Adoption Of Water-saving Technologies Research Articles

An integrated approach to water conservation: fuzzy logic assessment of water tariffs in Abu Dhabi Emirate’s residential sector

BackgroundAbu Dhabi, a part of the United Arab Emirates, is situated in an arid region where water scarcity is a significant concern. The residential sector in Abu Dhabi consumes a large portion of the available water resources, leading to a critical need for effective water management strategies. This study aims to understand the relationship between water tariffs and water consumption in the residential sector in Abu Dhabi. It employs an integrated fuzzy logic model, a form of artificial intelligence, to assess the impact of water tariffs on water consumption. The model includes variables such as water tariffs, the level of water awareness, the level of water behavior, and the level of technology use. The objective of these variables is to evaluate their impact on the water-saving index, which represents the ratio of daily water consumption per capita in Abu Dhabi to the global average.ResultsThe findings of this study, based on a survey measuring the level of water awareness, behavior, and technology use, revealed a potential strategy for reducing water consumption in Abu Dhabi’s residential sector. It was observed that increasing water tariffs, while maintaining current levels of water awareness, behavior, and technology use, could lead to a reduction in water consumption. However, it was also found that the impact of further tariff increases on water conservation diminishes after a certain threshold, indicating the necessity of a balanced approach in tariff adjustment. Interestingly, the study also highlights that Abu Dhabi residents demonstrate high levels of water behavior and technology use, indicating a positive trend toward water conservation.ConclusionsThis study emphasizes the importance of increasing water awareness among Abu Dhabi residents as a means to foster sustainable water consumption practices. While water tariffs can contribute to reductions in water consumption, the effects tend to decrease beyond a certain point. Therefore, a comprehensive approach involving water tariffs, increased water awareness, and the adoption of water-saving technologies may be the most effective strategy for water conservation. The insights from this study extend beyond Abu Dhabi and offer valuable guidance for addressing water conservation challenges worldwide. It highlights the importance of adopting a multi-faceted approach in water management, and the potential for such strategies to have international relevance in the pursuit of sustainable water consumption.

Can Property Rights Reform of China’s Agricultural Water Facilities Improve the Quality of Facility Maintenance and Enhance Farmers’ Water Conservation Behavior?—A Typical Case from Yunnan Province, China

Currently, China is facing the problems of chaotic governance of end-use agricultural water conservancy facilities and a serious waste of agricultural water. To address the above issues, China launched a pilot policy of reforming the property rights of agricultural water facilities in 2014. In this study, we obtained data from 328 farm households through a microscopic study of the pilot property rights reform in Yunnan Province. We found that the reform has resulted in two typical property rights models: “Multiple cooperative governance” and “Private contract governance”. The impact of the reform on the maintenance quality of irrigation facilities and farmers’ water-saving technology adoption behavior was empirically analyzed using the Oprobit and IV-Oprobit methods. The study found that: (1) the property rights reform significantly improved the quality of maintenance of facilities while promoting farmers’ water-saving technology adoption behavior. (2) Heterogeneity analysis revealed that the degree of non-farming of farmers had a negative moderating effect on the quality of facility maintenance and a positive moderating effect on the adoption of water-saving technologies, and the physical health of farmers had a negative moderating effect on the quality of facility maintenance. (3) There was no significant difference in the quality of facility maintenance between the “Private contract model” and the “Multiple cooperative governance model”, but the former had higher water supply capacity; in addition, farmers under the “Multiple cooperative governance model” mainly used drip irrigation technology, whereas farmers under the “Private contract governance model” mainly used sprinkler irrigation technology. The findings of this study provide Chinese experience in promoting the governance of agricultural water facilities and promoting the water-saving behavior of farmers.

