Water Allocation System Research Articles

The Practice of Water Rights Transaction in China

The allocation and transaction of water rights have been widely concerned in China. It is essential to carry out the theory innovation and practice of water rights transaction. Based on the corresponding practices of water rights trading system at home and abroad, the paper put forward some discussions on the ownership of water, the water allocation system, the water transaction system and Legal norms and institutional system.

Farmers' willingness to adapt to climate change for sustainable water resources management: a case study of Tunisia

Abstract Shrinking water resources as a potential result of climate change (CC) creates a challenging tradeoff situation in the north of Tunisia. This study provides valuable insights into the conditions that can promote farmers' acceptance of regulated deficit irrigation and a new water pricing policy to address CC impacts on the semi-arid irrigated region which will allow for a sustainable irrigation regime and the conservation of water resources at regional scale. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze data collected from 100 farmers in the citrus regions of Beni Khalled and Menzel Bouzelfa, to identify determining factors for farmers' willingness to accept the proposed water management strategies. Empirical findings reveal that the significant explanatory variables are essentially linked to farmer satisfaction about the current irrigation management in relation to water supply reliability, rather than the social criteria and farmers' awareness of water scarcity. More efforts are needed to improve the transparency of water allocation systems to motivate the willingness of water users to adopt new technologies or policies. The different stakeholders should agree to take action now about strategic extension and communication plans to enhance awareness on ensuing environmental problems, to take advantage of long-term profitability of the water restriction.

A linear bi-level multi-objective program for optimal allocation of water resources.

This paper presents a simple bi-level multi-objective linear program (BLMOLP) with a hierarchical structure consisting of reservoir managers and several water use sectors under a multi-objective framework for the optimal allocation of limited water resources. Being the upper level decision makers (i.e., leader) in the hierarchy, the reservoir managers control the water allocation system and tend to create a balance among the competing water users thereby maximizing the total benefits to the society. On the other hand, the competing water use sectors, being the lower level decision makers (i.e., followers) in the hierarchy, aim only to maximize individual sectoral benefits. This multi-objective bi-level optimization problem can be solved using the simultaneous compromise constraint (SICCON) technique which creates a compromise between upper and lower level decision makers (DMs), and transforms the multi-objective function into a single decision-making problem. The bi-level model developed in this study has been applied to the Swat River basin in Pakistan for the optimal allocation of water resources among competing water demand sectors and different scenarios have been developed. The application of the model in this study shows that the SICCON is a simple, applicable and feasible approach to solve the BLMOLP problem. Finally, the comparisons of the model results show that the optimization model is practical and efficient when it is applied to different conditions with priorities assigned to various water users.

Effectiveness of the water resources allocation institution in Tunisia

Abstract This paper examines the water allocation system and its effects on water use, users' behavior and on the country's achievement of desirable goals. It investigates efficiency, equity, and sustainability issues that arise under this allocation rule. The current allocation system functions according to a queuing system of priorities, where the urban allocation is found to be the most efficient and least risky allocation, while the ecological sector bears the highest degree of climate risk variability. The rule of priority is applied to crops as well; the non-strategic crops have the least efficient and riskiest allocation. The current system allows the country to secure drinking water supply, but it does not create sufficient incentives for entitlement holders that have priority to increase their water use efficiency, does not guarantee ecosystem health and integrity and does not equally distribute the risk among users. An institutional reform is especially relevant to improve water use performance in the agriculture sector and the country's ability to manage drought. The nonpriority system that allows farmers to exchange their water-use entitlement might increase social welfare of water use.

