River Basin Councils Research Articles

Stakeholder Voice in Water Resource Planning

Stakeholder engagement for natural resource management at the state and local levels has become an important governance practice. This study examines the association of individual traits (aggressive communication, comfort with technology, and argumentativeness) with stakeholder participant voice in a water basin planning virtual meeting setting. Individual participants of the Edisto River Basin Council (RBC) meetings are the subject of the study. South Carolina decentralized water planning to the river basin level, creating RBCs and appointing interested and relevant stakeholders as members. While the river basin planning process did not envisage virtual (Zoom) meetings for the regular meetings of the RBC, the COVID pandemic required this to begin the planning process. Moreover, meeting participants possess diverse interests, powers, and individual traits that may affect the use of voice and engagement. There is well-established literature on stakeholder participation in resource planning. However, there are gaps in the literature regarding use of voice in virtual meeting settings in water resources planning, especially in settings like water-abundant areas in the Southeastern United States. Using the Edisto RBC as a pilot basin and quantitative surveys, preliminary results found that while RBC participants were on average comfortable with technology, they generally avoided conflict, they exhibited average communication apprehension in a meeting environment, and virtual meetings appear to limit participant’s use of voice. Consequently, meeting planners must recognize that not all participants express themselves optimally in virtual meeting settings. In this vein, planners must work to develop opportunities for as much active engagement and sharing as possible.

Governing Urban Water Conflict through Watershed Councils—A Public Policy Analysis Approach and Critique

Cities face substantial water governance challenges, even more so when their activities are water-intensive, as global tourism is. As the lower-most level of government, municipalities face important challenges when dealing with water stress. Designing robust urban water policy thus may require us to challenge currently popular modes of governance by river basin councils, as predicated by the integrated water resources management (IWRM) paradigm. In this paper, I conduct a public policy analysis of a case study of intra-urban water conflict in the Mexican city of San Miguel de Allende (SMA), an extremely popular tourist destination with substantive water scarcity challenges. I draw insights from an application of the Institutional Grammar Tool, IGT (as proposed by Ostrom and Crawford) on a series of textual datasets derived from ethnographic, qualitative longitudinal field research, document analysis, and elite interviews with stakeholders to explain the reasons underlying community concerns about urban water supply which have derived in conflict in San Miguel de Allende and increasingly manifested over the past few years (2017–2020). My analysis suggests that to tackle growing intra-urban antagonism derived from increasing water insecurity in San Miguel de Allende, a more localized, micro-watershed approach might be more fruitful than a traditional river basin council strategy.

Overview of the South Carolina State and River Basin Planning Framework

Economic development, environmental protection, and public health are critical quality-of-life issues that depend on a reliable supply of water. Increased water demand and climate variability (drought) are two major factors that have the potential to limit future water availability in the state of South Carolina. The development of a comprehensive water-resources management plan for the state is vital for ensuring that an adequate and reliable supply of water will be available to sustain all future uses. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) is tasked legislatively with developing water planning and policy initiatives in the state and has initiated a long-term process to update the state water plan, last published in 2004. One of the major recommendations in the 2004 plan was to form River Basin Councils (RBCs) in each of the major river basins in the state for the purpose of water planning. In 2014, SCDNR initiated a multiyear process to develop regional water plans that will serve as the foundation for a new state water plan. A central component of the process was the creation of a Planning Process Advisory Committee (PPAC) for the purpose of developing formal guidelines on the formation of RBCs and the development of river basin plans for the eight designated river basins in the state. The PPAC is composed of a diverse group of stakeholders and includes representation from water utilities, energy utilities, trade organizations, academia, conservation groups, agriculture, and the general public. The work of the PPAC culminated in a report, the South Carolina State Water Planning Framework, which was published in October of 2019. The river basin plans will identify current and future water availability issues and describe a management plan to address these issues to ensure that an adequate and reliable supply of water will be available for future generations. The purpose of this paper is to provide a general overview of the state’s river basin planning process.