Impacts of Water and Energy Sector Reforms in Gujarat: The Case of Expansion of Micro Irrigation Schemes and Rationalisation of Agricultural Power Tariff

Against the backdrop of the water and energy sector reforms enunciated by the state government in Gujarat, this paper reviews the important policy changes and outcomes of farm-level adoption of water-saving technologies, on the one hand, and the effective implementation of energy tariff policies, on the other hand. Following an assessment of the water and energy policy and regulatory interventions, the paper provides an overview of the farm-level adoption micro irrigation (sprinkler and drip irrigation) systems over the past one decade of the policy reforms. The paper then examines the case of energy sector reforms enunciated by the state in coordination with the energy regulator through establishment of the distribution companies (DISCOMs). The paper brings out that the policy and regulatory interventions in the water and energy (power) sectors have been successful in terms of wider promotion of micro irrigation systems and deregulation of power generation and distribution activities by establishing dedicated DISCOMs. Thus, the policy initiatives were able to address several challenges facing the water and energy sectors in the state. Firstly, the wide-scale promotion of micro irrigation schemes has significantly reduced the groundwater over-extraction for agriculture. Second, the energy sector reforms have shown a significant progress towards rationalisation of tariffs across sectors. However, it emerges that the policy and regulatory reforms need to (i) go beyond the narrow confines of promotion of micro irrigation systems towards sustainable management of water resources and (ii) move beyond rationalisation of power tariffs by offering sustainable solutions to the problems of water and energy security amidst increasing competition for inter-sectoral allocations. Essentially, the energy sector policies and reforms may explore the potential of renewable energy sources through decentralised investments in solar and wind energy systems in the rural areas involving different public–private community partnership models.

Adoption of modern irrigation technologies in the presence of water theft and corruption: evidence from public irrigated areas in Medjez-el-Bab

Abstract Water theft carried out by manipulating water meters constrains the implementation of water-saving technologies, which themselves affect the incentives for theft. Using a theoretical model of centralized management, we show that theft is more likely when water prices and monitoring costs are high and punishment levels are weak. Adoption of water-saving technologies is more likely when monitoring costs are low and water prices are high, though only within the range of low to medium prices. The basic analysis is extended to allow for collusion between cheating farmers and the monitor. In the model, we show that collusion is more likely when punishments are weak. We test the model predictions, using data from Tunisia for the years 2012–18, relying on instruments that proxy for unobservable monitoring costs. We use the inverse probability weighting (IPW) method to correct for the potential bias arising from non-random sample selection. Although the econometric evidence supports the majority of the theoretical findings, various economic, socioeconomic, physical, and geographical factors can counteract or supplement these effects.

Policy incentives, value perception and farmers’ adoption of water-saving technologies:An empirical analysis based on 1188 farmers in Hebei, Shandong, and Henan

Policy incentives, value perception and farmers’ adoption of water-saving technologies:An empirical analysis based on 1188 farmers in Hebei, Shandong, and Henan

Analysis of Regional Water and Energy Consumption Considering Economic Development

The evaluation of regional water and energy consumption is of great significance to improving regional resource utilization. This paper analyzed the water and energy footprints in different provinces of China, considering regional economic levels. The results indicate: (1) both the largest water footprint and water footprint per capita were in Xinjiang and agriculture had the largest value; (2) Shandong was the largest energy consumer, Ningxia had the largest energy footprint per capita, and coal occupied the largest proportion for the top five energy footprint provinces; and (3) the resource input–output efficiencies in Beijing and Fujian were high, while water and energy consumption were low and gross regional product was high, compared with the average value of China. The situations in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia were opposite. The change of consumption pattern for each inhabitant, the adoption of water-saving technology, and an increase to water-saving awareness would be helpful to decrease regional water consumption. An increase of regional energy use efficiency and a change to reduced energy consumption would contribute to the decreasing of regional energy consumption. More attention should be paid to renewable and clean Energies. In addition to solution from the local perspective, the virtual water trade and the energy product trade may relieve regional resource pressure in some extent, and the possible influencing should be considered at the same time. This paper could provide suggestions for regional resource utilization and sustainable development.

Influence of Krishi Vigyan Kendras and Socio-Economic Characteristics towards Adoption of Climate-Resilient Technologies

