Groundwater resilience, security, and safety in the four largest cities in Denmark

Core stakeholders’ engagement and involvement are now a sine qua non of resources administration and management. This followed the emergence of pluralistic forms of governance, which call for greater democracy and emphasises transparency, accountability, inclusivity, and engagement as credentials for sustainable resource management. Nigeria has embraced these pluralistic forms of governance in its water sector as part of efforts to promote sustainable water resource management. However, to successfully engage and involve core stakeholders in the face of myriad urban water supply challenges and achieve optimal outcomes remain a challenge as it is unclear who the core stakeholders are. This study examines Nigerian’s urban water supply system and the extent of the interests of the stakeholders to identify the core stakeholders as an input towards facilitating sustainable water resources management in the country based on a survey of urban water supply experts in the country. The study finds 15 core or primary stakeholders out of 25 stakeholders and note that their core stakeholder status is linked to their direct involvement or connection with the water supply system and its successful running, which is rooted in them being customers or investors or regulators and enforcers of regulation, funders, supervisors, and the need to respect community and social interests. The study concludes that whilst the engagement of all stakeholders is good for sustainable water resources management in Nigeria, engagement, and involvement of the 15 core stakeholders is paramount to the sustainable and successful operations of the country’s urban water supply system.

Proper management of scarce water resources has in recent years become necessary to maintain sustainable societies. This article discusses the management of water resources in Botswana. It highlights the amount of water resources available, relating it to the demand, and observes that the current trend of exploiting these resources will not be sustainable in the long run unless the major strategies suggested herein are adopted. It also looks at the administration of water and water resources in Botswana, focusing on the shared water resources. Government policies and strategies towards sustainable management of scarce water resources are also discussed. The author draws particular attention to the water tariff structure, noting that the prevailing water tariff system promotes sustainable management of water resources.

Đurin, B., & Margeta, J. (November-December, 2017). A new concept for using solar photovoltaic energy in urban water supply systems. Water Technology and Sciences (in Spanish), 8(6), 47-61,DOI: 10.24850/j-tyca-2017-06-04. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems can be applied very well to many areas of the water sector, such as urban water supply systems. This article presents an innovative methodology for using PV energy as a practical and sustainable solution for urban water supply systems. It presents a case study of the principal technological characteristics of an integrated energy-water system. The proposed solution consists of three parts: a PV generator and inverter, a service reservoir, and a pumping station. Given current trends, the proposed solution is slightly more expensive than conventional technologies. Nevertheless, the results obtained confirm the main idea of this research, which is that photovoltaic energy is a promising technology and provides a good solution for obtaining energy, in addition to being hydraulically sustainable urban water supply systems.

The past decades have seen rapid advancements in space-based monitoring of essential water cycle variables, providing products related to precipitation, evapotranspiration, and soil moisture, often at tens of kilometer scales. Whilst these data effectively characterize water cycle variability at regional to global scales, they are less suitable for sustainable management of local water resources, which needs detailed information to represent the spatial heterogeneity of soil and vegetation. The following questions are critical to effectively exploit information from remotely sensed and in situ Earth observations (EOs): How to downscale the global water cycle products to the local scale using multiple sources and scales of EO data? How to explore and apply the downscaled information at the management level for a better understanding of soil-water-vegetation-energy processes? How can such fine-scale information be used to improve the management of soil and water resources? An integrative information flow (i.e., iAqueduct theoretical framework) is developed to close the gaps between satellite water cycle products and local information necessary for sustainable management of water resources. The integrated iAqueduct framework aims to address the abovementioned scientific questions by combining medium-resolution (10 m–1 km) Copernicus satellite data with high-resolution (cm) unmanned aerial system (UAS) data, in situ observations, analytical- and physical-based models, as well as big-data analytics with machine learning algorithms. This paper provides a general overview of the iAqueduct theoretical framework and introduces some preliminary results.

In the global water policy literature, integrating governance principles into water resources management is projected as the best approach to overcome the crisis in water resources management. Therefore, since 1990, many countries, including Ghana, have introduced various changes in their water sector to encourage good governance in the management of the resource. Using interviews and a review of policy and regulatory documents, this study examines recent changes in the water sector in Ghana to identify challenges for good governance in water resources management. The results suggest that the introduction of a new institutional framework and several regulatory mechanisms, including policies, rules, regulations, and laws, has decentralized water management system, increased stakeholder participation, granted voice to marginalized stakeholders, and brought government and communities together in the decision‐making process. However, the results further reveal that several challenges, including institutional barriers, exclusion or underrepresentation of key stakeholders, corruption, multisectoral conflict, collaboration preferences, and others continue to frustrate good governance in water resources management. Deliberately committing to the principles of good governance, amending ineffective regulatory mechanisms, and adequately resourcing regulatory institutions can help avoid many of the challenges in the water sector and propel the country toward sustainable water resources management.

