Integrated Water Resources Management Model Research Articles

An integrated water resources management model considering carbon source and sink under uncertainty: A case study of agricultural water-dominated basin

The global drive for carbon neutrality promotion through integrated water resource management (IWRM) in the face of burgeoning water demand is of great importance. This study developed an interval fuzzy-credibility chance-constrained multi-objective programming (IFCMP) model for water resources-carbon system (WCS) planning, which not only accounts for multiple uncertainties within system parameters, such as interval, fuzzy, and stochastic, but also effectively balances the conflicting objectives of water scarcity, benefits, emissions, and carbon sinks. The IFCMP-WCS model was applied to an agricultural water-dominated zone in the Tarim River Basin, China. Multiple water-allocation scenarios were examined, encompassing five prefecture-level cities, five departments, and three planning years. The results indicated that: (1) the water deficit was increasing over time, limited by water supply capacity, reaching 0–3.49 × 109 m3 in 2035; (2) as water allocation rises, system benefits and pollutant emissions increase, with the agricultural sector contributing the most economic benefits and pollutant emission; (3) the Tarim River Basin is an important carbon sink area, with the net carbon sink increasing from 8781.7–10,771.1 × 103 to 8851.1–10,937.9 × 103 tonnes during the planning horizon; (4) compared to single-objective models, the IFCMP-WCS model can offer more applicable water resource management options. These findings provide useful information for decision-making regarding IWRM and enhancing the net carbon sink in the Tarim River Basin.

What are the Sustainable Water Policies in Central Regions of Iran? An Integrated Water Resource Management Model

The efficient and optimal management of water resources is of great importance due to the strong dependence of human life on water. Also, the availability and utilization of the existing water resources in regions with water shortages, such as the Middle East, impose high social, economic, and environmental costs. Therefore, water resource management policies should incorporate all aspects of supply, allocation, control, and monitoring of resources. This study provides a dynamic simulation model for water resource management in the Yazd province of Iran to examine the effect of different policies on the other variables and choose the most suitable policies over time. For this purpose, we used a system dynamics approach to propose an integrated water resources management model, considering a comprehensive view of different aspects. The proposed model included over 230 influential variables in water resources, along with economic, demographic, technological, agricultural, industrial, public policy-making, water demand-supply, and virtual water volume subsystems. After we validate the model, we define three scenarios (optimistic, baseline, and pessimistic) and four policy packages (i.e., business as usual, focusing on economic development, focusing on sustainable development based on ecological balance, and focusing on water conservation) in the time horizons of 10, 20, and 50 years. The simulation results indicated that we require a reform in the Yazd economic development strategies through policies such as changing the cropping pattern and reducing water-consuming industries. Moreover, water supply enhancement by raising the inter-basin transfer of water alone cannot be an effective solution for reducing the water shortage in Yazd province and may even worsen the water shortage in the long run. We conclude that the “Focus on Water Conservation” policy is the best solution to reduce water shortage. The results of the baseline scenario show that adopting the FWC policy changes the increasing trend of water shortage in the province and decreases them from more than 53 billion m3 in the “Business as Usual” policy to less than 20 billion m3 in the year 2040. As the FWC would decrease more than 10 billion m3 of the virtual water level imbalance compared to BAU policy and make more investments in water efficiency plans, it preserves the current resources of water in the long run.

Gestão das águas na Suíça: descentralização, pragmatismo e fragmentação

Nas últimas décadas, o conceito normativo de gestão integrada de recursos hídricos (GIRH) passa a ser difundido por instituições internacionais. Assim, governos mundiais adaptam seu quadro legal e institucional para incorporar tal conceito de modo sistemático. No entanto, a Suíça revela uma forma singular de compreender tal conceito, seguindo as características próprias do federalismo existente no país. Este artigo indica como e por quais motivos o modelo de gestão de águas do país não segue o modelo internacional de GIRH e quais são as principais vantagens e desafios para a gestão de recursos hídricos em um país federal tão descentralizado como a Suíça.

