Water Governance Research Articles

Maximizing synergies between state and non‐state actors to enhance water governance in the Cubango‐Okavango River basin

Maximizing synergies between state and non‐state actors to enhance water governance in the Cubango‐Okavango River basin

Geochemical drivers of manganese removal in drinking water reservoirs under hypolimnetic oxygenation

Manganese (Mn) is a naturally occurring contaminant commonly found in drinking water supplies. In lakes and reservoirs, water authorities increasingly use in situ treatment by hypolimnetic oxygenation (HOx) systems to remove metals such as Mn from the water column. HOx systems introduce dissolved oxygen (DO) to the bottom waters (hypolimnion) to promote oxidation and subsequent removal of metals from the water column. Previous laboratory studies have shown the importance of individual geochemical drivers (pH, alkalinity, mineral surfaces) on Mn oxidation, but few studies have examined the influence of these drivers of Mn removal in concert. In this study, we conducted field monitoring and laboratory experiments to examine how pH, alkalinity and the presence of mineral particles influence Mn removal at two drinking water reservoirs in southwest Virginia, both with HOx systems: Falling Creek Reservoir (FCR) and Carvins Cove Reservoir (CCR). Both reservoirs have had historical issues with elevated (>0.05 mg/L) Mn concentrations during seasonal stratification (May–October). Watershed geology contributes to differences in pH and alkalinity between the reservoirs, with FCR having lower historical medians of hypolimnetic pH and alkalinity (6.6 and 18 mg/L CaCO3, respectively) than CCR (7.2 and 62 mg/L CaCO3, respectively).Results of laboratory experiments examining the influence of pH on Mn removal showed substantial Mn loss within 14 days only under high pH (10) conditions. Mn removal did not occur at pH 6 or 8 over the same 14-day period. In experiments with pH 10 and alkalinity >70 mg/L CaCO3, near-total Mn removal occurred within 2 h. Mn removal occurred concurrently with precipitation of microscopic (<5 μm) particles, followed by formation of macroscopic (>100 μm) particles. Particles of both size classes were identified as Mn oxides (MnOx). These observations suggest that increasing pH and alkalinity promotes Mn oxidation and subsequent removal from solution. Results of experiments with pH 10 and alkalinity >70 mg/L CaCO3 suggest that heterogeneous oxidation by MnOx partially drives rapid Mn removal. Thus, initial formation of MnOx creates a positive feedback loop that can enhance additional Mn loss. In experiments using water collected from FCR and CCR, we observed rapid Mn removal in unfiltered water (0.002–0.05 d−1) but no significant removal of Mn in filtered water. These results, in combination with results of analysis of particles collected from reservoir water, suggest that minerals present in the water column likely catalyze MnOx formation. Together, our experimental results suggest that heterogenous oxidation is an important process of Mn removal, while pH and alkalinity variations of the range expected in natural freshwaters contribute less to differential Mn removal. The formation of MnOx particles during in situ oxygenation, as well as the presence of suspended minerals that occur naturally in water columns, play an important role in promoting Mn oxidation and should be accounted for in Mn removal treatment strategies.

Power to the programmer: Modeller’s perspective on automating the setup of hydrodynamic models for Dutch water authorities

Use of models in decision making, for example in water management, requires confidence in the model and its outputs. Since choices in model setup affect model output, this confidence is affected by the modellers’ professional judgement. Computer programmers can use their expertise in coding to standardise some of the tasks associated with computational modelling. Therefore, centralized automation has the potential to ensure quality of modelling decisions. Since it is the modeller that makes the choices in the model set-up, it is important to understand how modellers perceive automation. To explore their perspectives, we conducted fourteen interviews with modellers at water authorities and consulting companies in the Netherlands. The transcripts were analysed through deductive and inductive content analysis. Our study reveals that automated modelling processes can improve efficiency, transparency and consistency, but only if certain requirements are met, such as good documentation, clear ownership, adequate maintenance, and frequent evaluation. Therefore, managing the risks and benefits of automation requires balancing the power between modellers and programmers.