Major Ground Water Development Issues in South Asia- An Overview -- Part I. Groundwater Development Problems in Arid and Semi-Arid & Hilly Areas -- Water Management in Arid and Semi- Arid Areas of India -- Frontiers of Hardrock Hydrogeology in India -- Characterisation of a Deep Saline Aquifer Using Oil Exploration Data in an Arid Region of Rajasthan, India -- Sustainable Management of Groundwater in Hard Rock Aquifers of South Andaman and Rutland Islands, India -- Part II. Ground Water Management in Alluvial and Coastal Areas -- Groundwater Management in Alluvial, Coastal and Hilly Areas -- Findings of Large Ground Water Development Potential in Deeper Aquifers in Karnafully – Feni Interfluves, Chittagong, Bangladesh—A New Scientific Initiative -- Sustainable Water Resource Management in the Indian Sundarbans Delta -- Part III. Conservation of Ground Water -- Conservation of Water: Artificial Recharge to Groundwater -- Interrelationship Between Surface and Groundwater: The Case of West Bengal -- Integrated Watershed Management and Ground Water Recharging – Initiatives of Centre for Ground Water Studies – A Public Private Partnership Endeavour -- Part IV. Advance Research in Ground Water -- Application of Modern Geophysical Techniques for Identification of Groundwater Potential Areas -- Role of Remote Sensing and GIS in Integrated Water Resources Management -- Modeling of Aquifer System: A Tool for Groundwater Management -- Application of Environmental Isotopes in Hydrological Investigation with Case Studies -- Part V. Contaminated Ground Water & its Mitigation -- Arsenic and Fluoride Contamination in Groundwater: Mitigation Strategies -- Community-based Defluoridation of Groundwater by Electrocoagulation Followed by Activated Alumina Adsorption -- Variation of arsenic accumulation in paddy plant with special reference to rice grain and its additional entry during post harvesting technology -- Human Health Hazards due to Arsenic and Fluoride Contamination in Drinking Water and Food Chain -- Arsenic Menace in West Bengal (India) and its Mitigation through Toolbox intervention – An experience to share -- Part VI. Climate Change and its Impact in Ground Water -- Impact of Climate Change on Groundwater System -- Part VII. Community Involvement & Participatory Management -- Participatory groundwater management in the flood plains of north Bihar: Preliminary results of arsenic distribution -- Spring Protection and Management: Examples from Recent Programmes from across India’s Mountainous Regions -- Part VIII. Ground Water Development Issues & Sustainable Solutions -- Ground Water Development Issues & Sustainable Solutions.

The water sector is facing a convergence of systemic challenges generated by climate change, increasing demand, and increasingly stringent regulations, which threaten its operational and strategic sustainability. In this context, the article examines how ESG (environmental, social, governance) principles are integrated into the governance, financing, and management of water resources, with a comparative focus on Romania and the European Union. It aims to assess the extent to which ESG practices contribute to the sustainable transformation of the water sector in the face of growing environmental and socio-economic challenges. The methodology is based on a systematic analysis of policy documents, regulatory frameworks, and ESG standards applicable to the water sector at both national (Romania) and EU levels. This study also investigates investment strategies and their alignment with the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities, enabling a comparative perspective on implementation, gaps and strengths. Findings reveal that while ESG principles are increasingly recognized across Europe, their implementation remains uneven (particularly in Romania) due to unclear standards, limited funding mechanisms, and fragmented policy coordination. ESG integration shows clear potential to foster innovation, improve governance transparency, and support long-term resilience in the water sector. These results underline the need for coherent, integrated policies and stronger institutional coordination to ensure consistent ESG adoption across Member States. Policymakers should prioritize the development of clear guidelines and supportive funding instruments to accelerate sustainable outcomes. The originality of our study lies in its comparative approach, offering an in-depth analysis of ESG integration in the water sector across different governance contexts. It provides valuable insights for advancing policy coherence, investment alignment, and sustainable water resource management at both national and European levels.