Un acercamiento institucional a la gestión del agua ante el cambio climático en la Ciudad de México

This paper presents an analysis of the policy instruments that Mexico City’s government has built in the water sector to achieve adaptation to climate change. It seeks to investigate the institutional facilitators and barriers that have allowed or prevented to the city government to achieve an effectiveness of policy instruments. Climate change is initially presented as a problem that contributes to a global environmental change and some indicators of the effects in Mexico are exposed, with an emphasis on water ones in Mexico City. Subsequently, the barriers and facilitators that some studies have identified as contributing mainly to the effectiveness of policy instruments are presented as a frame of reference. Thirdly, the analisis of the policy instruments that the government of Mexico City has built in the water sector is carried out, for which the barriers and facilitators identified in the reference framework are taken as reference. The research is fundamentally qualitative and makes use of techniques such as document review and systematization. The findings of this research suggest that the actions implemented by the government of Mexico City in the water sector to achieve adaptation to climate change are limited by institutional barriers that are common with other sectoral policies, as is the case of human and economic resources, and also by barriers that are associated with the dominant of integrated water resources management model and that affect the type of actions that are designed to achieve an adaptation to climate change.

Integrated groundwater resource management in the peri-urban area of Banguntapan, Bantul

Banguntapan District in Bantul Regency is one of the peri-urban areas in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. The peri-urban area is an area located between the urban (Jogja City) and the rural (Bantul Regency). As a result of this strategic location, the development of this district is very rapidly marked by the growth of settlements, which in turn further requires water for housing purposes.The purpose of this research is to formulate an integrated water resources management model in the study area. To achieve this goal dynamic modeling is used. The model obtained was then simulated using the Powersim 2.5c computer program. Management efforts that can be carried out in this district are reducing groundwater use through saving water use and increasing water use from local water companies. Simulation results show that the combination of these two methods will slow down the time the safe yield will be exceeded, from 2039 to 2049.

Evaluation of WEAP-MODFLOW Model as an Integrated Water Resources Management Model for Sustainable Development (A Case Study: Gharesoo at Doab-Merek, Kermanshah, Iran)

This paper evaluated an integrated water resources management approach through linked WEAP-MODFLOW model. Study area is Ravasnar-Sanjabi plain located in Kermanshah province in the west of Iran. A MODFLOW model was evaluated and then, accepted as a groundwater model for the region in present research. Schematic WEAP model was provided as representing general features of water resources system after designing a conceptual model for the study area. The simplified rainfall-runoff model in WEAP was used to perform hydrological simulations. In the second step of present research, the groundwater model was linked to WEAP dynamically. Simulation years with 12 time steps per year included years of 2007-2015 for creating and verifying WEAP-MODFLOW model and years of 2015-2030 for performing scenarios. Statistical criteria included mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), and Nash-Sutcliffe (NASH), with Box plot diagram being selected to assess accuracy of calibrated model. Four scenarios were implemented for 2015 until 2030. They included unchanged present situation and situations with 35%, 45% and 57% reduction of groundwater and surface water withdrawal. Results showed that the fourth scenario with a 57% decrease in the extraction of surface water and groundwater resources was the best one. Based on this scenario, exploitation of the system will be sustainable, with the system recovering as 0.023 meter rising per year. Finally, the results of present study indicated that the approach was feasible for planning and managing water resources in spite of the lack of some data.

Compilation and Validation of the Fundamental Criteria for the Integrated Management of Water Resources in Dry and Semi-arid Regions

With regard to the ineffectiveness of water resources management by structural and part-time approaches, new trends in water resource management have come into use on the basis of evaluating ecological systems in terms of economic security, change of demand-driven management to supply-driven management, and regional balanced development management planning instead of partial development of water. This study seeks to develop and validate the fundamental criteria for integrated water resources management using participatory tools and expert opinions. Using analytical and computational techniques in the Delphi model, the components and indicators of the sustainable management of water resources are identified and validated. By a two-stage methodology, the opinions of experts in the field are gathered and the results are analyzed using AHP. A sustainable management model is finally derived in terms of environmental, social, economic, and institutional criteria as well as 12 sub-criteria ranked by the paired scoring system and validated with the Expert Quiz software. Based on the experts' opinions, six options are identified for resource sustainability. According to the experts, the integrated water resources management model is the most sustainable model for water resources management in arid and semi-arid regions. In this research, this model is developed through validating the environmental, social, economic and institutional indicators.

Ecological Public Health and Participatory Planning and Assessment Dilemmas: The Case of Water Resources Management.