Conventional water resources associated with climate change in the Southeast Mediterranean and the Middle East countries

Conventional water sources in the Southeast Mediterranean and the Middle East play a crucial role in driving the socio-economic progress of the region. This study aims to address the uncertainties, discrepancies, and gaps in knowledge regarding how to combat the climate crisis and extreme weather events impacting traditional water sources. These sources encompass rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and groundwater reservoirs that are vital for agriculture, industry, and daily household needs. The availability and upkeep of water resources in this area are influenced by factors like climate change, population growth, and competing demands from different sectors. The methodology involved an extensive review of research literature curetted from a wide array of international scientific studies and reports, drawing data from sources such as PubMed, EBSCO, Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and UNESCO, WHO databases. The findings underscore the importance of traditional water sources in these regions, underscoring their significance for agricultural, industrial, and domestic applications. The accessibility of water resources varies among nations, with some grappling with water scarcity issues. This research delves into the condition of traditional water sources in the Southeast Mediterranean and the Middle East, shining a spotlight on concerns like water scarcity, pollution, and governance, offering valuable insights into these critical resources.

Perspectives and Prospects for International Water Law in the ASEAN Region: Is There an ASEAN Way to Transboundary Water Cooperation Under International Law?

Around the world there are over 300 transboundary watercourses and around 500 transboundary groundwater bodies shared by two or more States. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region contains forty-one transboundary surface and groundwater bodies shared between ten ASEAN States and the five non-ASEAN States at its periphery. As transboundary water resources they are governed under international law found in a series of layers across a spectrum of bindingness (customary international law, global–regional–multilateral–bilateral agreements and non-binding instruments). Through an analysis of the international law relevant to the governance of transboundary water resources in the region, this study seeks to explore the ASEAN approach to transboundary water governance under international law. While this analysis finds that there is no uniform practice across the region, the paper concludes with possible paths forward for the legalization of transboundary water cooperation.

Community water governance for climate-resilient water security in Fiji

ABSTRACT Climate change is a significant and growing threat to water security in the Pacific Region. However, little is known about how communities in the region mobilize resources and institutions to safeguard water security and build resilience. We engage the community disaster resilience framework and use ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews to examine how rural communities in Fiji mobilize household and community resources (effectively and otherwise) to manage water security amid persistent climate-related disasters. We highlight important lessons on the opportunities and challenges of community water governance for water security and disaster resilience in the Pacific Islands.

Water throughout the green energy transition: Hydrosocial dimensions of coal, natural gas, and lithium

AbstractEnergy transitions are reshaping hydrosocial relations. How they will be reshaped, however, depends on location and water's material relationship to other resources and industrial activities embedded within energy transitions. To highlight this, we focus on three different resources—coal, natural gas, and lithium—to signal how the water–energy nexus will be reworked in a transition away from fossil fuels. We examine the water–coal nexus as an example of a resource relationship that is transitioning out, or that is being moved away from in the green energy transition. Natural gas represents the “bridge fuel” used through the transition. Lithium illustrates a resource inside the green transition, as it is a fundamental material for green technologies in the transition to a low‐carbon future. Coal, natural gas, and lithium each have their own material impacts to water resources that stem from their industrial lifecycle and different implications for communities shaped by coal, natural gas, and lithium activities. To explore this, we review each of these resources' connection to water, their legal and regulatory dimensions, and their impact on communities and water justice. We argue that the energy transition is also a hydrosocial transition that will create uneven water‐related benefits and burdens. To maximize sustainability and equity, efforts to decarbonize energy systems must examine the localized, place‐based hydrosocial relations that differentially affect communities.This article is categorized under: Engineering Water &gt; Planning Water Human Water &gt; Water Governance Human Water &gt; Rights to Water

Assessing Multi-Scale Atmospheric Circulation Patterns for Improvements in Sub-Seasonal Precipitation Predictability in the Northern Great Plains

