Abstract
Abstract Identification and quantification of environmental and socio-economic impact risks and effective monitoring of water projects are crucial for sustainable water resource management. Hence, the present study was conducted with the objectives of identifying potential environmental risks of different stages of the development of a new water supply scheme located in the wet zone of Sri Lanka, and categorizing identified impacts based on their significance. A rapid environmental assessment (REA) was followed to identify the upstream point source pollution and downstream water uses in the immediate catchment. Subsequently, a semi quantitative approach was conducted to screen the environmental, social, and economic risks concerning likelihood and sensitivity of the impact. Besides, an analysis of physico-chemical and biological parameters of water quality was conducted in the intake location. The semi quantitative method highlighted that low and medium risk with ecological impacts (50%), low risks towards sustainability of water source (75%), medium level constructional impacts (60%), and very high-level impacts at the operational stage were available (50%). A water quality monitoring program revealed that Escherichia coli count, total coliform bacterial count, and colour of the water were above the standard limits in the nearby freshwater source. In conclusion, a similar approach can be implemented worldwide as a reference to determine the potential socio-environmental consequences in water supply projects to minimize the adverse impacts. Through this study, sustainable mitigation measures were proposed accordingly to prevent the impacts and to strengthen the long-term viability of the new Rural Water Supply Scheme.
Highlights
The safety of drinking water is an ongoing concern within the world
The renewable freshwater ecosystems encompass a fraction of 0.3% of total global water resources, where people consume this for drinking, irrigation, agriculture, aquaculture, recreation, transportation, and so on (Arthington )
In terms of upstream point source pollution, two electricity generating powerhouses and two households were identified as the potential pollution sources
Summary
The renewable freshwater ecosystems encompass a fraction of 0.3% of total global water resources, where people consume this for drinking, irrigation, agriculture, aquaculture, recreation, transportation, and so on (Arthington ). Many parts of the world are already limited by the quantity and quality of available water (Arthington ). It is estimated that more than 1.1 billion people suffer without having access to improved drinking-water facilities and, besides, 0.2 billion people exist without improved sanitation (World Health Organization ). More than 70% of the world’s rural population in developing countries do not have access to adequate water supply and sanitation facilities (World Bank ). In special consideration, developing countries that are located in tropical regions are severely affected by these issues (World Health Organization ). The conditions are more critical in South Asian countries; it is stated that 40% of the population in East Asia suffer from improper sanitation and are affected by immobilizing the sanitation-related infirmities (United Nations )
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