Agricultural Multi-Water Source Allocation Model Based on Interval Two-Stage Stochastic Robust Programming under Uncertainty

Numerous uncertainties and complexities exist in the agricultural irrigation water allocation system, that must be considered in the optimization of water resources allocation. In this paper, an agricultural multi-water source allocation model, consisting of stochastic robust programming and two-stage random programming and introducing interval numbers and random variables to represent the uncertainties, was proposed for the optimization of irrigation water allocation in Jiamusi City of Heilongjiang Province, China. The model could optimize the water allocaton to different crops of groundwater and surface water. Then, the optimal target value and the optimal water allocation of different water sources distributed to different crops could be obtained. The model optimized the economic benefits and stability of the agricultural irrigation water allocation system via the introduction of a the penalty cost variable measurement to the objective function. The results revealed that the total water shortage changed from [18.6, 32.3] × 108 m3 to [15.7, 26.2] × 108 m3 at a risk level ω from zero to five, indicating that the water shortage decreased and the reliability improved in the agricultural irrigation water allocation system. Additionally, the net economic benefits of irrigation changed from [287.21, 357.86] × 108 yuan to [253.23, 301.32] × 108 yuan, indicating that the economic benefit difference was reduced. Therefore, the model can be used by decision makers to develop appropriate water distribution schemes based on the rational consideration of the economic benefit, stability and risk of the agricultural irrigation water allocation system.

South Africa’s water regulatory and policy framework: a new institutional economic review

The institutional dynamics , policies, and legislation that were prevalent during the apartheid era have left imprints that are difficult to ignore as they still dictate the interaction between different elements in the water sector to date. The existence of riparian water rights made the legislation excluding and racist as far as water access was concerned because of the indisputable link between land ownership and access to water. Post-apartheid, the National Water Act (NWA) of 1998 has transformed the water regulatory landscape from the riparian system to a system aimed at achieving equitable water allocation for the benefit of all. It has done away with a private right system of water allocation by detaching water rights from land ownership. However, the water sector in South Africa is still facing a number challenges, leading to a delay in achieving some of the goals of the post-apartheid water law. This paper provides a review of relevant water policies and/or statutes from a new institutional economics (NIE) perspective to assess the success, or lack thereof, of post-apartheid water policy in South Africa. This paper found that South Africa’s water policy is premised largely on neoclassical economics framework. It concludes that the failure of the NWA and other institutions to incorporate social norms and customs is more likely to the persistence of skewed distribution of water resources.

Conjunctive use of surface and ground water resources in a community-managed irrigation system — The case of the Sidi Okba palm grove in the Algerian Sahara

Surface water and groundwater for irrigation are frequently used conjunctively, especially in semiarid and arid regions. Planning conjunctive management involves several difficulties, one of which is adapting irrigation institutions and infrastructure to coordinate the management of multiple water resources. This article focuses on the social and material dimensions of the conjunctive use of multiple water resources in a community-managed irrigation system when integrating new water resources. It explores the way the physical characteristics of these new water resources shape and are shaped by human-made arrangements, in particular irrigation institutions and infrastructure. The study was conducted in the ancient palm grove of Sidi Okba, located close to the city of Biskra in the Algerian Sahara. This palm grove has a long irrigation history based on the exploitation of several water resources: floodwater, intentional dam releases, uncontrolled dam leakages, and groundwater. Despite state interventions based on a mono-resource view of the irrigation system, the irrigation community developed the conjunctive use of multiple resources. Throughout its eventful history, the community adapted the irrigation institutions and infrastructure inherited from the spate irrigation period to incorporate new water resources. It also acquired the ability to negotiate with the state to manage its own system of water allocation and distribution. The social practices inherited from surface water irrigation played a crucial role in the integration of groundwater in the irrigation network. This study concludes that the ability of long-standing irrigation communities to renew their irrigation systems and to adapt to different global changes is decisive in explaining the sustainability of these systems. However, the boundaries of these irrigation systems changed with the incorporation of groundwater pumped from the confined aquifers, which means that the water resources cannot only be managed at the local level, putting at risk the sustainability of such irrigation systems.