This study leverages the relationships between the Great Plains low-level jet (GP-LLJ) and the circumglobal teleconnection (CGT) to assess the enhancement of 30-day rainfall forecast in the Northern Great Plains (NGP). The assessment of 30-day simulated precipitation using the Climate Forecast System (CFS) is contrasted with the North American Regional Reanalysis, searching for sources of precipitation predictability associated with extended wet and drought events. We analyze the 30-day sources of precipitation predictability using (1) the characterization of dominant statistical modes of variability of 900 mb winds associated with the GP-LLJ, (2) the large-scale atmospheric patterns based on 200 mb geopotential height (HGT), and (3) the use of GP-LLJ and CGT conditional probability distributions using a continuous correlation threshold approach to identify when and where the forecast of NGP precipitation occurs. Two factors contributing to the predictability of precipitation in the NGP are documented. We found that the association between GP-LLJ and CGT occurs at two different scales—the interdiurnal and the sub-seasonal, respectively. The CFS reforecast suggests that the ability to forecast sub-seasonal precipitation improves in response to the enhanced simulation of the GP-LLJ and CGT. Using these modes of climate variability could improve predictive frameworks for water resources management, governance, and water supply for agriculture.

Gendered perspective on water security, rights and conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

The 2017 Global Risk Report ranked water crisis third among the top six global risks that greatly impact society. While the water crisis is disproportionately distributed worldwide, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has more people (most of whom are women) who face water problems compared to other regions worldwide. Through the application of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol version 2020, a systematic review examining the connection between gender and water security, rights, and water conflicts in SSA was done. A total of 24 out of 229 articles made it into the final analysis. Previous research studies on gender politics in the water sector have done so in a fragmented way, focusing on specific water security parameters. The emerging findings show that 14 years after the adoption of an enforceable human right to water and about 6 years prior to the cut-off date for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, matters of gender and water in SSA are far from being addressed. Rural people, especially women, still face multiple water-related challenges and conflicts, including discriminatory practices upholding male hegemony in water governance. It is recommended that actors in the water sector precede the implementation of water projects by understanding contextual settings that influence gendered water security. Furthermore, the implementation of the water Sustainable Development Goal (SGD 6) should be done in the context of SDG 5 (Gender Equity) and the prioritization of procedural water justice and governance, access to technical skills, and water conveyance technologies.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.prisma-statement.org/.

From efficiency to resilience: unraveling the dynamic coupling of land use economic efficiency and urban ecological resilience in Yellow River Basin

This study investigates the Dynamic Coupling between Land Use Economic Efficiency (LUEE) and Urban Ecological Resilience (UER) in the Yellow River Basin (YRB). This exploration is pivotal for elucidating the interaction mechanisms between economic growth and ecological governance. Furthermore, understanding this relationship is essential for fostering high-quality, sustainable urban development in the YRB. Utilizing panel data from 56 cities spanning 2003 to 2020, this study employed the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model, spatial correlation analysis, Kernel density estimation, convergence model, and Geodetector to systematically analyze the spatio-temporal distribution, dynamic trend, and determinants of the CCD between LUEE and UER in the YRB. The findings indicate that: (1) A general upward trend in both LUEE and UER, accompanied by a steady improvement in their CCD. (2) Significant spatial disparities in their CCD, with higher levels in the lower reaches. (3) Marked positive spatial autocorrelation, predominantly characterized by clusters where high (low) values are surrounded by high (low) values. (4) Regarding the impact of individual factors, government fiscal budget expenditure demonstrates the most robust explanatory power for the CCD within the YRB. Concerning the effects of two-factor interactions, the interplay between industrial structure upgrading and government fiscal budget expenditure emerges as the most significant determinant in influencing the CCD between LUEE and UER. This study enhances our comprehensive understanding of the interplay between economic and ecological systems. It offers scientific insights and strategic direction for harmonizing ecological governance with urban economic growth at both the regional and global scales.

