Water Security最新文献

Water scarcity turns into shortage when water supplies are mismatched with user demands. After clarifying the different social and private uses of water, I explain how to use prices to allocate treated (“utility”) water among municipal and industrial users and untreated (“raw”) water among irrigators. Assuming institutional capacity, successful management of water scarcity requires prices that constrain total demand and revenues that cover the cost of reliable supply. Public acceptance of effective water pricing requires that policies protect the poor and the environment, i.e., policies that prioritize “social water” over water competitively allocated among economic uses.

The ambiguity of competing ‘water security’ interpretations obscure the inherently political dimensions of water. Being explicit about how water security is conceptualised reveals the underlying assumptions about for whom is water is secured, for what purpose and how it is secured. Here, a framing cycle is adapted for the water security context that asks, security ‘of what?’, ‘against what’, ‘for whom’ and ‘over what timeframe’? The framing cycle provides a content analysis of documents representing Australian water security framings across administrative levels. Whilst some overarching themes are common (water for the environment, agriculture and drinking water/ubran water supplies), each administrative level varies in emphasis and detail. The variation is likely related to different responsibilities and roles at each level, highlighting the need for ‘fit for purpose’ definitions of water security, rather than trying to accommodate all facets of water security at all levels. The framing cycle was a useful tool in unpacking how water security was conceptualised at different levels. However, more nuanced insight could be achieved by combining the framing cycle with other lenses, for example a decolonial lens.

Climate change and socio-economic development result in increasing flood risk which challenges flood risk management policy making and practice. Each situation, however, is different and calls for not only understanding the natural context, but also the socio-economic and cultural context. Only then Flood Risk Management strategies can be designed that are not only 1) fit for purpose but also 2) feasible for local implementation and 3) sustainable into the future. Flood consequences that are accepted in some cultures (fatalist), may not be acceptable in other cultures (controlist). This calls for considering the local normative context in order to understand current differences in policy and practice. More importantly, the design of strategic alternatives for Flood Risk Management into the future should consider this socio-economic and cultural context as well because not every society aims for the same goals in the same proportion, nor is equally willing or capable to implement and maintain sophisticated infrastructure and dedicated institutions. Based on literature on cultural theory and national cultures, we hypothesized that acknowledging socio-economic and cultural differences would allow to better appreciate the rationale of current flood risk management policies and practices in different parts of the world. By analysing cases related to Deltares projects abroad, we explored whether these factors explain the main differences observed. Based on this preliminary exploration, we propose a shortlist of factors to consider when designing future flood risk management strategies tailored to local socio-economic and cultural contexts.

EU Member States invest some €2.5 billion per year in flood protection, yet flood damages continue to increase. A new approach to the planning, design and management of flood protection assets is needed to ensure risks are better managed and asset management is aligned with broader socio-economic policies and supporting governance systems. This paper sets out a policy framework to enable this transition. The framework results from a collaboration of researchers and practitioners from around the North Sea. The findings highlight common challenges and identify four priority Policy Recommendations in response to these: ‘Break free of the silo’ by aligning planning processes; ‘Mind the gap’ between strategic and operational choices; ‘Prepare for change’ by developing multi-functional and flexible plans; and ‘Make space for innovation’ by seeking to manage risk rather than avoiding it.

Floods affect a large fraction of the Indian population during the monsoon (June-September) every year. Floods disrupt all aspects of the socio-economic conditions and cause enormous damage to infrastructure and agriculture. Human mortality and economic losses due to floods have increased in India during recent decades. Moreover, floods are projected to occur more frequently in the future under the warming climate. Both structural and non-structural measures are common in India to mitigate the detrimental impacts of floods. However, the challenges and opportunities for operational flood forecast systems in India have not been carefully evaluated. Here, we review the current status and future requirements to strengthen the flood early warning systems in India. India made tremendous progress in developing the ensemble prediction system for precipitation forecast. Precipitation forecast is available at various spatial and temporal resolutions, which provides a skilful prediction of extreme precipitation at short (1–3 day) and longer (15–20 day) lead times. However, the spatial and temporal resolutions and lead time need to be improved for precipitation forecast in smaller catchments and urban areas, which are prone to flash flooding. There is a need to translate the ensemble weather and climate forecast to hydrologic ensemble prediction (HEP) system through the integration of improved meteorological forecast, hydrologic and hydraulic modelling, data assimilation, and post-processing. We also highlight the role of improved inflow forecast at the appropriate lead for reservoir operations as the decisions related to reservoir operations can be critical for flood management. We, finally, discuss the need for an integrated approach at various levels to enhance the operational flood forecast in India, which is essential for the development of an effective flood early warning system.