Indian economy is mostly dependent on agriculture but climate change is the most threatening phenomena and addressing it as the biggest challenge now a days. ‘In order to reduce the climate change adversities, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) with the help of different Krishi vigyan Kendra (KVKs) operated a project called “National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture”. To know the impact of the project a study was conducted in KVKs (i.e., NICRA, KVKs) of two districts of North Bengal i.e., Cooch Behar and Malda. One adopted village and one non adopted village adjacent to adopted village (as control area) were selected for study from each KVK-area. From each village 30 respondents were selected randomly i.e., 60 respondents from adopted village and 60 respondents from non-adopted village. A total of 120 respondents were taken for the research work. The result from this study shows that in the level of awareness, adoption of water-saving technology, in-situ moisture conservation technology, water harvesting, recycling technology and other climate-resilient technologies the mean awareness and adoption score is more in the adopted village than in the non adopted village. The education of household head, total land holding, outside contact score, total yearly income of the family, extent of participation, exposure to interpersonal media, household power access status, level of awareness on climate resilient technology and extent of association with KVK are positively and significantly associated with adoption score. It is also found that in non-adopted villages the socio-economic variables are influencing more towards adoption of climate-resilient technology, whereas, in adopted villages it is due to the association with KVK.

Water scarcity and adoption of water-saving irrigation technologies in groundwater over-exploited areas in the North China Plain

Water-saving technologies (WSTs) have been publicized for many years in the North China Plain. However, WSTs are not well accepted and farmers have a preference for traditional irrigation technology rather than modern ones. This paper examines determinants of adopting traditional or modern WSTs, especially effects of water scarcity. Using cross-sectional data of 267 farm households, we first categorized households into two groups—poorly endowed and well endowed in terms of a water scarcity index produced by principal component analysis (PCA). Then, a bivariate probit model is used to analyze how water scarcity influences farmers’ technology adoption decisions. The study found that the different factors influence technology adoptions between poorly and well-endowed households. Farm size and membership are found to have a significant effect on the adoption of WSTs only in poorly endowed households. Other factors (education, extensive service, relatives, water scarcity index, and irrigation cost) not only influence the poorly endowed but also have an impact on the well endowed. What is more, different factors are found to affect adoption of traditional technology (furrow irrigation) and modern technology (underground pipes), respectively. It is also found that family labor and plots only significantly influence the adoption of furrow irrigation while information quality and labor-saving potential are significantly associated with the adoption of underground pipes. In particular, off-farm work has a positive effect on adoption of underground pipes but has a negative effect on adoption of furrow irrigation. Therefore, different strategies of WST promotion should be taken to different households and different technologies.

Cotton farmers' adaptation to arid climates: Waiting times to adopt water-saving technology

Water-saving irrigation technology is an effective way for agriculture to adapt to the arid climate. Shortening farmers’ waiting times to adopt such technology is important for saving water resources and stabilizing agricultural production. This study analyzed the impact of capital endowment on Xinjiang cotton farmers' adoption willingness, adoption decisions, and waiting time. Results showed that capital endowments significantly affect cotton farmers' adoption of water-saving technologies (WST) in all dimensions. Specifically, the scale of cotton planting had a significant positive impact on the willingness and decision of cotton farmers to adopt WST, and it could significantly reduce the adoption wait time. Simultaneously, neighbors’ adoption decisions, policy subsidies, and membership of a cooperative could reduce cotton farmers’ wait times. Land transfer was one of the livelihood strategies cotton farmers used to adjust household resource allocations or to adapt to arid climate. Land rental also could help reduce the wait time for WST. These results and impacts provided policy optimization direction to reduce the waiting time of farmers to adopt water-saving technology, which was helpful to save agricultural water and for farmers adapt to drought climate change quickly. At the end of the study, combined with the situation of China, from the crop planting structure, land system reform, and effective community governance, we discussed several research directions to improve farmers' drought climate adaptability.

Evaluation of Environmental Impacts Due to Blue Water Consumption in China from Production and Consumption Perspectives.

Current environmental impact analyses are mainly focused on land, soil, energy, and material consumption, while studies regarding blue water consumption are scarce. Based on the water footprint concept, this study evaluates the impacts of blue water consumption on human health, ecosystem quality, and water resources in China from the production and consumption perspective, respectively. The results indicate that environmental impacts due to blue water consumption in China were 15.82 × 106 DALY (disability-adjusted life years), 96.54 × 109 m2∙year, and 175.20 × 109 MJ, and provinces such as Xinjiang, Shandong, and Hebei could be targets for achieving smaller environmental impacts in the future. More than 80% of environmental impacts were related to the agricultural sector. In terms of agricultural production, about 70% of the environmental impacts were related to product export. Measures such as the shift of the agricultural production pattern from water-intensive crops and animal products toward less water-intensive ones, the increase of agricultural water use efficiency, and the adoption of water-saving technologies could contribute to smaller environmental impacts. In terms of agricultural consumption, more than 95% of the environmental impacts were related to agricultural products produced locally. The focus was on increasing awareness of the importance of saving water and whether products were imported from regions with relatively small environmental impacts.