A critical review of biomonitoring in East African rivers: fostering community-based collaboration for environmental change observation

The contribution of citizen scientists to environmental monitoring is notably increasing significantly. Governments worldwide establish Water Users Associations (WUAs) as a good practice model to implement Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) at local levels. These associations target different stakeholders depending on the expected outcome. However, their effectiveness, especially in East Africa, can only be determined case by case. In Kenya, Water Resources Users Associations are registered, voluntary community groups whose members are water users and land owners. Similarly, in Uganda, community-based initiatives exist, especially along degraded rivers, involving cooperation between local communities and regional water authorities. On the contrary, it has been reported that in Tanzania, many community initiatives created become non-functional within 2–3 years of induction. In general, the main responsibility of Water Users Associations or its equivalent is to manage and conserve water resources for sustainable uses. In most cases, water quality monitoring by communities through citizen science is limited to the visual appearance of water in the river channel. While this can indicate the water’s esthetic value, it is insufficient for assessing the ecological status of rivers, which is influenced by a variety of physical, chemical, biological, and socioeconomic factors. The use of bioindicators has been advocated as a feasible method for community-based water quality river monitoring. Therefore, this review explores the commonly used bio-indicators and bio-assessment tools for river health assessment and their complexities when using a biomonitoring community-based approach through citizen science. Tolerance and intolerance macroinvertebrate and fish metric protocols that utilize identification keys have been recommended. These protocols are designed to be user-friendly and require minimal taxonomic expertise, making them easy for community volunteers to use with minimal basic training. The sustainability of these citizen science initiatives relies on the motivation of volunteers, the frequency of monitoring activities, and collaboration with researchers and government agencies. These initiatives not only facilitate environmental monitoring but also foster community engagement and awareness regarding the ecological status of rivers, thereby addressing knowledge and data gaps necessary for effective policy-making. This approach provides a practical model for environmental stewardship and participatory resource management in East Africa.

The agricultural decision process in a small tank cascade system in Sri Lanka: diagnosing options for adaptive governance

Small Tank Cascade Systems (STCS) are interconnected small reservoirs constructed in shallow valleys in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. STCS have assumed heightened significance for their potential contribution to climate adaptation of agricultural systems. Local communities managed STCS to store water by capturing seasonal rain and cultivating crops that suited local conditions over millennia. The British colonial centralisation of STCS governance led to the degradation and deterioration of STCS. Contemporary water governance literature identifies STCSs as complex multifunctional systems. Adaptive co-management (ACM) approaches can reconcile complex resource governance issues by combining co-management with co-governance. We studied Palugaswewa STCS in North Central Sri Lanka to explore farmer and government officials' views, perceptions, knowledge, and experiences about agricultural decision-making including current governance, issues, and proposed improvements seeking evidence for ACM in practice. We interviewed eleven farmers and four extension officials selected from the analysis preceding this research. Our results show that an informal decision process (pre-cultivation meeting) precedes and informs the formal decision process (cultivation meeting), farmers use their collective knowledge and experience to anticipate seasonal weather and plan cultivation, and government officials facilitate a community-led decision process with institutional limitations. We concluded that the informal process compensates for the lack of timely meteorological information, allows space for sharing and co-development of knowledge and facilitates ACM. Future governance interventions in STCS need to recognise informal processes that drive decision-making, provide timely user-centred meteorological information, and rethink legal frameworks at local and national levels to provide flexibility for local farmers.

Lithium and water: Hydrosocial impacts across the life cycle of energy storage

AbstractAs a key ingredient of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), lithium plays a significant role in climate change mitigation, but lithium has considerable impacts on water and society across its life cycle. Upstream extraction methods—including open‐pit mining, brine evaporation, and novel direct lithium extraction (DLE)—and downstream processes present different impacts on both the quantity and quality of water resources, leading to water depletion and contamination. Regarding upstream extraction, it is critical for a comprehensive assessment of lithium's life cycle to include cumulative impacts related not only to freshwater, but also mineralized or saline groundwater, also known as brine. Legal frameworks have obscured social and ecological impacts by treating brine as a mineral rather than water in regulation of lithium extraction through brine evaporation. Analysis of cumulative impacts across the lifespan of lithium reveals not only water impacts in conventional open‐pit mining and brine evaporation, but also significant freshwater needs for DLE technologies, as well as burdens on fenceline communities related to wastewater in processing, chemical contaminants in battery manufacturing, water use for cooling in energy storage, and water quality hazards in recycling. Water analysis in lithium life cycle assessments (LCAs) tends to exclude brine and lack hydrosocial context on the environmental justice implications of water use by life cycle stage. New research directions might benefit from taking a more community‐engaged and cradle‐to‐cradle approach to lithium LCAs, including regionalized impact analysis of freshwater use in DLE, as well as wastewater pollution, cooling water, and recycling hazards from downstream processes.This article is categorized under: Human Water &gt; Human Water Human Water &gt; Water Governance Human Water &gt; Water as Imagined and Represented Science of Water &gt; Water and Environmental Change