Water is a key driver for socio-economic development, livelihoods and ecosystem integrity. This is reflected in the emergence of unified paradigms such as Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and the weight accorded to it in the Sustainable Development Goals agenda. This paper interrogated the effectiveness of existing participatory planning and assessment models adapted from IWRM model on water quality and public health at community level. The analysis was built around public health ecology perspective and drew useful lessons from critique of basin wide integrated Modeling approaches and existing community participatory models envisaged under Water Users Associations (WUA) in South Africa. We extended the use of political ecology lenses to ecological public health through use of communication for development approaches, to argue that public health risk reduction and resilience building in community water projects require the use of innovative analytical and conceptual lenses that unbundle cognitive biases and failures, as well as, integrate and transform individual and collective agency. The study concludes that the inherent “passive participation” adapted from IWRM model fail to adequately address water quality and public health dimensions in its pillars. Since water quality has direct bearing on disaster risks in public health, building a coherent mitigatory vision requires the adoption of active participatory assessment and planning models that incorporate livelihoods, agency, social learning dynamics and resilience through recognition of communication for development approaches in community empowerment.

Developing a water-energy-GHG emissions modeling framework: Insights from an application to California's water system

Integrating processes of water and energy interdependence in water systems can improve the understanding of the tradeoffs between water and energy in management and policy. This study presents a development of an integrated water resources management model that includes water-related energy use and GHG emissions. We apply the model to a simplified representation of California's water system. Accounting for water demands from cities, agriculture, environment and the energy sector, and combining a surface water management model with a simple groundwater model, the model optimizes water use across sectors during shortages from an economic perspective, calculating the associated energy use and electricity generation for each water demand. The results of California's water system show that urban end-uses account for most GHG emissions of the entire water cycle, but large water conveyance produces significant peaks over the summer season. Different policy scenarios show the significant tradeoffs between water, energy, and GHG emissions.

Gestão integrada dos recursos hídricos como política de gerenciamento das águas no Brasil

Due to the importance of water for life and development, several international debates focused on the construction of strategies to mitigate the risk of water scarcity, resulting in a new management paradigm, called Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). Therefore, this study analyzes how Brazil is managing its water resources, in order to evaluate its proximity to the IWRM model, using a qualitative, exploratory research based on secondary, bibliographic and documentary sources. The results show that Brazil has advanced in terms of law, water management and use and has been progressively integrated into the IWRM model, but it still needs to enable actions that are supported in a more participatory and decentralized environment to extend homogeneously Water management mechanisms, in order to reach regions such as those in the Amazon basin.

Evaluating Water Supply Risk in the Middle and Lower Reaches of Hanjiang River Basin Based on an Integrated Optimal Water Resources Allocation Model

The rapid socio-economic development and expanding human-induced hydrological alteration have strengthened the interactions between the social and hydrologic systems. To assess regional water supply security under changing water supply and demand condition in strongly human-impacted area, an integrated water resources management model that fully incorporates water demand prediction, optimal water resources allocation and water supply risk analysis is proposed and applied in the mid-lower reach of Hanjiang River basin. The model is run under three scenarios considering increasing water demand and expanding water diversion projects, and then spatial and temporal distributions of water supply reliability and vulnerability are evaluated. Results show that water supply risk in the mid-lower reach of Hanjiang River basin, especially units that take water directly from the mainstream, will be gradually enlarged in the future due to the expansions of both water demand and inter-basin water diversion capacity. The proposed method provides a practical approach towards more robust decision-making of long-term water resources planning and management under changing environment.

Importance of Integrated Water Resources Management in Flood and Flash Flood Management

Water resources management setup and practices in Georgia are relied on administrative approaches. Gradual introduction and implementation of the river basin based Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) will require corresponding legal and institutional adjustment as well as significant capacity building. The IWRM model for Georgia is intended to address prioritized concerns regarding water resource management, based on extensive consultations with stakeholders from a wide range of agencies and institutions related to water issues. Managing water efficiently, balancing conflicting uses of water resources, eliminating the results of catastrophic floods causing loss of human lives and damages to infrastructure and settlements and ensuring environmental stability of the river basins are critical issues which should be solved through ecosystem-based Integrated Water Resource Management approaches. The manuscript briefly reviews why the issue of shifting to IWRM is a priority for Georgia, what actions are needed to be implemented, and what are the sequences of these actions.

