Abstract
This study aimed at achieving an organizational solution for improving the governance of water and land use and, consequently, improving the supply–demand water balance. Related modeling applied to diverse scenarios focus on water and land use development in the Mendoza River basin. A strategic analysis of water organization was performed using causal analysis, producing a Strategic Map (SM) and designing a Balanced Scorecard (BS). To assess the basin’s water resources supply and demand, the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model was applied to the Administrative Management Units existing in the basin, taking into consideration the water availability and the granted water rights. The application of the organizational and governance model to various scenarios referring to 2030 show that by reordering allocations and water use criteria, implementing a better farm irrigation water management, improving capacity building of existing human resources, and adopting more adequate hard- and software for dams and canal management, it will be possible to accommodate demand in 2030 better than at present despite climate change impacts on demand and supply. In addition, users’ participation will be enhanced.
Highlights
The water governance model currently used in the Mendoza River basin, Argentina (Figure 1), brings about imbalance and unevenness of management inadequate for an area in full transformation.Spatio-temporal effects of great intensity and magnitude refer to the limited autonomy and self-sufficiency of local management organizations, the inadequate distribution and use of water resources, the separate management of water and land, the impact of territorial, economic, and productive competitiveness, the degradation of soils, all affecting crops production and causing poor service to users [1]
Water User Organizations (WUOs) had highly influenced the elaboration of the Land Use Law and the Strategic Development Plan (SDP), the execution of which required an effective supply–demand water balance implementation, restructuring of granted rights, respect for basin autonomy, effective representation and participation of the different water users, and consensual reformulation of the instruments necessary to achieve integrated water management [8]
The sequential chart proposed includes several stages and steps corresponding to the main timings, which have been adapted from the strategic map method [12], to identify, organize, and describe strategies within the context of the water management model (Table 1)
Summary
The water governance model currently used in the Mendoza River basin, Argentina (Figure 1), brings about imbalance and unevenness of management inadequate for an area in full transformation. WUOs had highly influenced the elaboration of the Land Use Law and the Strategic Development Plan (SDP), the execution of which required an effective supply–demand water balance implementation, restructuring of granted rights, respect for basin autonomy, effective representation and participation of the different water users, and consensual reformulation of the instruments necessary to achieve integrated water management [8]. In this process, there appears that, in the absence of the State, community management and associative modes have been efficient in supplying water at a local scale [9]. Different criteria for irrigation planning were analyzed [20], irrigation requirements and scheduling were considered [21], and strategies for water management were identified [22]
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