Water Governance in an Era of Climate Change: A Model to Assess the Shifting Irrigation Demand and Its Effect on Water Management in the Western United States

Water Governance in an Era of Climate Change: A Model to Assess the Shifting Irrigation Demand and Its Effect on Water Management in the Western United States

Decoupling Characteristics between Coupling Coordination Degree of Production-Living-Ecological Function and Carbon Emissions in the Urban Agglomeration of the Shandong Peninsula

Under the dual carbon goals, the relationship between land production-living-ecological function and carbon emissions points to a new direction for land spatial planning. This study compiles and analyzes carbon emissions and the production-living-ecological function coupling coordination degree of 16 cities in the Shandong Peninsula urban agglomeration for the years 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2021. Furthermore, it introduces the Tapio decoupling model to calculate the decoupling index between carbon emissions and the coupling coordination degree. The spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of production-living-ecological function coupling coordination, carbon emissions, and the decoupling index were analyzed. The results indicate that (1) from 2001 to 2021, the production-living-ecological function coupling coordination degree in Shandong Peninsula urban agglomeration increased overall, with an obvious “high in the east and low in the west” feature in the spatial pattern. That is caused by the difference in resource endowment between the east and the west and the gap in the process of urbanization, industrial structure transformation, and ecological governance. (2) During the study period, overall carbon emissions increased, with a significantly reduced growth rate. A polarization phenomenon of increase and decrease trends within the urban agglomeration was observed. The spatial distribution characteristics of land use carbon emissions showed significant production-living-ecological coupling coordination degree heterotropism. (3) From 2001 to 2021, the decoupling relationship between production-living-ecological coupling coordination degree and carbon emissions mainly exhibited three patterns: strong negative decoupling, expansion negative decoupling, and strong decoupling, maintaining a good decoupling trend overall. These results indicate that the coordinated development level of production, living, and ecological functions in the study area has improved during the research period, and its decoupling relationship with carbon emissions has also shown a positive trend. However, there is still a problem of uneven regional development. In the future, the production-living-ecological development of Shandong Peninsula urban agglomeration should adhere to the development pattern of “two circles and four regions”, which aims to promote resource sharing and complementary advantages through specific regional divisions, and achieve coordinated development within the region. This involves optimizing land use structure and function, encouraging innovation and development of green industries, and deepening ecological environment restoration and protection to realize the coordinated development of the production-living-ecological function of land use under the dual carbon goal.

Urban water security in multidisciplinary practices: A case of Lamphun Municipality, Thailand

Urban water security is a multi-faceted water, socioeconomic, and governance challenge. The complexity of translating the holistic approach into policies is an important need for improving water resource management to achieve prosperity, equity, sustainability, and good governance. The city of Lamphun is an example of the practice, which faced drought and major challenges in efficiently distributing water to industrial partners and downstream residents. The purpose of this study was to monitor urban water security and formulate a water management-based urban land use policy for Lamphun Municipality to mitigate water conflicts and ensure access to water for all residents. Therefore, the study examined urban water security using 4 indices: urban water resources, access, risks, and governance. A careful urban land use plan responsible for water security was proposed based on potential surface analysis techniques and public participation. The result of this research would not only guarantee water security, but also promote public participation and sustainable communities.

