Environmental Information in European Transboundary Water Management

Cooperative management of transboundary river basins is widely recognized as important. Emphasis on joint management of shared aquifers has also grown in recent years. Perhaps surprisingly, despite abundant focus on transboundary surface water and growing focus on shared groundwater, there is scant focus on their intersection. To address this knowledge limitation, this article reviews experiences in transboundary water treaties oriented toward different water sources, in order to: (i) understand how transboundary water institutions vary according to the water source to which they are oriented, (ii) gauge the nature and strength of conjunctive transboundary water management treaties, and (iii) identify ways to enhance conjunctive water management in transboundary contexts. The results reveal the existence of more than 50 treaties that make mention of both water sources. Nonetheless, only eight treaties devote ‘substantive’ focus to both surface and groundwater. Review of treaty contents reveals that their focus is on ‘softer’ issues related to institutional development. Moving forward, the reality that the evolution of conjunctive treaties is relatively nascent, and that scope of such treaties is still limited to institutional issues, may indicate large untapped potential – it may be time to outline pathways toward practical implementation of conjunctive water management in transboundary contexts.

This book examines the political economy that governs the management of international transboundary river basins in the developing world. These shared rivers are the setting for irrigation, hydropower and flood management projects as well as water transfer schemes. Often, these projects attempt to engineer the river basin with deep political, socio-economic and environmental implications. The politics of transboundary river basin management sheds light on the challenges concerning sustainable development, water allocation and utilization between sovereign states. Advancing conceptual thinking beyond simplistic analyses of river basins in conflict or cooperation, the author proposes a new analytical framework. The Transboundary Waters Interaction NexuS (TWINS) examines the coexistence of conflict and cooperation in riparian interaction. This framework highlights the importance of power relations between basin states that determine negotiation processes and institutions of water resources management. The analysis illustrates the way river basin management is framed by powerful elite decision-makers, combined with geopolitical factors and geographical imaginations. In addition, the book explains how national development strategies and water resources demands have a significant role in shaping the intensities of conflict and cooperation at the international level. The book draws on detailed case studies from the Ganges River basin in South Asia, the Orange–Senqu River basin in Southern Africa and the Mekong River basin in Southeast Asia, providing key insights on equity and power asymmetry applicable to other basins in the developing world.

The governments of the American states recognized the importance of the integrated management of water resources when they approved the Action Plan for Sustainable Development of the Americas at the Summit of the Americas for Sustainable Development (Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, December 2001), thus giving a new official thrust to this issue. The heads of state and presidents of the American countries delegated to the Organization of American States (OAS) General Secretariat the responsibility for supervising this action plan. In order to do so, the General Secretariat has made use of its comparative advantage in dealing with groups of countries in the Americas by working on the management of transboundary river basins. The Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment (USDE)1 of the OAS supports specific agreements that bring together different countries with similar objectives to work together in the management of the key transboundary basins, sharing experiences and supporting the development of national and regional policies. In this chapter, I describe some of the activities of the OAS in support of transboundary water resources management in the Americas.

Around the world, state water management organizations are the agents delegated to implement basin-level integrated water resources management strategies. In Central Asia, the hydrographic water management—deeming a river basin or a catchment area a proper water management unit—is a widely accepted concept. Yet, state water bureaucracies are incapable and/or reluctant to interact on water management with the “outsiders”, both domestically and internationally. To overcome this shortcoming, basin councils are promoted as formalized platforms to facilitate inter-sectoral dialogue, and likewise, to support local participatory processes within river basin planning and management. The approach offers a framework of integrating water sector planning and management with environmental, social and economic agendas of a given basin. State water management organizations are designated the role of technical secretariats of such basin councils which should be facilitating and helping to improve other stakeholders’ behavioral response in watersheds. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the process of implementation of the river basin model through the theory of change based on issues, challenges and recommendations identified in the transboundary Central Asian Isfara River Basin shared by Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

The water resource management of transboundary mountainous river basins under climate change is expected to be challenging. In order to contribute to the better understanding of climate change effects on the water resources of the mountainous and transboundary Prespa Lakes basin, a hydrological model of the Agios Germanos River, one of the main rivers discharging to Great Prespa Lake, was developed, and two water management plans under two different climate scenarios were examined. Based on the results, the impact of climate change on surface water resources was evident in all climate change scenarios examined, even under the most favorable water abstraction practices. Nevertheless, sensible water management can moderate the impact of climate change by up to 10% in an optimistic scenario in both the near- and long-term, and by up to 6% and 1% for the near- and long-term, respectively, in a pessimistic scenario. Integrated water management practices that moderate the impact of climate change on the water ecosystem services should be prioritized. Nature-based approaches could provide solutions regarding climate change adaptation and mitigation. Transboundary cooperation, data exchange mechanisms, common policy frameworks, and monitoring, reporting, and evaluation systems, could reduce human and ecosystems’ vulnerabilities and improve the water security of the area.