Econometric Analysis of Factors Affecting Farmers' Adoption of Water Saving Technologies: A Case Study of Raised-bed Technology in Egypt

Econometric Analysis of Factors Affecting Farmers' Adoption of Water Saving Technologies: A Case Study of Raised-bed Technology in Egypt

Collective irrigation reloaded. Re-collection and re-moralization of water management after privatization in Spain

In recent decades, water has been subjected to different commodification and de-collectivization processes. Increasingly, this is also affecting collective irrigation water management. Critical analysis of this privatization and de-collectivization wave in the irrigation sector has mainly focused on neoliberal institutional policies and market-oriented legislation. However, subtly and silently but equally determinant, the adoption of water-saving technologies is fostering the penetration of private enterprise and market-based governance into these hydro-social settings. This paper discusses this phenomenon through a case study of the community of Senyera in Valencia, Spain, tracking the privatization and subsequent contestation and re-takeover of water management by irrigation system users. The article shows how privatization removes users’ autonomy in the name of common well-being, and increases irrigation costs in a context of little transparency. But the case also highlights users’ capacity to re-value and re-signify their past collective action, remembering and ‘re-membering to’ the collective. Senyera water users critically and reflexively analyse privatization, reconstruct societal relationships around and embedded inside the new technology, and re-collectivize and re-moralize irrigation management in a new hydro-social scenario.

Level of Knowledge and Adoption of Water Saving Technologies by farmers in Sri Muktsar Sahib District of Punjab

Level of Knowledge and Adoption of Water Saving Technologies by farmers in Sri Muktsar Sahib District of Punjab

Problems Faced by the Farmers regarding Adoption of Water Saving Technologies in Patiala District of Punjab

The study was undertaken with the objective of examine the problems faced by farmers regarding adoption of water saving technologies and to get suggestions from them. In order to achieve the objectives of the study six villages from two blocks of Patiala were selected purposively. Twenty farmers from each village were selected randomly. Thus, a total of one hundred twenty farmers were selected for this study. Finding of the study revealed that most of the respondents were in the age group of 41–52 years, educated up to matric and had operational land holding of 10–25 acres. Majority of the respondents belonged to low mass media exposure, extension contacts, and participation in extension activities. Weeds were the major problem faced by the respondents in direct seeded rice. Majority of zero tillage in wheat adopters had faced problem in management of rice straw to clean their fields. In zero tillage, more than half of the respondents faced problem of rodent attack in their field and lack of access to required information was found to be the major constraint faced by adopters. In laser leveler, high rent and non availability of laser leveler were the problems faced by the respondents.

Adoption of water-saving technology in agriculture: The case of laser levelers

Abstract Water saving agricultural technologies like laser leveling are a potentially important but under-utilized lever to conserve groundwater in India. We report findings from a survey about laser leveler adoption among farmers in Punjab in India. Despite high private returns, many farmers have not invested in laser leveling when it was available. We investigate factors associated with (and impediments to) adoption, including financial constraints and social network influence.

Is irrigation water price an effective leverage for water management? An empirical study in the middle reaches of the Heihe River basin

Serious water scarcity, low water-use efficiency, and over-exploitation of underground water have hindered socio-economic development and led to environmental degradation in the Heihe River basin, northwestern China. Price leveraging is an important tool in water demand management, and it is considered to be effective in promoting water conservation and improving water use efficiency on the premise that water demand is elastic. In the present study, we examine whether price is an effective and applicable instrument for restraining the increasing demand for agricultural irrigation water in the middle reaches of the Heihe River basin and how will it affect farmers’ decisions on irrigation and crop structure. Specifically, the price elasticity of agricultural water demand was estimated based on the irrigation water demand function. The results show that the agricultural irrigation water price is statistically significant, but its elasticity is very low under current low water price. Price leverage cannot play a significant role in the context of the current pricing regime and farmers’ response to price increase is intrinsically weak. To create incentives for conserving water and improving irrigation efficiency, price mechanism should be accompanied with clearly defined and legally enforceable water rights, restricted water quota measures, and reform of water authorities and water-user associations. Furthermore, increases of surface irrigation water price may lead to the over-withdrawal of groundwater, consequently, effective groundwater licensing and levying must take place to limit the total volume of groundwater withdrawal. In all, improving irrigation efficiency through better management and the adoption of water-saving technologies is the ultimate way to deal with the challenges facing irrigated agriculture in the middle reaches of the Heihe River basin.