Treatment of effluent from a malting processing plant using bio-coagulants

Stringent measures by water authorities worldwide on water clarification has resulted in the use of chemical-based coagulants to be a formidable challenge. This has driven the need to find alternative sustainable coagulants such as plant-based bio coagulants which are readily available, abundant and cost effective in developing countries such as Zimbabwe. In this regard, the effectiveness of treating effluent from a brewery malting processing plant using bio-coagulants (Aloe vera, Cactus opuntia and Okra seeds) was investigated compared to that of a chemical coagulant (Alum). The water pollution parameters that were investigated include turbidity, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, temperature and pH. The results showed that Alum was the most effective coagulant as it reduced the turbidity from 734 NTU to 68.3 NTU and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) from 19,800 ppm to 880 ppm at a dosage of 40 mg/L. Okra seeds had an optimum dosage of 35 mg/L with a turbidity and TDS removal of 88.83% and 95.25% respectively. Aloe Vera had an optimum dosage of 40 mg/L with a turbidity and TDS removal of 74.25% and 95.40% respectively. For Cactus opuntia it was 50 mg/L obtaining turbidity and TDS removal of 74.66% and 95% respectively. The best blend of the bio coagulants had a ratio of (0.17, 0.17, and 0.67) for Aloe vera, Cactus opuntia and Okra seeds respectively. At a dosage of 40 mg/L the turbidity removal was 83.92% and TDS removal was 95.12%. The results indicated that blending the plant-based coagulants had a positive synergistic effect.Graphical

Building sustainability index for Dubai electricity and water authority

Building sustainability index for Dubai electricity and water authority

Sustainable Urban Clean Water Governance in Indonesia: Problems, Institutions, and Future Solutions

This study aims to explain the urban community-based clean water provision in Bandung City, in terms of general problems, institutional and governance aspects. Community-based clean water governance should be developed so that communities are independent and ready to produce clean water. When clean water is available, the time and money spent on obtaining clean water can be used for other more productive purposes and can improve community welfare. The method used in this research is a qualitative approach with a descriptive approach. Data collection was done through literature review, in-depth interviews and several site surveys. The results of this study indicate the low performance of Regional Water Supply Company in managing clean water supply and the absence of local regulations related to urban community-based clean water governance. In addition, the implementation of clean water provision in Bandung City has not integrated community-based governance. The conclusion of this research is that urban clean water governance in Bandung City and other cities in Indonesia using a community-based system for the current condition is very relevant. Furthermore, it is important to draft a local regulation on urban community-based water governance that aims to protect water resources as well as to create a clean and healthy environment, and sustainable.

Transforming place-based management within watersheds in Fiji: The watershed interventions for systems health project

Watersheds offer opportunities for place-based interventions to transform systems health via preventative versus reactive approaches to management that achieve multiple co-benefits for public and environmental health. The Watershed Interventions for Systems Health in Fiji (WISH Fiji) project embraced participatory knowledge co-production and action-oriented research to identify risks to public and ecosystem health, prioritize interventions to address risks, and monitor responses of the system to interventions. We used screening filters and local knowledge to collaboratively identify five watersheds for action with high prior incidence of water-related diseases (Fiji’s “three plagues” of leptospirosis, typhoid and dengue) and high risk to downstream environmental health. We reviewed literature to identify disease risk factors, evaluated overlaps with risks for downstream environmental impact, and designed 13 instruments to collect information about baseline risk. Following consultations to obtain free, prior and informed consent, we enrolled 311 households across 29 communities. We synthesized data to identify key risks at the household, community, and landscape level, which were communicated to community water and resource management committees and government leaders as part of developing water and sanitation safety plans for each community. Local committees identified 339 priority risk reduction actions across nine main categories: animal management; drainage; health systems surveillance; hygiene; integrated planning; land use management; sanitation systems; waste management; and water systems. As of October 2022, 154 interventions were implemented in the five watersheds across different risk categories and scales. While we can track changes to factors that reduce risk of water-related disease and improve environmental health, direct evaluation of impacts to public health is limited due to poor geolocation of case records. The WISH Fiji project is a model of cross-sectoral coordination that efficiently progresses multiple Sustainable Development Goals, but scaling requires sustained investment in interventions to realize full benefits, particularly for nature-based solutions that exhibit lagged responses.