This study examines the relationship between agricultural practices, land abandonment, and the generation of dust storms in the transboundary Tigris and Euphrates River Basin (TERB) from 2000 to 2021.Problem Statement: Dust storms have emerged as a significant concern in the Middle East, driven by both droughts and anthropogenic activities, particularly in the context of land and water management. These dust storms inflict damage on infrastructure, diminish agricultural productivity, and pose considerable health risks within transboundary river basins. The objective of this study is to identify the underlying drivers of dust storm source generation, with a specific emphasis on the impact of farming patterns and land abandonment following the cropping season.Methodology: The research integrates spatio-temporal maps that depict land susceptibility to dust storms with agricultural land-use change maps. For this, satellite data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) were utilized to identify sources of dust storms. Additionally, machine learning algorithms were employed, incorporating hydrological, topographical, and climatic variables to create dust storm susceptibility maps. Land use and land cover (LULC) data were categorized into bare ground, single cropping, double cropping, and other vegetative types. The study subsequently analyzed the correlations between dust storm sources, land susceptibility, and LULC, focusing on how agricultural practices and land abandonment contribute to the generation of dust storm sources.Results and Discussion: The analysis indicated a significant correlation between highly susceptible land and an increase in bare ground. The majority of identified dust sources were located on bare ground. Areas designated for single cropping exhibited a higher susceptibility to dust storms compared to those allocated for double cropping. The findings also revealed that annual rainfall has a substantial impact on the percentage of bare ground and the prevalence of dust sources, often with a delay of one year. For example, increased rainfall in 2018 resulted in a decrease in bare ground and dust sources in 2019, while reduced rainfall in 2020 contributed to an increase in bare ground and dust sources in 2021. Although land abandonment following cropping demonstrated a significant potential for dust storm source generation, the conversion of bare ground to cropland effectively lowered dust storm susceptibility, suggesting an inverse relationship between cropping intensity and land vulnerability to dust storms. The results further illustrated that lands that alternate between cropping and fallow periods or are abandoned after cropping are more prone to wind erosion and dust generation.Conclusion: This study underscores that climate variability and human activities, particularly agricultural practices and land abandonment, are the principal factors influencing dust storm source generation in the TERB. The research emphasizes the critical importance of maintaining year-round vegetation cover, particularly in double cropping systems, as a means of mitigating dust storms. The conclusion drawn from this study advocates for the implementation of sustainable land and water management practices to reduce vulnerability to dust storms, and it calls for further research to explore transboundary water and land management strategies aimed at mitigating the impacts of dust storms.

Simulation of streamflow and instream loads of total suspended solids and nitrate in a large transboundary river basin using Source model and geospatial analysis

Preface. 1. The global water crisis : Problems and perspectives. Environmentally sustainable water use for sustainable development and enhancing security in Central Asia D.H. Smith. On the problem of the Caspian Sea level forecasting Bolgov, M V. et al. 2. Regional experiences in solving water problems in Central Asia. Regional experiences in water resources problem solving in Kyrgyzstan D. Mamatkanov. Regional experience in solving problems of water resources in Uzbekistan Sh. Kh. Rakhimov. Regional experiences in solving of water resources problems in Tajikistan I. Normatov. 3: Problems and management of transboundary water resources. Challenges of transboundary water management in the Danube River basin J. Bendow. Transboundary water problems in the basin of the Irtysh River Vinokurov, YU.I. et al. Transboundary water problems in the Kur-Araz basin Mamedov, R.M. et al. 4. Ecological and economic aspects of water management. Nature conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity R. K. Kinzelbach. Sustainable water management in Europe- The water framework directive H. Jekel. The role of economics to promote a sustainable use and management of transboundary water resources P. Hellegers. 5. Scientific analysis and tools of water changes. Satellite altimetry for monitoring lake level changes Cretaux, J.-F. et al. 6. Strategic implications of water access. Treaty principles and patterns: Selected international water agreements as lessons for the resolution of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya water dispute S. Dinar. Critical Geography - The strategic influence of water in Central Asia P.H. Liotta

Effectiveness of environmental management institutions in sustainable water resources management in the upper Pungwe River basin, Zimbabwe

Transboundary river catchment areas of developing countries: Potential and limitations of watershed models for the simulation of sediment and nutrient loads. A review

Water, energy, and food challenges in Central Asia are critical issues, particularly in transboundary river basins like the Amudarya river, where competing demands for limited water resources exacerbate environmental and socio-economic pressures. In Central Asia, e.g. Amudarya river is essential basin for sustainable agriculture in downstream countries like Uzbekistan, which faces significant threats from upstream development projects such as the construction of Rogun Dam in Tajikistan and Qosh Tepa canal in Afghanistan. These ongoing projects are anticipated to decrease water flow significantly, which could severely affect for irrigation systems, increasing energy demands for pumping, and place considerable pressure on agricultural productivity and socio-economic stability. The work presented here aims to integrate water and energy system models to explore water-energy interactions and find sustainable solutions under different scenarios for changes in climate, land, energy and water resources. We use IRENA Flextool for energy and couple it with CWatM and Open Global Glacier Model as hydrological and glacial models, respectively. The presentation will present the current phase of water and energy system analysis of the selected region in Central Asia as well as the current development of model integration. The modelling approach is guided by transboundary case studies from the Tajikistan and Uzbekistan region where transboundary water and energy resources management are characterized by potentially different priorities upstream and downstream countries. The energy system models looks at the operations for power production and is used for planning investments in technologies to support the energy transition in the regions. Hydropower operations are, and will be, strongly influenced by the water availability e.g. precipitations, glaciers, and specific river basins have been selected to assess their operations while integrating an increasing amount of variable renewable energy sources. The water demand, mainly driven by the agricultural activities in Uzbekistan, is dependent on the water available and released from the upstream, both affecting the hydropower production and the transboundary relations. The local and regional setting analysis provides the basis for scenario development on future climate land, energy and water. These water and energy management settings are discussed by examples from the region with the focus on the nexus between water, energy and land.