A stochastic rough-approximation water management model for supporting sustainable water-environment strategies in an irrigation district of arid region

In this study, a stochastic rough-approximation water management model (SRAWM) associated with optimistic and pessimistic options is proposed for supporting regional sustainability in an irrigation system (IS) of an arid region with uncertain information. SRAWM can not only handle conventional stochastic variations in objective functions or constraints, but also tackle objective and subjective (i.e., risk performance of the decision maker) fuzziness through rough-approximation model based on measure Me. The developed model would be applied to a real case study of an irrigation district (ID) in Kaidu-kongque River Basin, China, which is encountering challenges in economic development and a serious environmental crisis (e.g., drought, water deficit, land deterioration, stalinization, soil erosion and water pollution) synchronously. Simulation technical (i.e., support vector regression) is put into SRAWM framework to reflect dynamic prediction of water demand in the future. Results of optimized irrigation area, water allocation, water deficit, pollution reduction, water and soil erosion and system benefit under various water-environmental policies (corresponding to various ecological effects) are obtained. Tradeoffs between ecological and irrigative water usages can facilitate the local decision makers rectifying the current irrigation patterns and ecological protection polices. Moreover, compromises between systemic benefit and failure risk can help policymakers to generate a robust risk-control plan under uncertainties. These detections are beneficial to achieve conjunctive goals of socio-economic development and eco-environmental sustainability in such an arid IS.

Economic implications of agricultural reuse of treated wastewater in Israel: A statewide long-term perspective

We develop an Israeli version of the Multi-Year Water Allocation System (MYWAS) mathematical programming model to conduct statewide, long-term analyses of three topics associated with agricultural reuse of wastewater. We find that: (1) enabling agricultural irrigation with treated wastewater significantly reduces the optimal capacity levels of seawater and brackish-water desalination over the simulated 3-decade period, and increases Israel's welfare by 3.3 billion USD in terms of present values; (2) a policy requiring desalination of treated wastewater pre-agricultural reuse, as a method to prevent long-run damage to the soil and groundwater, reduces welfare by 2.7 billion USD; hence, such a policy is warranted only if the avoided damages exceed this welfare loss; (3) desalination of treated wastewater in order to increase freshwater availability for agricultural irrigation is not optimal, since the costs overwhelm the generated agricultural benefits. We also find the results associated with these three topics to be sensitive to the natural recharge of Israel's freshwater aquifers, and to the rate at which domestic-water demand evolves due to population and income growth.

Evaluation of water harvesting and managed aquifer recharge potential in Upper Fara' basin in Palestine: comparing MYWAS and water productivity approaches

The Upper Wadi Fara' basin, located at the West Bank, Palestine, has an average annual rainfall of 500 mm, which occurs only during winter. Agriculture uses stored soil water and complimentary irrigation from groundwater. Water harvesting (WH) and managed aquifer recharge (MAR) therefore is essential for sustainable water resources management in the basin. This study focuses on the comparison between two methods to determine best practices for WH/MAR. The first method uses the change in water productivity and can be considered a one parameter cost benefit analysis (CBA). The other method concerns the multi year water allocation system (MYWAS), which uses water demand curves to evaluate economic scenarios. It is concluded that the highest cost effectiveness of WH/MAR measures in upper Wadi Fara' basin is reached when water is stored as soil water. However, this is a politically disputed measure in the Israel-Palestine shared aquifer. Both models are useful tools in decisive stakeholder participation processes.

Evaluation of water harvesting and managed aquifer recharge potential in Upper Fara' basin in Palestine: comparing MYWAS and water productivity approaches

The Upper Wadi Fara' basin, located at the West Bank, Palestine, has an average annual rainfall of 500 mm, which occurs only during winter. Agriculture uses stored soil water and complimentary irrigation from groundwater. Water harvesting (WH) and managed aquifer recharge (MAR) therefore is essential for sustainable water resources management in the basin. This study focuses on the comparison between two methods to determine best practices for WH/MAR. The first method uses the change in water productivity and can be considered a one parameter cost benefit analysis (CBA). The other method concerns the multi year water allocation system (MYWAS), which uses water demand curves to evaluate economic scenarios. It is concluded that the highest cost effectiveness of WH/MAR measures in upper Wadi Fara' basin is reached when water is stored as soil water. However, this is a politically disputed measure in the Israel-Palestine shared aquifer. Both models are useful tools in decisive stakeholder participation processes.