Integrated Water Resource Management and Energy Requirements for Water Supply in the Copiapó River Basin, Chile

Population and industry growth in dry climates are fully tied to significant increase in water and energy demands. Because water affects many economic, social and environmental aspects, an interdisciplinary approach is needed to solve current and future water scarcity problems, and to minimize energy requirements in water production. Such a task requires integrated water modeling tools able to couple surface water and groundwater, which allow for managing complex basins where multiple stakeholders and water users face an intense competition for limited freshwater resources. This work develops an integrated water resource management model to investigate the water-energy nexus in reducing water stress in the Copiapó River basin, an arid, highly vulnerable basin in northern Chile. The model was utilized to characterize groundwater and surface water resources, and water demand and uses. Different management scenarios were evaluated to estimate future resource availability, and compared in terms of energy requirements and costs for desalinating seawater to eliminate the corresponding water deficit. Results show a basin facing a very complex future unless measures are adopted. When a 30% uniform reduction of water consumption is achieved, 70 GWh over the next 30 years are required to provide the energy needed to increase the available water through seawater desalination. In arid basins, this energy could be supplied by solar energy, thus addressing water shortage problems through integrated water resource management combined with new technologies of water production driven by renewable energy sources.

Human needs and environmental rights to water: a biocultural systems approach to hydrodevelopment and management

Large‐scale hydrodevelopment involves synergistic processes and generates cumulative effects that include the degradation of rivers and the complex human environmental systems they support. To avert impending crises in water scarcity and food security many nations are reshaping the priorities, regimes, and praxis of fresh water resource management to explicitly recognize and address diverse human and ecological needs. A recent United Nations sponsored study documenting the linkages between water, cultural diversity, and global environmental change argues that a coupled bio/social systems approach to watershed management prioritizing biocultural health over other concerns is needed to achieve sustainability goals, address the complex and protracted conflicts that characterize river basin management, and halt biocultural degeneration. Praxis implications include (1) the need for greater respect for and recognition of the rights, values, and contributions of culturally diverse peoples in the management and use of river systems, (2) expansion of the integrated water resource management model to include prioritized allocation of water to meet environmental and cultural flows.

Water use efficiency in an arid watershed: a case study

Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) becomes increasingly important in arid watersheds, where water resources are scarce and demands are rising under increased population pressure. In this case study, we present the results from the Elqui Valley in Chile, where water resources are shared between agriculture, mining operations, hydropower generation and drinking water for nearby cities. An IWRM model was applied to visualize water resources distribution in the catchment and determine irrigation and water use efficiencies. After calibration with observed surface and groundwater measurements, the model showed large differences in efficiencies between different irrigation sectors. Most notably, irrigation sectors with the highest irrigation security, i.e., higher water rights per hectare, were characterized with lower water use efficiencies. Frequent water deficits were present in sectors downstream of the main reservoir, which was related to limited water rights per hectare, lower irrigation efficiencies and higher water demands due to larger agricultural areas. In subsequent scenario analyses, the model was used to evaluate the impact of improved irrigation and water use efficiencies in these downstream sectors, to confirm an important reduction in water deficits, except for drought years when surface water resources are insufficient. In a third scenario, groundwater resources were allowed to compensate for water deficits, effectively reducing these in most irrigation sectors, especially during droughts. Expansion of the current agricultural area by 37% was evaluated, as a future scenario, and was found to be unsustainable, as aquifer levels are lowered to such levels that make annual recharge insufficient.

¿«De arriba hacia abajo» o «de abajo hacia arriba»? : participación social, agricultura y minería en la gestión integrada de la cuenca Chancay-Lambayeque

The article assesses the institutionalization of social participation under the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) model being implemented at the Chancay-Lambayeque watershed. First, it describes the bio-physical and social conditions at the basin; then, the evolution of national and local water institutions, from the Agrarian Reform to further decentralization and economic liberalization. Emphasizing the influence of the agricultural and mining sectors in these processes, four participatory mechanisms of the IWRM model are studied. The conclusions highlight: 1) the limited capacity of the central state to integrate a management in which the agricultural use is widely prevailing, and 2) the political challenge of promoting social participation in a context of conflict with the mining sector over the quality of the resource.