Investing upstream: Watershed protection in Piura, Peru

As the world is increasingly urbanized and climate change presents new uncertainties, urban water supply management needs to be flexible and adaptable. This includes reaching beyond city limits to include water supply and watershed management, as well as working with stakeholders outside the boundaries of the city, across the urban/rural divide. Bringing together diverse stakeholders to collaborate on management strategies entails bringing together multiple knowledge systems that interact, compete, and reshape water systems. Large cities located within Peru’s arid coast provide important opportunities to examine these knowledge dynamics, as urban water supplies depend on actions within the rural watersheds. These watersheds, which originate high in the Andes mountains, are populated primarily by campesino communities, who have been marginalized from state-led water governance for centuries. With Peru’s adoption of the 2009 Water Resources Law, campesino communities were brought into management through multi-stakeholder river basin councils. These councils ideally provide a space for stakeholders to deliberate and reach agreements on sustainable water management. Yet, despite the critical importance of upper watershed protection for ensuring water supplies for the large coastal cities, few efforts have resulted in watershed protection.Here, I examine one successful case, where the stakeholders in Piura agreed on a program to protect critical upper basin ecosystems. This study uses a process tracing approach to analyze the knowledge dynamics that led to the agreement and initial implementation. Based on ethnographic research including 112 interviews between 2015 and 2017, I argue that the interaction between knowledge and belief systems needs to be taken into account. I find that stakeholders’ seemingly incongruent worldviews and epistemologies were bridged, enabling them to reach agreement on an ecosystem-based technique for watershed protection. Further, strong leadership and active support of the knowledge and preferences of the historically-marginalized campesino communities was critical for the inclusion of their views and agreement upon watershed protection. Where urban water supplies rest on actions of non-state actors, such as is the case with watershed protection, the ability of stakeholders to voluntarily reach and implement agreements is critical, especially given increased variability and uncertainties associated with climate change.

Comparative Research on River Basin Management in the Sagami River Basin (Japan) and the Muda River Basin (Malaysia)

In the world, river basins often interwoven into two or more states or prefectures and because of that, disputes over water are common. Nevertheless, not all shared river basins are associated with water conflicts. Rivers in Japan and Malaysia play a significant role in regional economic development. They also play a significant role as water sources for industrial, domestic, agricultural, aquaculture, hydroelectric power generation, and the environment. The research aim is to determine the similarities and differences between the Sagami and Muda River Basins in order to have a better understanding of the governance needed for effectively implementing the lessons drawn from the Sagami River Basin for improving the management of the Muda River Basin in Malaysia. This research adopts qualitative and quantitative approaches. Semi-structured interviews were held with the key stakeholders from both basins and show that Japan has endeavored to present policy efforts to accommodate the innovative approaches in the management of their water resources, including the establishment of a river basin council. In Malaysia, there is little or no stakeholder involvement in the Muda River Basin, and the water resource management is not holistic and is not integrated as it should be. Besides that, there is little or no Integrated Resources Water Management, a pre-requisite for sustainable water resources. The results from this comparative study concluded that full support and participation from public stakeholders (meaning the non-government and non-private sector stakeholders) is vital for achieving sustainable water use in the Muda River Basin. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approaches such as the introduction of payments for ecosystems services and the development of river basin organization in the Muda River Basin should take place in the spirit of political willingness.

La gestión integral del agua en dos consejos de cuenca del noroeste de México

<p>El objetivo del presente artículo es analizar el desempeño de dos consejos de cuenca que operan en el estado de Sonora, México: el Consejo de Cuenca del Alto Noroeste y Consejo de Cuenca del Río Mayo. A partir de la experiencia internacional en relación a las organizaciones de cuenca, se plantea un marco analítico para analizar la implementación de la Gestión Integrada de los Recursos Hídricos en los consejos de cuenca. Tres son las dimensiones clave que guían el estudio: la <em>estructura</em> que conforma a los consejos de cuenca, la dinámica interna de <em>funcionamiento</em> que llevan a cabo y los <em>resultados</em> brindados en la resolución de problemas y conflictos. Los resultados revelan limitaciones estructurales y operativas en los dos consejos de cuenca, lo que reduce su impacto para poner en práctica los principios de la Gestión Integrada de los Recursos Hídricos.</p>

Integrated watershed management in the Bow River basin, Alberta: experiences, challenges, and lessons learned

Alberta’s Bow River is heavily engineered and hard-working, supplying water to almost 1.5 million people, while meeting the needs of hydropower, agriculture, tourism and irrigation industries upstream and downstream of Calgary. Working together since 1992, the Bow River Basin Council, a voluntary multi-stakeholder organization, with government representatives at the table, has developed watershed management plans as decision-support tools; provided a forum for relationship and trust building; shared information; and co-generated knowledge. Difficult challenges became opportunities for collaborative learning by doing. The processes involved in integrated watershed management were as important as the plans that emerged. Implementing plan objectives remains the greatest challenge.