Interdependency between river basin water retention capacity and different types of water erosion is well documented and recognized by researchers and practitioners. Erosion adverse effects on sustainable water and land management from local (catchment/ drainage scale) to river basin level are various and generated by natural and anthropogenic drivers. The solutions and measures to address these issues span across Multilateral Environmental Agreements, sectoral policies and legal framework. Consequently, the effective cooperation among different sectors, stakeholders and decision makers is required from local catchment to transboundary river basin level. Natural water retention measures (NWRM) multi-functionality in addressing water-related challenges by integrating different policy objectives at the river basin scale, increased their relevance identification in river basin management plans. Selected NWRM with medium to high benefits with respect to erosion reduction, sediment delivery, flood risk reduction, etc., are summarized. The main steps in flood risk management, “win-win” measures identification by Tisza countries and NWRM included in the Integrated Tisza River Basin Management Plan (2019) are presented. Well-structured data collection approach for different policies integration instead of underlying differences and discrepancies is a good starting point for the productive shared river basins management and governance. If the implementation of the NWRM have potential downstream cumulative effects on low flow water regime the mechanism for evaluation of potential consequences has to be established and defined.

This review employs academic and policy literature to gage the relative importance and concerns associated with the main challenges facing the management of transboundary river basins: increasing pressures; management and policy that has not kept pace with a broadened set of actors; the influence of climate change; and the politics of reconciling political borders and basin boundaries. The persistence of the supply‐side management philosophy within current political economies is also reviewed, along with infrastructure and institutional responses to the challenges (e.g., IWRM, dams, treaties). An analytical frame developed from the review is applied to three basins where there has been successful, considerable, or no effort at transboundary basin management: the Rhine, the Nile, and the Euphrates. International politics and national self‐interest are found to be the key challenge facing international basins, though each of the challenges is interconnected and should be considered in combination. If transboundary basin management is to confront the challenges successfully, it should develop along two paths: away from a supply‐side management paradigm toward adaptive management, and away from sovereignty and unilateralism to multilateralism. While infrastructure built under a paradigm of reducing uncertainty is found to reduce the adaptation options set, adaptive management that can make the most of the increasingly diverse governance and confront the supply‐management philosophy is seen as best‐suited to meet future challenges. The disabling effect of sovereignty and international politics may best be addressed by confronting resistance of the promotion of ‘shared sovereignty’ and fair water‐sharing. WIREs Clim Change 2013, 4:331–349. doi: 10.1002/wcc.228This article is categorized under: Climate and Development > Social Justice and the Politics of Development

Anthropogenic pressures, climate change, and hydro-politics pose significant risks for sustainable transboundary river basin management. We reviewed 4237 publications using machine learning and conducted a desk review of 325 publications, analyzing 4713 case studies across 286 basins. Our objectives were to: assess major perspectives and key research themes; analyse how they vary based on basin size, location, runoff, water withdrawal, discharge, and consumption; and reflect on implications for sustainable basin management. Findings show that the volume of research in the global south is disproportionately small compared to basin population size, water withdrawals and water consumption. Moreover, research is predominantly led by global north institutions, shaping study themes and locations. While research in the global south focuses on hydro-politics and natural hazards, the global north emphasizes landscape ecology and governance. These insights highlight the need for more comprehensive assessments in the global south to support sustainable management of transboundary river basins.

The purpose of this chapter is to understand the impact of domestic water policies on international transboundary water development and management. Transboundary water allocation and river development are part of a political process in which different interests of basin states are reflected. The chapter posits that the national hydrocracy can execute control over the promotion or demotion of water allocation rules and policies, and water development plans in transboundary river basins. The chapter analyzes Thailand’s political economy of water and how the domestic water development progress has manifested in the formation and operation of the regional water management institutions: the Mekong Committee, the Interim Mekong Committee, and the Mekong River Commission. The chapter uses the concepts of hydraulic mission and reflexive modernity to analyze water management paradigms. By showing the progress of water development and the supporting water policies, the chapter examines the concerns of the Thai hydrocracy vis-a-vis regional water management. Specifically, it will be shown how the Thai hydrocracy politicized and securitized issues of water allocation and utilization based on their water development plans and concerns of institutional rules. Some policy implications regarding the way domestic policies can impact transboundary water management, especially transboundary IWRM, are discussed.