Agricultural Water Transfers Research Articles

A Water-Embedded CGE Approach to Economic and Welfare Effects of Agricultural Water Transfer

A Water-Embedded CGE Approach to Economic and Welfare Effects of Agricultural Water Transfer

Editorial Volume 8 Issue 1 (January 2022)

Editorial Volume 8 Issue 1 (January 2022)

Research on Scale Demonstration Technology of Inter Basin Water Transfer Project in Agricultural Irrigation

Inter-basin water transfer projects are powerful measures for resolving the uneven distribution of water resources, but their scale directly affects the associated investment and income. Therefore, determining the scale of an inter-basin water transfer project is essential. Based on the inter-basin agricultural water transfer project in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China, combined with the suitable development scale of the irrigation area with the joint allocation of existing water sources, this research proposes a technique to demonstrate the scale of an inter-basin water transfer project based on dynamic trial feedback under the condition of the optimization method of despiking of the groundwater allocation; the water transfer project scale is demonstrated for each section in reverse order. According to the water demand prediction results in the study area, the scale of water transfer project BC is demonstrated, and the scale of water transfer project AB is demonstrated on the basis of the BC scale. The final AB and BC water transfer scales decrease by 15% and 13%, respectively; compared with the conventional method under the premise that the water supply guarantee rate is 75%. When the water is transferred, the process is stable, and the utilization rate of the canal is high, thereby saving investment funds and facilitating project scheduling and management.

Water Supply Portfolio Planning and Policy Evaluation under Climate Change: A Case Study of Central Taiwan

The present study examines the optimal water supply portfolio under the impact of climate change constructed by the authors previously. It incorporates feasibility planning for water supply projects, assesses a feasible water supply portfolio for central Taiwan, and uses the shadow price method to assess the rationality of the compensation policy for transferring agricultural water to ensure water supply security for the industrial sector. The study finds that Changhua and Yunlin have the highest per-unit costs of raw water, and the Nantou region has the highest carbon emission coefficient (carbon footprint) per unit of water produced. The cumulative value (2021–2031) of the water resources policy to reallocate agricultural water to achieve water supply security is about TWD 15.904–31.13 billion. The shadow price of industrial water is about TWD 40.18/cubic meter. Therefore, a compensation price for agricultural water transfer of less than TWD 40.18/cubic meter represents a rational policy.

Development of a water transfer compensation classification: A case study between China, Japan, America and Australia

The compensation mechanism for agricultural water transfer (CMAWT) is an important method for reducing or eliminating the negative effects of agricultural water transfer. Summarizing global CMAWT experiences is important to set up a reasonable CMAWT in China. In this study, a classification theory for CMAWT is established to evaluate the CMAWT of China, Japan, America, and Australia. Results showed that China’s CMAWT is converting from the bureaucratic to the market type. Japan’s CMAWT is mainly the autonomous type. CMAWT of America and Australia are market type. Water transfer market in Australia is more sophisticated among the comparison countries. Government of China and Japan participated more in the agricultural water transfer than the government of America and Australia. Farmers participated least in agricultural water transfer in China than in other compared countries. The case study showed that the proposed theory can classify the CMAWT of different countries.

Will the energy industry drain the water used for agricultural irrigation in the Yellow River basin?

This article employs the case of the Yellow River basin to advance understanding of the water–energy–food nexus by demonstrating how the country’s energy and agriculture sectors are competing for limited water supplies and by quantifying the future water demands in the two sectors. The results show that in 2030 the water demands for food and energy are likely to increase by less than 4 km3 and 1 km3, respectively, in the Yellow River basin. The analysis suggests that agricultural water savings and inter-basin water transfers are the main ways to ensure sufficient water flows through the basin to fulfil demand for both sectors while preserving the natural ecosystems.

Water level changes in Polish lakes during 1976–2010

The paper presents the analysis of tendencies in water level changes in 32 lakes in Poland during 1976–2010. Series of monthly, seasonal, and annual precipitation and air temperature for 9 meteorological stations were also studied. The trend analysis for all of the studied series of water levels in lakes showed high spatial and temporal variability. Series of annual water levels in the case of 6 lakes showed statistically significant increasing tendencies, and in 7 lakes, significant decreasing trends. Series of annual amplitudes in the majority of lakes (22) showed a decreasing trend, but they were statistically significant only in three cases. The tendencies for air temperature fluctuations are more statistically significant than precipitation. The key role in determining water level changes is played by local factors, particularly including human economic activity, obscuring the effect of natural factors on water level changes. The paper describes cases of changes in water levels in lakes under anthropopressure related to among others: agricultural irrigations, hydropower infrastructure, water transfers, navigation, or mining.