Public participation for bulk water charge: Paraíba River Basin Committee (Brazil) and Alentejo Hydrographic Region Council (Portugal) cases study

ABSTRACT This paper proposes to assess the knowledge and dynamics of Committees/Councils in the discussions and deliberations on the raw water charges in Brazil and in Portugal. The comparison is limited to the evaluation of a Committee and Council and not necessarily reflect the operation of other CBHs, in Brazil, or Councils, in Portugal. It was analyzed the minutes of the meetings of the Paraíba River Basin Committee (CBH-PB) and the Alentejo River Basin Council Region (CRH-Alentejo) as well as interviews with members of the two collective bodies. For the Brazilian case, it appears that CBH-PB members discussed and deliberated on the values and mechanisms for raw water charges. In Portugal, the definition of values and the way of application of the raw water charge (TRH) was held at the central level, without the CRH-Alentejo having the opportunity to argue, not fulfilling its role as a consultative body water management. Water Resources Policies have to gain strength by promoting public participation through discussion formats and being able to engage key stakeholders as well as creating conditions for the development of cooperative relations.

Knowledge integration: a step forward? Continuities and changes in Arequipa’s water governance system

The new Peruvian Water Law (2009) inaugurated a transition phase in the country’s water governance model, in theory changing the power relations among the actors involved in the decision-making process. Formerly excluded actors were invited to participate and bring their particular views into multi-stakeholder spaces. While this diversity of actors, informed by different types of knowledge, has been highlighted as an attribute of more adaptive systems, it does not necessarily lead to a real change in the constellation of power. The case of Arequipa illustrates this shift towards a new water governance system, with the creation of a river basin council based on a prior (and exceptional) example of informal multi-stakeholder water management. Yet the growing participation of a large mining company in financing water-related infrastructure, and its alliances with other actors, might challenge the potential of the new participatory body to represent equally the interests and views of all its members, and therefore to question the existing norms to bring about transformative change.(1)

Evaluating challenges and priorities of a trans-regional river basin in Greece by using a hybrid SWOT scheme and a stakeholders' competency overview

The present paper introduces a hybrid SWOT analysis to estimate strong and vulnerable elements of a trans-regional river basin in Greece, aiming at an overall assessment of the status quo. An analysis of all involved stakeholders in the management of the basin is also conducted, showing that the integrated water resources management of the basin is challenging. The Alfeios River Basin in Peloponnisos (Southern Greece) was selected as a case study due to its significance as a natural resource and ecosystem, since the river satisfies a great variety of uses (domestic supply, irrigation, energy, recreation, etc.) and mostly due to the fact that the Alfeios River Basin, being a trans-regional area, confronts management malfunctions under the parallel supervision of two competent authorities. Variety of factors are ranked by using SWOT analysis combined with two ranking methods (A'WOT technique and a proposed method inspired by levelling networks). The present paper suggests that the foundation and operation of a River Basin Council, as an alternative administrative and coordinative centre, could act as a solution for effective decision-making within the study area.

Policy options to enhance agricultural irrigation in Afghanistan: A canal systems approach

In Afghanistan, where 80% of the population is rural, irrigated agriculture using surface water is an extremely important economic activity. With the advent of the New Water Law, highly localized and centuries-old agricultural water management traditions are giving way to more modern centralized institutions. The newly-created river basin councils need management tools to support decision-making at the watershed level. This study develops the Afghan Canal Irrigation Management and Policy Tool (ACIMAP), a versatile linear programming-based model that can be used to optimize crop selection and water allocation within Afghan irrigation districts. The model can further be used in the assessment of the benefits from various irrigation infrastructure improvements. This study describes the development of ACIMAP and applies it to an illustrative case study on the Balkhab River in Balkh Province, Afghanistan. The benefits to the district’s farmers of constructing a reservoir of various capacities are analyzed and compared with the benefits derived from increasing conveyance efficiencies in the canal networks and the assignment of water rights. It is found that while the construction of a reservoir could increase agricultural net revenues by up to 30%, even greater benefits may result from increasing distribution efficiencies. Further, property rights schemes may be implemented to distribute wealth more evenly through various canal sub-regions at minimal cost to the agricultural community as a whole. These results demonstrate the usefulness of ACIMAP in assessing alternative irrigation policies.

Institutionalising IWRM in developing and transition countries: the case of Mongolia

Integrated water resources management (IWRM) forms the widely accepted ecosystem approach to managing water and its related resources in a sustainable way. Nevertheless, its implementation is still lagging behind, especially in developing and transition countries which are often short of essential resources and face complex political dynamics. IWRM often requires a fundamental realignment of governance structures. This may lead to problems of fit and institutional interplay as particular challenges of multi-level governance. Against this background, a case study of Mongolia was carried out, a transition country suffering from extreme climatic conditions and increasing depletion of its resources. While an attempt to introduce IWRM exists on paper, it is less clear how it will be made politically and institutionally applicable. A document review and stakeholder interviews were carried out to understand the progress and problems of introducing IWRM in Mongolia in the face of its transition and decentralisation process. Problems of fit and interplay—which are in part results of the transformation—were identified, as well as the approaches for their solution. Attempts are underway to overcome problems of fit such as the establishment of river basin councils which are presently facing the challenges concerning their room for manoeuvre. Problems of interplay arise when it comes to the cooperation and coordination of numerous water-related organisations which often lead to inconsistent water governance.