Water demands for electricity generation in the U.S.: Modeling different scenarios for the water–energy nexus

Water withdrawal for electricity generation in the United States accounts for approximately half the total freshwater withdrawal. With steadily growing electricity demands, a changing climate, and limited water supplies in many water-scarce states, meeting future energy and water demands poses a significant socioeconomic challenge. Employing an integrated modeling approach that captures the energy–water interactions at regional and national scales can improve our understanding of the key drivers that govern those interactions and the role of national policies. In this study, the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM), a technologically-detailed integrated model of the economy, energy, agriculture and land use, water, and climate systems, was extended to model the electricity and water systems at the state level in the U.S. (GCAM-USA). GCAM-USA was employed to estimate future state-level electricity generation and consumption, and their associated water withdrawals and consumption under a set of seven scenarios with extensive detail on the generation fuel portfolio, cooling technology mix, and their associated water use intensities. These seven scenarios were explored to investigate the implications of socioeconomic development and growing electricity demands, cooling system transitions, adoption of water-saving technologies, climate mitigation policy and electricity trading options on future water demands of the U.S. electric-sector. Our findings include: 1) decreasing water withdrawals and increasing water consumption from the conversion from open-loop to closed-loop cooling systems; 2) different energy-sector water demand behaviors with alternative pathways to the mitigation goal; 3) open trading of electricity benefiting energy-scarce yet demand-intensive states; 4) across-state homogeneity under certain driving forces (e.g., climate mitigation and water-saving technologies) and mixed effects under other drivers (e.g.,, electricity trade); and 5) a clear trade-off between water consumption and withdrawal for the electricity sector in the U.S. The paper discusses this withdrawal–consumption trade-off in the context of current national policies and regulations that favor decreasing withdrawals (and increasing consumptive use), and the role of water-saving technologies. The study also clearly shows that climate mitigation strategies focusing on CCS and nuclear power will have less favorable water consumption effects than strategies that support renewable energy and water-saving technologies. The highly-resolved nature of this study, both geographically and technologically, provides a useful platform to address scientific and policy-relevant and emerging issues at the heart of the water–energy nexus in the U.S.

The role of credit in enhancing drought resilience in agriculture

Credit constraints can undermine livelihood sustenance strategies of farmers faced with prolonged droughts. Marginal farmers with low wealth endowments could be especially vulnerable. The model developed in this paper explores the role of credit in enhancing long-term drought resilience. When repeated droughts increase reliance upon groundwater resources, credit availability may promote or undermine groundwater sustainability. Timely availability of credit can be used for water-saving technology adoption and towards maintaining minimum consumption levels during drought years. It is demonstrated here that high costs of credit coupled with a high risk of repeated droughts occurring in the future could be detrimental to groundwater sustainability. This is counter to the earlier findings in the literature that cheap credit could be damaging to groundwater sustainability. The duration to credit maturity also has a bearing on farmers’ groundwater extraction strategies and hence there could be a role for credit granting financial institutions in influencing sustainable outcomes. Specifically, medium-term loans have a better effect on groundwater sustainability as compared to long-term loans.

Turkey and the Middle East: Problems and Solutions

ABSTRACT Three types of solutions have been proposed regarding the intensifying problems generated by insufficient water in the Middle East: 1) increasing the amount of available water; 2) redistributing the existing supply of water; and 3) using the existing water supply more efficiently In the search for solutions, it is argued that the so-called water problem in the region should be disaggregated, and that each river system should be treated as a separate problem area since the needs and the political relations between the riparians are different in each case. Then, several plans to resolve water insufficiencies are discussed, such as transporting water from Turkey via a pipeline to the Gulf and via super tankers to any needy country in the region: reaching a regional agreement to pursue policies of water conservation, including the adoption of water-saving technologies and founding an international bank to support the adoption of these technologies; and, launching by riparian states of schemes to stud...