Integrated agriculture water management optimization model for water saving potential analysis

This paper studied on the quantification of agriculture water savings under water integrated optimal management and analyze the economic increment of agriculture water savings. First, an integrated agriculture water management optimization model composed of a planting structure optimization model and water resources allocation under conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater optimizing model is built in this paper and applied to Fendong District of Fenhe Region in Shanxi Province, China. Resilience of water utilization and saving inside agriculture have been fully developed through detailed expressions of demand process of multi crops and the interaction and transformation between surface water and groundwater. Optimal solutions of planting structure and corresponding water resources allocation scheme indicate that water demand and supply are more reasonable after assembling crop water demand to flood seasons. Water saving could be realized in the premise of maximum economic benefit after integrated optimization management. Next, active water saving and passive water saving scenario have been set to analyze the correlativity between water saving quantity and maximum economic benefit through adopting integrated agriculture water management optimization model. The results show that water saving potential and agriculture benefit demonstrate a negative correlation. The interval linear function of water saving-effect comprised of two scenarios is used to represent this negative correlation. Consequently, approximately 10% of surface water could be saved in Fenhe Region under current planting scale. Finally, an optimization model for agricultural water transfer are formulated to the further study on agriculture water savings reallocation by maximizing incremental benefit of water resources. The interval linear function of agriculture water saving-effect and water production function of the second industry and tertiary industry have been introduced to obtain agriculture water transfer trend under various circumstances. For Fenhe Region, agriculture water transferring to the second industry (533×104m3) and tertiary industry (235×104m3) could bring an incremental benefit about 8.66–8.94 billion RMB, and 90.2–93.1 RMB for 1m3 of irrigation water, which exhibits a huge potential of economic benefit of agriculture water savings. The results indicate that optimization model for agricultural water transfer is an efficient way to analyze economic value of irrigation water and provide agriculture water transfer strategies.

Sustainability Review of Water-Supply Options in the Los Angeles Region

AbstractThe City of Los Angeles, with a population reaching 4 million people in 2013, imports nearly 90% of its water from sources outside the city. However, climate change, population growth, competing demands, water quality concerns, and environmental restoration projects all have a large impact on Los Angeles’ dependency on future water importation. In this study, a system characterization was performed to assess each of the water sources that supply Los Angeles and the factors affecting them under present and potential future conditions. Additionally, water demand and conservation methods in Los Angeles were examined to understand their impact on the overall water supply system. Of the five main water sources that supply Los Angeles—Los Angeles Aqueduct, Colorado River, California Aqueduct, local groundwater, and reclaimed water—a majority will be impacted by climate change, water quality, energy, and cost constraints. While the expansion of water demand management and agricultural water transfers can...

Impacts on the utilization degree of canal water caused by agricultural water reallocation: a case study from China

Our study area in the People's Victory Canal Irrigation District (PVCID), which is downstream of the Yellow River in China, has been undergoing agricultural water transfer to the city for municipal uses. Water supply condition data from PVCID are used to analyze the impacts of water reallocation on agricultural water supply quality, and field survey data in PVCID are used to examine the impacts of agricultural water supply quality on the utilization degree of canal water. Several issues on the current compensation methods are also discussed. Results show that the amount of irrigation water and the number of days for irrigation are affected by water reallocation, especially when the amount of water diversion significantly decreases. Regression results show that timeliness and adequacy of canal water are important factors affecting the utilization degree of canal water. Several factors reveal significant association with the utilization degree of canal water, such as the water price of canal water, water fee charge methods, soil texture of the largest cropland, precipitation, and age of farm household head. Current compensation methods can hardly compensate for the decrease in canal water reliability. Some recommendations are put forward to compensate for the adverse effects of agricultural water transfer.

The Willingness to Pay by Industrial Sectors for Agricultural Water Transfer During Drought Periods in Taiwan