A developed fuzzy-stochastic optimization for coordinating human activity and eco-environmental protection in a regional wetland ecosystem under uncertainties

In this study, a developed fuzzy approximation mixed stochastic approach (DFAS) is proposed for a regional wetland ecosystem (RWE) management under uncertainty. DFAS can handle traditional objective non-determinacy (caused by natural element) and anthropogenic uncertainty (caused by artificial factor) expressed as probability distribution and fuzzy set in objective function or constraint; it also extend to reflect compromise of risk attitude/preference of the decision maker in decision-making process through introducing rough set theory (RST) and measure Me. The proposed approach can be applied to a practical RWE management of Yongnianwa wetland, located in north of China, where the natural ecosystem has been suffered severe degradation induced by disharmonious developing speeds between human activities and environment. Results of ecological effects of wetland ecosystem, water allocation patterns, pollution-mitigation schemes, and system benefit analysis can be acquired. The results indicate that wetland ecosystem can produce a numbers of positive effects to the pollution control and environmental protection, where the total excess pollution discharges (concluding TN, TP and BOD) would reduce 202 and 242 tone (LAV and UAV) at highest. Meanwhile, it finds that wetland system method deemed as an effective/appropriate technology can remove 67%, 72% and 88% TN, TP and BOD from wastewater, where water quality standard of effluent would be II, II and III for TN, TP and BOD at best. However, competitive relationships between water consumption from human activity and wetland protection can facilitate decision makers adjusting current water-environment policies with a more efficient/sustainable manner. Meanwhile, tradeoffs between economic benefit and system-failure risk under optimistic/pessimistic option can support generating a robust plan associated with risk control for RWE under uncertainties. All of these detections can avail local decision makers to generate a plan integrating socio-economic development and eco-environmental protection sustainably.

Is there a locational productivity advantage for rice cultivation? Results from a technical efficiency analysis of water use in Sri Lankan village irrigation systems

Allocating water among agricultural land is a complex issue. This is especially the case when there is a shortage of water. In this paper, we examine a traditional Sri Lankan water allocation system (known as Bethama) where farmers make collective decisions at the village level to determine the allocation of available reservoir water for the land that can be cultivated. This system of water allocation becomes more problematic when water for cultivation becomes scarce. Importantly, such decisions can have an impact on productivity given that the literature indicates there is a negative relationship between rice yield and the distance of farms from the water source in irrigated agriculture. In addition to testing this hypothesis, we also examine factors influencing inefficient rice production in different locations of the command area (cultivable land) within village irrigation systems (VISs). To do so, a stochastic production frontier analysis is utilised using a technical inefficiency model. This methodology provides a means of examining locational productive performance and its determinants. Primary data was collected from 460 rice farmers in the Kurunegala district in order to estimate technical efficiency in the three sub-locations of the command area: head-end fields (HEFs), middle fields (MFs) and tail-end fields (TEFs). We show that there is no ‘head–tail’ syndrome in VISs when an adequate supply of water is made available to all three sub-locations of the command area. Interestingly, the results show that TEFs are more productive than HEFs in the command area.

Biobjective Optimization for Efficient Irrigation under Fuzzy Uncertainty

AbstractA biobjective programming model is developed with fuzzy inputs in response to the complexity of conflicting objectives and uncertainties in irrigation water allocation systems. The model is capable of increasing agricultural water productivity and meanwhile reducing irrigation water shortage, compromising the concerns of both agricultural decision makers and farmers. Moreover, the developed model adequately considers the fuzzy uncertainties in parameters, constraints, and objective functions. The potential of the developed model is shown by applying to a real case study in northwest China. Results show alternative decisions for irrigation water allocation under different flow levels, and indicate that the effectiveness of the trading program is explicitly affected by uncertainties expressed as fuzziness. Comparison with a commonly used model for irrigation water allocation demonstrates the feasibility and applicability of the developed model, which is helpful for the development of water-saving hi...