Most research on hydrological risks focuses either on flood risk or drought risk, whilst floods and droughts are two extremes of the same hydrological cycle. To better design disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures and strategies, it is important to consider interactions between these closely linked phenomena. We show examples of: (a) how flood or drought DRR measures can have (unintended) positive or negative impacts on risk of the opposite hazard; and (b) how flood or drought DRR measures can be negatively impacted by the opposite hazard. We focus on dikes and levees, dams, stormwater control and upstream measures, subsurface storage, migration, agricultural practices, and vulnerability and preparedness. We identify key challenges for moving towards a more holistic risk management approach.

Irrigated agriculture In the Aral Sea Basin (ASB) is commonly known for its high water consumption, inefficient water management, and dysfunctional irrigation and drainage infrastructure. Since 1991, six states have been engaged in intensive irrigated agriculture in the Aral Sea Basin (ASB), Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. In this region, irrigated agriculture is commonly known for its high water consumption, inefficient water management, and dysfunctional irrigation and drainage infrastructure. Extensive land degradation (e.g., soil salinization) is considered as the main result of mismanagement in the irrigation sector and sustainable solutions are urgently required. This study analysed international peer-reviewed scientific studies based on satellite remote sensing (RS) products and methods addressing potential improvements of irrigation water and land management in the ASB. Ways to transfer RS-based knowledge into practice were discussed using the example of the online tool WUEMoCA that was developed from 2015 to 2019 within the German Water Initiative in Central Asia (CAWa). For the period 2008–2019, a total of 49 studies contributed knowledge about land use, soils and vegetation, crop production and use of irrigation water in the ASB. The use of RS revealed increased diversification of agricultural production, spatial-temporal patterns of land degradation, and effects of varying water availability on cropping intensity. Modelling of crop yields and evapotranspiration at varying scales (i.e., farm to provincial scale) underlined the comparably moderate water productivity in the ASB. One relevant future research task is to intensively collect in-situ data for validation and secondary data and hence to mitigate the situation. In particular, improved socio-ecological and economic information could help to better understand the spatially differing drivers of soil and land degradation. Eventually, this study provides relevant information and data sources for decision-making and requirements for better integration of RS-based information into practice using online-tools like WUEMoCA.

Icy mountains with their surface ice in glaciers and subsurface ice in permafrost constitute important water towers relating to multiple human needs for water security. Vanishing of their ice as a consequence of global warming affects this function in a predominantly negative way. Key impacts are (1) the formation of new lakes with new options for use but also changing risk conditions related to decreasing stability of surrounding frozen peaks at local scales of source regions, (2) shifts in seasonality and higher inter-annual variability of runoff which may affect water supply at regional to continental scales including the surrounding lowlands, and (3) rising sea level at global scale. Long-term effects over decades, centuries and even millennia are involved, making serious impacts inevitable already now and irreversible for generations to come. Sustainable adaptation requires comprehensive systems analyses including dynamic socio-economic aspects.

Water recycling has been offered as an important adaptation for urban water systems facing deficits due to climate change. While the volume of recycled water has increased exponentially since the 2000s, its integration into municipal supply has not reached its potential. To better understand the processes that influence its uptake, this paper synthesizes published research that describes and analyzes adoption of water reuse in urban areas globally. We identified 39 articles published between 2010 and 2019 which document drivers and barriers of water reuse for 54 urban areas in 20 countries. Evidence shows that external environmental shocks, like drought, may be a catalyst but a nexus of place-based factors combined with economic, regulatory and political alignment more likely foster systemic change in water systems.