With continuous climatic change, droughts have begun to occur more frequently. In order for industrial sectors to secure a stable supply of water during the time of droughts, or to maintain the normal functions of industrial production lines, transfer of agricultural water has often been utilized. This will happen more frequently as the climates continue to change. There is a high possibility that continuous climatic change will affect the current water management operations. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) thinks that developing the water market by targeting reasonable distribution of scarce water resources is one of the strategies for water resource management under continuous climatic change (IPCC, 2008). Past studies have often discussed the amount of compensation given in exchange for agricultural water transfer, or the costs lost resulting from water transfer. However, few studies have discussed the industrial sector’s willingness to pay for agricultural water transfer from the viewpoint of managing water shortage risks. In general, if the amount of compensation is established based on farmers’ WTA information, there might be situations where the amount of compensation established is inclined to become an exploitation of the surplus from transferring agricultural water. Or, the benefits of the agricultural sectors might be sacrificed or exploited. It could also be that the transaction cost would become higher for agricultural water transfers during droughts when the information of the provider and those in need are asymmetrical, which in turn would affect the benefits of the agricultural sectors and the efficiency of water resource distribution. This study uses the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to evaluate the amount of money industrial sectors are willing to pay under climatic change to avoid the risk of water shortage in Taiwan. We target the larger industrial areas and science parks as the objects of investigation. Interviews about the amount of willingness to pay (WTP) for transferring agricultural water are conducted in factories in the above mentioned areas, which include the Hsinchu Industrial Park, Chung-Li Industrial Park, Taichung Industrial Park, Lin-Yuan Industrial Park, Hsinchu Science Park, Central Taiwan Science Park, and Tainan Science Park. The results of this study show that the WTP for agricultural water transfer of the abovementioned industrial/science parks are $28NT/ton during drought periods.

Assessing the impacts of climate change and socio-economic changes on flow and phosphorus flux in the Ganga river system.

Anthropogenic climate change has impacted and will continue to impact the natural environment and people around the world. Increasing temperatures and altered rainfall patterns combined with socio-economic factors such as population changes, land use changes and water transfers will affect flows and nutrient fluxes in river systems. The Ganga river, one of the largest river systems in the world, supports approximately 10% global population and more than 700 cities. Changes in the Ganga river system are likely to have a significant impact on water availability, water quality, aquatic habitats and people. In order to investigate these potential changes on the flow and water quality of the Ganga river, a multi-branch version of INCA Phosphorus (INCA-P) model has been applied to the entire river system. The model is used to quantify the impacts from a changing climate, population growth, additional agricultural land, pollution control and water transfers for 2041-2060 and 2080-2099. The results provide valuable information about potential effects of different management strategies on catchment water quality.

Constraints on Agricultural Water Transfer Derived from Features of Irrigation Water

Constraints on Agricultural Water Transfer Derived from Features of Irrigation Water

Agricultural Water Transfers in China: Current Issues and Perspectives

Water transfers from agricultural to industrial or domestic uses are becoming increasingly common in China. Water conflicts can be partly considered as the consequence of water transfer failures. In this paper, data of water use in recent years were reviewed and cases of water transfers were presented. Current issues were analyzed and some measures were proposed for enhancing water use efficiency, productivity and equity. It ends with implications for regional water management strategies and policy reform. It is concluded that the decisions of water reallocation under water stress should be shared by all communities, especially the availability of the basic water need for all water use sectors.

Water Stress, Agricultural water Transfer and Social Equity in the Chaobai Watershed

Water stress has resulted in an increasing trend towards the reallocation of agricultural water to the industrial and municipal sectors. This study examines the impact of water reallocation on crop production and farmers’ incomes, and identifies the gap between current levels of financial compensation and the real loss of farmers’ incomes based on a survey of 349 farm households and their farm plots in the Chaobai watershed. The results show that the current compensation received by farmers is generally lower than the losses incurred due to reduced irrigation. A transparent, fair, and legally protected compensation mechanism is required to achieve a long-term water sharing relationship and sustainable water utilisation.

Water stress, water transfer and social equity in Northern China—Implications for policy reforms

Water stress in Northern China is characterized with major, inefficient irrigation water use and rapidly growing non-agricultural water demands, as well as limited water quantity and declining water quality. Water use in the region is undergoing transfer from agricultural to municipal and industrial sectors. Currently, part of the economic loss and environmental damage due to water stress can be considered as a consequence of water transfer failures, including the current transfers, which hurt farmers’ livelihood and income, and the needed transfers, which industry and cities have been waiting for but have not received. This paper starts with a discussion of the causes of water stress in Northern China, which is fundamental to understand the necessity and complexity of agricultural water transfers. Following that, it reviews water transfers in Northern China as a cause for concern over the social stability, economy and environment of the region. Based on an integrated analysis of economic, environmental, fiscal and social implications, this paper begins by identifying critical barriers to smooth water redistribution; and ends with implications for policy reforms, ensuring that farmers can and will save water. It is concluded that the decisions of water reallocation under water stress should be shared by communities at all levels, from the local to the national, to ensure equal access of water, especially the availability of the basic water need for all groups.