因应都市化之智能型水资源管理策略

随着时代的变迁，台湾的桃园地区都市化发展迅速，由于人口膨胀、工商业发展蓬勃等因素，民生、工业用水需求日益增加。因此，在干旱发生的情形下，桃园地区的石门水库用水调度将是1个重大课题。面对日益增加的用水需求以及水文不确定性，本研究拟建置智能型水资源管理系统，期能于干旱时期透过灌溉用水弹性调度民生、工业用水方式，降低公共用水压力。本研究搜集2005~2014年桃园地区农业、工业以及人口发展等数据，透过系统动力模式推衍未来2015~2030年桃园地区需水情势，并参考1977、1984、2002年等干旱年之石门水库旬入流量及水库初始有效库容50%、40%、30%等情境，总共设定九种未来干旱供水可能状况，运用石门水库操作规则(M-5操作规线)模拟未来缺水严重程度，并透过非支配排序遗传算-II (NSGA-II)搜寻最大的平均有效蓄水率(RRS)及最小的修正缺水指标(MSI)等两个目标；透过NSGA-II的搜寻，修正缺水指标(MSI)于各水文情境的表现最高达31.3%的改善率，各旬有效蓄水率最高达9.8%的改善率。我们期望所提出之智能型水资源管理系统能对未来永续水资源管理研究有所帮助。 Along with the changes over time, the urbanization of Taoyuan in Taiwan has progressed rapidly while the population growth and industrial development has led to a significant increase in the water demands in this area. Therefore, the water regulation of the Shimen Reservoir in Taoyuan is a critical issue, especially for drought periods. In response to increasing water demands and hydrological uncertainties, this study aims to build an intelligent water allocation system in order to suitably make water regulation with a flexible transfer of water from irrigation sectors to industrial and municipal sectors for reducing the water pressure in public sectors during drought periods. According to the analysis on the historical data collected from agricultural and industrial sectors as well as population statistics in Taoyuan during 2005 and 2014, this study first simulates the future water demands for the period of 2015 and 2030 in Taoyuan. We next design nine water supply scenarios in response to the possible drought periods in the future based on the ten-day inflow data collected from the Shimen Reservoir in three drought years and three initial storage capacities of the reservoir for these drought years. According to the simulation results of future water demand and supply, we analyze the water shortage conditions during 2015 and 2030 by using M-5 rule curves and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II). In search of the minimal modified shortage index (MSI) and the maximal ratio of effective reservoir storage capacity (RRS), the results indicate that the largest improvement rates of the MSI and the averaged effective reservoir storage capacity ratio for ten-day periods can reach as high as 31.3% and 9.8%, respectively. We hope that the proposed intelligent water allocation system will pave the way to future research for sustaining water resources management.

Determinants of water purchases by pistachio producers in an informal groundwater market: a case study from Iran

Market-based water allocation systems have the potential to ensure that scarce water will flow to the user who earns the highest marginal value from that water. However, the number of recorded instances where water supply problems are solved by market-based systems remains limited. This study attempts to identify the decisive factors that motivate farmers’ participation in informal spot water markets in the Rafsanjan aquifer in south-eastern Iran. A two-stage random sampling was carried out in a field survey from November 2008 to February 2009. A logit model is used to test the factors affecting farmers’ decisions to buy groundwater from neighbours who share the same pump. The results show that the technological variables contribute substantially to the participation decision. For example, a decrease in water quality, an increase in the age of the garden, and an increase in the size of the water quota reduce the probability of participation. In contrast, more scattered plots, a higher water flow level from pumping, and a deeper well increase the probability of participation in water markets. Finally, the results suggest that in this area, the participation in water markets is motivated more by profit increasing factors than by farmer socioeconomic characteristics.

Evaluation of irrigation water use efficiency using remote sensing in the middle reach of the Heihe river, in the semi‐arid Northwestern China