How does Diversity Matter? The Case of Brazilian River Basin Councils

Diversity as a concept has often been perceived as a positive system attribute to pursue and protect. However, in some social settings, the way different kinds of diversity shape outcomes can vary significantly. Diversity of ideas and individuals sometimes can lead to disagreement and conflict, which in turn can lead to both positive and negative outcomes. In this study, we examine identity diversity, i.e., age, income, education, worldviews, etc., within the context of Brazilian water governance. We find that within the basins studied in this project, first, the more diversity in organizations and the sectors represented on the council, the more council members participate in council activities, perceive decision making to be democratic, and perceive technical information to facilitate decision making. Second, diversity in what members perceive to be the most pressing problems facing the basin and also diversity in worldviews often correlate negatively with some measures of participation and the perceived importance of technical knowledge. Third, diversity in the level of experience with water issues negatively correlates with some measures of participation and perceived democratic decision making. Fourth, diversity in the perception of the most important problem facing the basin leads to poorer outcomes in the council. Our work provides an argument for supporting broad sectoral representation of interests within deliberative decision making bodies; however, it also illustrates that it is critical for these bodies to explore ways to resolve basic disagreements about the most important problems that need to be addressed and where their collective efforts should be focused.

Transformation of β-lactam Antibacterial Agents during Aqueous Ozonation: Reaction Pathways and Quantitative Bioassay of Biologically-Active Oxidation Products

In the Amazonian agricultural frontier, pasture for cattle ranching is an important and potentially hazardous form of land use because of sediment erosion as pastures degrade. This relationship between ranching, sediment load, and water quality is likely to further exacerbate environmental impacts, particularly in the context of climate change. We examine the role that river basin councils (RBCs) - a water governance option of Brazil's 1997 National Water Act - might play in managing this nonpoint-source pollution in the Amazônian state of Rondônia. We implement a simple coupled rancher-water system model to compare two potential governance options: a bulk water cleanup charge (BWC) implemented by RBCs and a land-use fine (LUF) for failing to maintain riparian buffers. We find no significant advantage of BWC over LUF in reducing sediment loading while keeping ranching profitable, under a changing climate. We also fail to find in Rondônia the important stake in water issues that has driven water reform elsewhere in Brazil. Moreover, the comparative success of reforestation programs suggests these programs may, in fact, have the potential to manage nonpoint-source agricultural pollution in the region.

Cattle, Clean Water, and Climate Change: Policy Choices for the Brazilian Agricultural Frontier

In the Amazonian agricultural frontier, pasture for cattle ranching is an important and potentially hazardous form of land use because of sediment erosion as pastures degrade. This relationship between ranching, sediment load, and water quality is likely to further exacerbate environmental impacts, particularly in the context of climate change. We examine the role that river basin councils (RBCs) - a water governance option of Brazil’s 1997 National Water Act - might play in managing this nonpoint-source pollution in the Amazônian state of Rondônia. We implement a simple coupled rancher-water system model to compare two potential governance options: a bulk water cleanup charge (BWC) implemented by RBCs and a land-use fine (LUF) for failing to maintain riparian buffers. We find no significant advantage of BWC over LUF in reducing sediment loading while keeping ranching profitable, under a changing climate. We also fail to find in Rondônia the important stake in water issues that has driven water reform elsewhere in Brazil. Moreover, the comparative success of reforestation programs suggests these programs may, in fact, have the potential to manage nonpoint-source agricultural pollution in the region.

Technical knowledge and water resources management: A comparative study of river basin councils, Brazil

Better understanding of the factors that shape the use of technical knowledge in water management is important both to increase its relevance to decision‐making and sustainable governance and to inform knowledge producers where needs lie. This is particularly critical in the context of the many stressors threatening water resources around the world. Recent scholarship focusing on innovative water management institutions emphasizes knowledge use as critical to water systems' adaptive capacity to respond to these stressors. For the past 15 years, water resources management in Brazil has undergone an encompassing reform that has created a set of participatory councils at the river basin level. Using data from a survey of 626 members of these councils across 18 river basins, this article examines the use of technical knowledge (e.g., climate and weather forecasts, reservoir streamflow models, environmental impact assessments, among others) within these councils. It finds that use of knowledge positively aligns with access, a more diverse and broader discussion agenda, and a higher sense of effectiveness. Yet, use of technical knowledge is also associated with skewed levels of power within the councils.