The article examines the essence and main goals of the circular economy. The connection between the circular economy and the achievement of the goals of sustainable development has been studied. The positive effect of the introduction of the circular economy for the social, economic and ecological system was determined. Reducing the scarcity of natural resources, as well as the creation of durable goods, allows reducing the negative impact on the environment, which in turn stimulates innovation, which increases competitive advantages in international markets. The peculiarities of the development of circular economy models in developed countries are considered. The peculiarities of the economic category of water and its role in the economy are analyzed. The different roles of water emphasize its uniqueness and prove the difficulty of adopting a unified approach to it in the circular economy. The dynamics of indicators of the water capacity of Ukraine's GDP and volumes of return (waste) water discharged into surface water bodies were analyzed. It was determined that the rethinking of the urban water supply system through the principles of the circular economy and the goals of sustainable development will reduce the amount of polluted water and increase its reuse. It was determined that Ukraine is one of the least water-supplied countries in Europe, the annual runoff reserves available for use per person do not exceed 1,000 m3, while the GDP water capacity indicator remains sufficiently high and exceeds its target value. The dynamics of the indicator of the water capacity of the GDP of Ukraine has been analyzed, it has a tendency to decrease for the years 2015-2022. The characteristic problems of the functioning of urban water supply and drainage systems in the front-line territories and safer cities, where the number of internally displaced people has increased, are analyzed. It was analyzed that not all classic circular economy strategies can be applied to water. Strategies of the circular economy of water are considered and it is emphasized that rethinking is inherent in all water strategies. It has been analyzed that the implementation of the circular economy may face financial, bureaucratic and behavioral problems and regulatory, legislative, managerial and implementation obstacles. Keywords: circular economy, water resources, sustainable development, integrated management of water resources, state policy, goals of sustainable development, strategies, economic model, water supply and drainage system

Paper describes and analyses new and innovative concept for possible integration of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy in urban water supply system (UWSS). Proposed system consists of PV generator and invertor, pump station and water reservoir. System is sized in such a manner that every his part is sized separately and after this integrated into a whole. This integration is desirable for several reasons, where the most important is the achievement of the objectives of sustainable living in urban areas i.e. achieving of sustainable urban water supply system. The biggest technological challenge associated with the use of solar, wind and other intermittent renewable energy sources RES is the realization of economically and environmentally friendly electric energy storage (EES). The paper elaborates the use of water reservoires in UWSS as EES. The proposed solution is still more expensive than the traditional and is economically acceptable today in the cases of isolated urban water system and special situations. Wider application will depend on the future trends of energy prices, construction costs of PV generators and needs for CO2 reduction by urban water infrastructure.

Introduction. The management and efficient use of water resources is a crucial and extremely acute problem. This study focuses on geographic information systems (GIS) as a tool for the resilient management and monitoring of water resources. The objective was to create and implement a GIS-based model for managing and monitoring water resources by developing a system of indicators. This model presents future scenarios for Bulgaria based on the assessment of indicators for resilient management and the efficient use of water resources. Aim and tasks. This study aims to develop and implement a GIS-based model that integrates technical, economic, social, and environmental indicators for the resilient management and monitoring of water resources in Bulgaria. This study focuses on opportunities to improve the effective management and rational allocation of water resources in Bulgaria using geographic information systems. Results. A comprehensive system of indicators for assessing sustainable water management in Bulgaria was developed, considering economic, technical, social, and environmental criteria. The calculation of the composite index showed a low level of efficiency, and the main problems were water losses during transportation of up to 55-60%, a reduction in investments in wastewater disposal by 40% (2016-2023) and a low level of reuse of treated wastewater. The GIS-based model revealed significant territorial differences in the state of water resources and consumption in Bulgaria. Key problems include high losses in the water supply network, water use for hydropower, and poor water infrastructure, which affect the resilience of water management. Irrational consumption and storage may lead to serious water supply issues in key regions of the country. Conclusions. Geographic information systems enable the improvement of water resource management by integrating and processing large amounts of data. In response to the identified research questions, the current state of Bulgaria’s water sector was analysed and assessed. The key factors affecting the sustainable management and use of water resources and territorial imbalances in rational water use were identified. Developing a comprehensive strategy that includes infrastructure modernisation, introducing water-saving technologies and improved management efficiency can overcome structural problems in the water sector and prevent water resource shortages.