AbstractIrrigation of agricultural oases is the main water consumer in semi‐arid and arid regions of Northwestern China. The accurate estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) on the oases is extremely important for evaluating water use efficiency so as to reasonably allocate water resources, particularly in semi‐arid and arid areas. In this study, we integrated the soil moisture information into surface energy balance system (SEBS) for improving irrigated crop water consumption estimation. The new approach fed with the moderate resolution imaging spectro‐radiometer images mapped spatiotemporal ET on the oasis in the middle reach of the Heihe river. The daily ET outputs of the new approach were compared with those of the original SEBS using the eddy correlation observations, and the results demonstrate that the modified SEBS remedied the shortcoming of general overestimating ET without regard to soil water stress. Meanwhile, the crop planting structure and leaf area index spatiotemporal distribution in the studied region were derived from the high‐resolution Chinese satellite HJ‐1/CCD images for helping analyse the pattern of the monthly ET (ETmonthly). The results show that the spatiotemporal variation of ETmonthly is closely related to artificial irrigation and crop growth. Further evaluation of current irrigation water use efficiency was conducted on both irrigation district scale and the whole middle reach of the Heihe river. The results reveal that the average fraction of consumed water on irrigation district scale is 57% in 2012. The current irrigation water system is irrational because only 52% of the total irrigated amount was used to fulfil plant ET requirement and the rest of the irrigation water recharged into groundwater in the oasis in 2012. However, in view of the whole middle reach of the Heihe river, the irrigation water use efficiency could reach to 66% in 2012. But pumping groundwater for reused irrigation wastes mostly energy instead of water. An improved irrigation water allocation system according to actual ET requirement is needed to increase irrigation efficiency per cubic meter water resource in an effort to save both water and energy. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Contrasting American and Brazilian Systems for Water Allocation and Transfers

AbstractThe United States and Brazil both deal with water-related problems associated with being large territorial areas having uneven distribution of water resources and population. Water transfer projects have been widely considered to be feasible solutions to the mitigation of local water shortages. This paper contrasts American and Brazilian water allocation systems and water transfer projects, located in the Colorado and Piracicaba River basins, seeking potential exchanges between these two water management systems and analyzing their adaptability to trends in water demand and climate. This evaluation indicates that the American system could potentially benefit from some of the principles present in Brazilian framework, including (1) participatory approach involving government, users, and citizens; (2) recognition of the economic value of water; and (3) prioritization of drinking water supply during shortage times. In turn, the Brazilian system could benefit from certain characteristics of American w...

Institutional and Hydrologic Water Availability in Texas

The Water Availability Modeling (WAM) System created and maintained by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and its partner agencies and contractors consists of the generalized Water Rights Analysis Package (WRAP) developed at Texas A & M University, which may be applied anywhere in the world, and WRAP input datasets for the 23 river basins of Texas. WRAP is designed for assessing river/reservoir system reliabilities in meeting water supply, hydroelectric power, environmental flow, flood control, and reservoir storage needs. The Texas WAM System supports regional and statewide planning, administration of water allocation systems, and other water resources management endeavors. Activities of numerous water management entities operating 3,435 reservoirs and other facilities in accordance with treaties between the United States and Mexico, five interstate compacts, two water right permit systems with 6,000 active permits, and other institutional arrangements are simulated. The modeling system contributes greatly to water management in Texas and continues to be expanded to address additional water management issues. The Texas experience in implementing the WAM System illustrates key aspects of evaluating water availability from institutional as well as hydrologic perspectives.

A Comparative Study of Flexibility in Water Allocation in the Context of Hydrologic Variability

River flow that is characterized by variability requires commensurate flexibility in allocating water so that water users are able to plan their activities and respond accordingly. An indicator-based assessment method is proposed in this study to evaluate the flexibility of water allocation, based on a concept that a flexible water allocation regime provides greater opportunity for users to freely decide individual water use and leads to more variability and diversity for water consumption among the users. This is demonstrated by using historical water-use data and applying the assessment method in three river basins with different water allocation regimes. These allocation regimes include the seasonal and volumetric water allocation system in the Yellow River of China, duration-based water allocation in Northwestern China, and capacity sharing in southern Queensland in the northern Murray Darling Basin of Australia. Historical water-use variability and diversity are defined and assessed. The result shows that water allocation flexibility varies across the different water entitlement regimes. Duration-based water allocation, a type of allocation that provides the highest degree of water-use autonomy, is ranked as the most flexible regime. Seasonal water allocation, which has the highest level of centralized regulation, shows the lowest flexibility. The proposed indicator based assessment method would be useful for evaluating the flexibility of policy options for water allocation. This could be helpful for improving the capability of water allocation regimes to cope with the changing environment and improving the effectiveness of water allocation systems.