Integrated Planning of Land Use and Water Allocation on a Watershed Scale Considering Social and Water Quality Issues

AbstractSustainable development in river basins depends on sound management of land use and water allocation policies. Integrated water resources management (IWRM) is considered a path to bring many elements within the development schemes together toward a unified land-water planning and management process. In this study, an integrated water resources management model is developed to connect three groups of decision makers in pollution control, agricultural planning, and water resources allocation with economic, environmental, and social objectives. A genetic algorithm–based optimization model is developed for providing desirable water quality and quantity while maximizing agricultural production in the upstream region, mitigating the unemployment (social) impacts of land use changes, and providing reliable water supply to the downstream region. The upstream region is divided into subbasins, and a fuzzy-based multiobjective optimization model is used to determine the optimal land uses in each subbasin and...

Role and Complexity of Integrated Water-Resources Management for Periurban Landscapes in Australia

Water is vital to life, agriculture, commerce, industry, energy, and virtually all processes in nature. Living beings, the environment, and ecosystems, for the most part, are water. It is no surprise that many societies in the world regard water as a gift from God and worship it. The same applies to the carriers of water—rivers. For example, the Ganges in India is revered, and its waters are used to perform all religious ceremonies. It is therefore essential that this vital resource is properly used and managed. Although water is a renewable resource, its availability is finite, and more important, it is not always available where it is needed and when it is needed. This means that the water available for consumption is limited in most places and most of the time. Compounding the problem of limited water availability is the degrading water quality. Looking at the global picture, nearly two-thirds of the global population resides in water-stressed areas. The scarcity of water is being further exacerbated by a growing population, rising standard of living, changing land use, urbanization, increasing economic activity, current lifestyles, and climate change. Unless water is used efficiently, recycled, reused, treated, and managed properly, it is doubtful that there will be enough water for everybody in the decades ahead. Fortunately, water is receiving a lot of attention from all quarters these days. At the center of this attention is the concept of integrated water-resources management (IWRM). IWRM has been discussed for nearly half a century and is not a new concept. However, what is new in the IWRM paradigm these days is getting a renewed emphasis on bringing the varied stakeholders (domestic users, farmers, policymakers, planners, managers, and others) together and gaining a greater appreciation of local peculiarities. In other words, there is no such thing as one IWRM model fits all. IWRM is increasingly emerging as an accepted alternative to the largely failed sector-by-sector and topdown management style of water-resource management of the past. IWRM involves management through a participatory process. Fundamental to this process is the sound understanding of a region’s water resources and bringing stakeholders together to develop ways to meet the region’s long-term water needs while maintaining essential ecological services and economic benefits. The key tasks in IWRM may include developing an integrated view of water resources at the regional level; assessing different water supplies for best possible uses and least environmental impacts; managing demand through strategic policies and innovative technologies; providing equitable access to water resources through participatory and transparent governance and management; establishing improved and integrated policy, regulatory, and institutional frameworks; and water authorities and stakeholders working together in decision-making processes. The objective of this article is to discuss the issues and challenges faced when undertaking IWRM for a periurban landscape such as the Western Sydney region in New South Wales, Australia.

Integrated water resource management model for process industry in Lithuania

Water resource management has become an important operational and environmental issue. The increasing costs of dependable water supplies and wastewater disposal have increased the economic incentive for implementing technologies that are more environmentally friendly, and that can ensure efficient use of natural resources. A structured “integrated water resources management,” (IWRM) model for water management is presented as a useful tool for research into complex water using production systems in industrial companies. The step-by-step procedure and the consistent relationships between the diagram types allow straightforward implementation of water saving projects. By performing various case studies, it became clear that the IWRM model is applicable to various types of water using industrial companies. Therefore, wastewater reclamation and reuse are effective procedures for more sustainable industrial development programs.

Integrated Analyses of Canada's Water Resources: A System Dynamics Approach

An integrated water resources management model for Canada, CanadaWater, has been developed using the system dynamics simulation approach. The CanadaWater model takes into consideration dynamic interactions between quantitative characteristics of the available water resources and water use that are determined by the socio-economic development level, population and physiographic features of Canadas territory. It is a unique tool that integrates the water quantity and quality sectors with seven sectors that drive economic development: population; agricultural development; food production; capital investment; energy generation; use of non-renewable resources; and persistent pollution. The CanadaWater model is a system dynamics simulation model that provides for investigation of different scenarios. Model simulations are performed for 12 scenarios designed to investigate policy options in the area of fresh water availability, wastewater treatment, economic growth, population growth, energy generation and food production. The conclusions point to a very strong dependence of Canadas future development and well being on maintaining acceptable quality of the water resources and controlling the level of water use in different sectors.