Since the 1990s the sustainability concept, i.e. addressing social, economic, environmental and inter-generational issues, is widely acknowledged as guiding principle of natural resource management and governance. In the water sector this is reflected in Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), which aims at integrated, economically, socially and environmentally sustainable use of water resources. Faced with climate change, governance of natural resources is confronted with unprecedented situations and past experience may no longer provide reliable guidance for the future. This has been termed the adaptation deficit of water resource management. The question arises in how far IWRM is able to deal with challenges such as decreasing water availability and uncertainty in water supply. To maintain the long-term sustainability of the water sector, its ability to adapt to unforeseen events needs to increase, i.e. (as part of disaster risk management) adaptation needs to become integral part of the governance of water resources. Governance structures need to be developed which enable stakeholders to cope with the challenges and uncertainties of climate change. Increasing both the sustainability and the adaptive capacity will thus be one of the major future challenges for the water sector and serve as contributions to disaster risk management. This paper addresses the question in how far IWRM besides supporting the sustainable management of water resources is prepared for increasing the adaptive capacity of the water sector. This is achieved by examining the features of IWRM regarding their contribution towards increasing the adaptive capacity of water governance regimes. The paper also identifies additional features which would be required for further increasing the adaptive capacity of water governance and management.

Public participation in integrated water resources management: the case of Tanzania

Agriculture is the most water-consuming sector in the Mediterranean region, accounting for up to 70% of total uses in southern regions. Addressing this high demand while fostering socio-economic growth necessitates improving irrigation efficiency and water productivity. However, the dual pressures of climate change and population growth threaten water availability and increase agricultural water demand. Effective water resource management faces challenges, including sectoral policy conflicts, fragmented governance, inefficient water use across overlapping domains, and the lack of integrated digital tools to optimize water allocation and monitor usage effectively. Digital transformation in the water sector is pivotal for sustainable Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). Advanced digital tools enable comprehensive monitoring, analysis, and decision-making within a unified framework, enhancing cross-sectoral coordination and supporting sustainable growth. However, for these tools to impact water governance, they must be user-friendly and collaboratively developed with stakeholders and end-users from diverse fields to ensure acceptance and practical application.For these reasons, we carried out this work, aiming to develop a real-time digital platform for irrigation optimization and water resource management, leveraging Living Labs to ensure the tools meet local needs and challenges and then combining digital innovation and participatory methods to enhance IWRM and sustainable irrigation at farm and basin scales. The work employs a suite of innovative tools, including IoT sensors for real-time monitoring, Web of Things technology for interoperability, and advanced modeling tools for efficient operations and decision support. Two interactive dashboards were developed: one for farm-level irrigation management and the other for basin-scale decision-making. Real-time data collected through sensors is stored in a OGC SensorThings compliant database, enabling models to estimate crop water requirements and assess sectoral water consumption. The platform has been developed and tested in four Mediterranean case studies: Italy's Tirso River Basin, Jordan's Central  Jordan River Basin, Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, and Tunisia's Jeffara Plain. These regions face acute water scarcity and climate challenges, making them ideal testbeds for the proposed solutions. Living Labs in these areas facilitate collaboration with farmers and decision-makers, ensuring that tools are tailored to local needs. Two series of workshop were conducted in the four pilot areas: the first aimed at collecting local needs and expectation from the digitalization of the water accounting, and the second focused on presenting initial platformn advancement refining functionalities based on local feedback, training end-users, and assessing the tools effectiveness. This feedback loop ensures continuous improvement and alignment with stakeholders' expectations. Simultaneously, data were collected both from installed sensors and from existing monitoring tools, in order to calibrate the irrigation model at farm scale and the hydrological model at basin scale.The integration of digital tools with participatory engagement enables simulation of complex interactions between environmental and socio-economic factors over different timeframes. This holistic approach enhances decision-making and informs policy recommendations, supporting climate change adaptation and sustainable water resource management in the Mediterranean region.This work is conducted as part of the ACQUAOUNT PRIMA Project, which aims to advance digital innovation and participatory approaches for sustainable water resource management in the Mediterranean region.

The water sector in Somalia is fragmented and needs coordination to establish a functioning water governance system. Therefore, commitments from all affected stakeholders are needed to support water resources development in Somalia. This paper proposed a water compact for Somalia that can address all water sector challenges to approach sustainability. The paper starts by analyzing water sector stakeholders in Somalia, describing their missions and relationship with the compact, categorizing all selected stakeholders based on their power and interest, and identifying key stakeholders. Based on the outcome from the national workshop and the literature, a water compact was proposed highlighting possible actions to solve the identified challenges. The compact covered four thematic areas: water governance, water use and services, water resilience, and integrated water resources management, which were discussed by all engaged stakeholders in a national workshop. The water compact will ensure sustainable water resources management. The paper highlighted the need for engaging the local media and the local people to get the much needed and valued feedback for possible interventions.

Integrated multi-objective optimization framework for urban water supply systems under alternative climates and future policy