommends conducting a comprehensive basinwide study of urban water practices that can be used to help improve planning for future droughts and water shortages.

Handbook of Catchment Management

Handbook of Catchment Management PDF Author: Robert C. Ferrier
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9781444307689
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 560

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Book Description
This book addresses the fundamental requirement for aninterdisciplinary catchment based approach to managing andprotecting water resources that crucially includes anunderstanding of land use and its management. In thisapproach the hydrological cycle links mountains to the sea, andecosystems in rivers, groundwaters, lakes, wetlands, estuaries andcoasts forming an essential continuum directly influenced by humanactivity. The book provides a synthesis of current and future thinking incatchment management, and shows how the specific problems thatarise in water use policy can be addressed within the context of anintegrated approach to management. The book is written for advancedstudents, researchers, fellow academics and water sectorprofessionals such as planners and regulators. The intention is tohighlight examples and case studies that have resonance not onlywithin natural sciences and engineering but with academicsin other fields such as socio-economics, law and policy.

Sustainable Water Resources Management

Sustainable Water Resources Management PDF Author: Chandra S. P. Ojha
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780784414767
Category : Water resources development
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Sustainable Water Resources Management presents the most current thinking on the environmental, social, and political dimensions of sustainably managing the water supply at local, regional, or basin levels.

Groundwater Management in Large River Basins

Groundwater Management in Large River Basins PDF Author: Milan Dimkic
Publisher: IWA Publishing
ISBN: 1843391902
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 721

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Book Description
Part of Groundwater Set - Buy all six books and save over 30% on buying separately! This book reviews the state-of-the-art of groundwater management in large river basins, providing an innovative, informative and consistent approach with technical tools for planners, decision makers and engineers. Groundwater Management in Large River Basins provides comprehensive coverage of the basic elements of groundwater management in large river basins, including: Social, economic and legislative framework, goals, practices and possible tools Review of EU groundwater legislation and its implementation Natural groundwater occurrence and natural circumstances and processes Groundwater management and maintenance issues: Role of natural factors in groundwater management Different methods of groundwater abstraction and protection Groundwater treatment technologies Well ageing and maintenance Nitrate problems, etc. Groundwater modeling as a tool for groundwater assessment Aquifer restoration A spectrum of technical appendices for engineers, which address groundwater issues Also included will be appendices intended to support the work of groundwater engineers. This book will be of interest to groundwater engineers and planners, as well as lecturers and postgraduate and postdoctoral students.

Riverine Ecosystem Management

Riverine Ecosystem Management PDF Author: Stefan Schmutz
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319732501
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 562

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Book Description
This open access book surveys the frontier of scientific river research and provides examples to guide management towards a sustainable future of riverine ecosystems. Principal structures and functions of the biogeosphere of rivers are explained; key threats are identified, and effective solutions for restoration and mitigation are provided. Rivers are among the most threatened ecosystems of the world. They increasingly suffer from pollution, water abstraction, river channelisation and damming. Fundamental knowledge of ecosystem structure and function is necessary to understand how human acitivities interfere with natural processes and which interventions are feasible to rectify this. Modern water legislation strives for sustainable water resource management and protection of important habitats and species. However, decision makers would benefit from more profound understanding of ecosystem degradation processes and of innovative methodologies and tools for efficient mitigation and restoration. The book provides best-practice examples of sustainable river management from on-site studies, European-wide analyses and case studies from other parts of the world. This book will be of interest to researchers in the field of aquatic ecology, river system functioning, conservation and restoration, to postgraduate students, to institutions involved in water management, and to water related industries.

Management of Transboundary Water Resources Under Scarcity

Management of Transboundary Water Resources Under Scarcity PDF Author: Ariel Dinar
Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company
ISBN: 9789814740043
Category : Water-supply
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Closing the (widening) gap between natural water resources and water needs in the Jordan River Basin: a long-term perspective / Yacov Tsur -- Exploring benefits and scope of cooperation in transboundary water sharing in the Amu Darya Basin / Anik Bhaduri and Maksud Bekchanov -- Distributional impacts of welfare allocations from damming the Nile River / Getachew Nigatu and Ariel Dinar -- Issue linkage: a mechanism for managing conflict, applied to the Mekong Basin / Kim Hang Pham Do and Ariel Dinar -- Proposed international legal and institutional framework for conjunctive management of surface and groundwater along the US-Mexico border region / Marøa Milanés-Murcia -- A new paradigm for transboundary water agreements: the opportunity for Israel and Palestine / David B. Brooks and Julie Trottier -- Disputes over international watercourses: can river basin organizations make a difference? / Sabine Blumstein and Susanne Schmeier -- Transboundary water management along the Tagus River Basin in the Iberian Peninsula: sustainable water allocation of the Aqueduct Tagus-Segura / Marøa Milanés-Murcia -- Institutional settings in transboundary water management: lessons from the Fergana Valley and the Lower Jordan Basin / Christine Bismuth and Bernd Hansjürgens -- Regional cooperation in river basin rehabilitation: estimating economic benefits of alternatives for Jordan River restoration / Nir Becker and David Katz

Planning and Managing Water Resources at the River-basin Level

Planning and Managing Water Resources at the River-basin Level PDF Author: François Molle
Publisher: IWMI
ISBN: 9290906529
Category : Water-supply
Languages : en
Pages : 42

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Book Description
The concept of a river basin as a management or planning unit has gone through several stages and is in a state of flux.

Agricultural Water Management

Agricultural Water Management PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309179254
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 158

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Book Description
This report contains a collection of papers from a workshopâ€"Strengthening Science-Based Decision-Making for Sustainable Management of Scarce Water Resources for Agricultural Production, held in Tunisia. Participants, including scientists, decision makers, representatives of non-profit organizations, and a farmer, came from the United States and several countries in North Africa and the Middle East. The papers examined constraints to agricultural production as it relates to water scarcity; focusing on 1) the state of the science regarding water management for agricultural purposes in the Middle East and North Africa 2) how science can be applied to better manage existing water supplies to optimize the domestic production of food and fiber. The cross-cutting themes of the workshop were the elements or principles of science-based decision making, the role of the scientific community in ensuring that science is an integral part of the decision making process, and ways to improve communications between scientists and decision makers.