Water Governance in Mexico: Political and Economic Aperatures and a Shifting State-Citizen Relationship

Since the adoption of dramatic national water policy reforms in 1992, Mexico’s water governance paradigm has had time to mature. This article analyzes Mexico’s experience with water policy transition, based on research in irrigation districts and river basin councils in the northwestern state of Sonora. I examine the trajectory of the water policy transition using the policy sciences framework set forth in the introductory article. The article argues that the transition to a “new culture of water” focused on the three principles of efficiency, decentralization, and sustainability has only minimally fulfilled its goal of establishing a new state-citizen relationship around water policy. Multiple and conflicting agendas are represented in the water policy, and a coherent governance strategy that is sustained over time and place has not been achieved. In particular, legal modifications to the national water law that emphasize integrated watershed planning and local participation were approved in 2004 but have never been formally implemented. Political fragmentation and changing of parties in power has contributed to the challenge of working towards a more democratic, participatory water policy over the last two decades. The article concludes with a critique of the policy sciences approach in the context of the Mexican case and that of other “developing” countries.

The Dilemma of Water Management ‘Regionalization’ in Mexico under Centralized Resource Allocation

Mexico's evolving water management framework is predicated on: (1) integration of water resources planning and management; (2) decentralization from federal to ‘regional’ (river basin) levels; and (3) privatization of service provision. This paper focuses on Mexico's recurring federal-regional tensions, highlighting the historical case of the Yaqui River, and analyzing the current decentralization impasse. Although important advances have been made with irrigation management transfer, river basin councils, nascent user participation in groundwater management, and water and energy legislation, integrated water resources management (IWRM) remains an elusive goal, principally due to inherent institutional and procedural contradictions in water resource allocation. The next steps in the Mexican model—to open decision making to public scrutiny and devolve allocation of water and financial resources—will prove the most difficult, more because of entrenched interests than for lack of an ‘IWRM roadmap’.

Une nouvelle étape vers une politique intégrée de l’eau en Europe : Application de la Directive-Cadre

The Implementation 2000-2015 of the new Framework Directive: a new step toward integrated water policy in Europe. Its key elements are universal. The Directive of 23 October 2000 intends proposing to the water community policy and to the Member States « a transparent, effective and consistent legislative framework ». The Directive confirms the principles of integrated management and planning at the level of river basins, introduces obligations of results and proposes an overall approach, with a precise timetable, methods and a progressive development of the tools. It defines an objective of « good status » for the aquatic environments before 2015, gives the natural environments their place in the European water policy and preserves the future. The Framework Directive asks for the establishment of hydrological districts in large basins. It recognizes that the search for solutions for better water resources management must pass through an integrated and holistic approach, organized at the relevant level of basins of rivers, lakes and aquifers, either local, national or transboundary. The Directive strengthens transboundary basin management. It introduces the concept of International Basin Districts » for which the riparian Member States will have to comply with the same obligations as for the strictly national basins. Clearly, nowhere else in the world, we may see, officially and for 25 (+4) countries, a so high care of water resources management.This does not mean that WFD can be exported as an all to developing countries facing severe competition for scarce and polluted water resources in their quest for economic and social development. Conditions in those countries are different from the EU. WFD itself is not universal. But its key elements are, such as securing public participation, forming river basin councils, making river basin plans, setting time-bound, measurable targets, establishing appropriate monitoring and enforcement, introducing cost recovery mechanisms... Therefore, the important thing to export is the process of establishing an IWRM framework - the final shape varies from country to country

Evolving water management institutions in Mexico

Mexico's water management institutions are undergoing a gradual but dramatic change that corresponds to other changes in Mexican society. Implementing these changes has led to the creation of new institutions, including river basin councils, state water commissions, aquifer management committees, and water user associations. Established institutions such as the National Water Commission have accepted new roles. Some of these changes can be considered to be superficial, but this institutional change is impressive. Successful practices can be identified. These include the transfer of the management of large irrigation districts to the users, the periodic practice of establishing a national water plan, the cautious approach to private sector participation in water supply and sanitation, and the national registry of water use. Remaining challenges include weak river basin and aquifer management organizations, overexploitation of key aquifers, polluted surface water, and the inability of water markets to facilitate intersectoral water transfers.