Water Policy Implementation Research Articles

Integrated water resources management: Are river basin committees in Brazil enabling effective stakeholder interaction?

Adequate stakeholder involvement and interactions are essential for effective Integrated Water Resources Management. In Brazil, the decision-making process was decentralized at the river basin committee level, which compromises both government and non-government representatives. However, until now Brazil has struggled to effectively implement IWRM. This paper analyses stakeholders’ perspective regarding the water policy and explores their interactions in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Using a mixed- methods approach, combining the stakeholder and complexity theories, an exploratory case study was conducted. Data was obtained via an online survey of 206 participants. Results identified different levels of interactions, where stakeholders from the water sector demonstrated higher levels of interactions compared to institutions from other sectors (e.g., environment, energy,) and from the local levels (e.g., city council). Results also indicated the importance of the river basin committees, as they were considered to propitiate adequate participation. They are, however, not enabling adequate interactions. This is because a significant number of stakeholders still do not have formal ways of interaction in their institutions. The analysis led to a set of recommendations to improve water sector stakeholder’s interactions, including interaction with stakeholders outside the water sector. This was considered a key way to seek integration, and, most importantly, to enhance water policy implementation.

Scalar Politics in Sectoral Reforms: Negotiating the Implementation Of water Policies in Ecuador (1990–2008)

In Ecuador neo-liberal reforms in the 1990s transformed the water and irrigation sector at different scales. We analyze how these neoliberal reforms were implemented from the top-down by the World Bank and the national government, as well as how from the grassroots water users negotiated these policies and their implementation at local and national level. We show that these sectoral reforms were politically contested as it changed roles, responsibilities, and authority at different scales of governance. This is evidenced by the fact that locally the relationships between water users, differently scaled state agencies, and broader networks greatly determined how water users associations negotiated the irrigation management transfer program as well as the development of new water policies. Our analysis highlights how the alliances that differently positioned actors create to navigate water policy implementation shape the scalar and the political dimensions of sectoral reforms. It shows that actors need multi-scalar networks of support to develop political leverage, overcome opposition, and materialize projects in the water governance domain.

Channel dynamics and geomorphic resilience in an ephemeral Mediterranean river affected by gravel mining

Gravel mining has been a widespread activity in ephemeral rivers worldwide whose long-lasting hydrogeomorphological impacts preclude effective implementation of water and environmental policies. This paper presents a GIS-based method for temporal assessment of morphosedimentary changes in relation to in-channel gravel mining in a typical ephemeral Mediterranean stream, namely the Rambla de la Viuda (eastern Spain). The aims of this work were to identify morphosedimentary changes and responses to human activities and floods, quantify river degradations and analyze factors favoring fluvial recovery for further applications in other rivers. Aerial photographs and LiDAR topography data were studied to analyze geomorphic evolution over the past 70years along a 7.5-km reach of an ephemeral gravel stream that has been mined intensively since the 1970s. To evaluate changes in the riverbed, we mapped comparable units applying morphological, hydraulic, and stability (based on vegetation density and elevation) criteria to 13 sets of aerial photographs taken from 1946 to 2012. A detailed spatiotemporal analysis of comparable units revealed a 50% reduction in the active section and a 20% increase in stable areas, compared to the conditions observed prior to gravel mining. Instream mining was first observed in 1976 aerial photograph covering already up to 50% of the 1956 riverbed area. River degradation since then was quantified by means of a LiDAR DTM and RTK-GPS measurements, which revealed a 3.5-m incision that had started simultaneously with gravel mining. Climate and land use changes were present but the effects were completely masked by changes produced by instream gravel mining. Therefore, river incision/degradation was triggered by scarcity of sediment and lack of longitudinal sedimentary connection, creating an unbalanced river system that is still adjusting to the present hydrosedimentary conditions.

Multiple Policy Instruments for Sustainable Water Management in Crop Production - A Modeling Study for the Chinese Aksu-Tarim Region

China's crop production sector faces severe water scarcity issues. Previous research has shown that effective water conservation policies exert strongly negative impacts on agricultural production and farmers' income, which make them politically unfeasible under Chinese conditions. To highlight ways out of this dilemma, the present study tests three alternative water policies complemented by supportive agricultural policies to reduce the trade-offs between water conservation and rural development policy goals. Using the case of the extremely arid Aksu-Tarim Region in northwest China, a regional supply model is developed which serves as the analysis framework. Applied as stand-alone water policies, irrigated area tax, water quota and water pricing differ clearly in effectiveness and efficiency. Combined with agricultural policies (subsidies) into multiple policy instruments, the price-based and quota-based instruments mitigate the negative impacts on rural development goals. Targeting a water conservation rate of 20%, the tested multiple policies perform alike on the level of the entire study region; cotton production decreases by 15%, cereals production remains stable, and regional income decreases by 13%. However, at the sub-regional level, the impacts on water conservation, production and income differ significantly between the alternative policy instruments and sub-regions, constituting a crucial challenge for practical water policy implementation.

When Policy Hits Practice: Structure, Agency, and Power in South African Water Governance

ABSTRACTA new water governance framework with the aim of overcoming past racial inequalities in water access and addressing the critical challenges of water security in the country was developed by the post-Apartheid South African government in the years following 1994. The adoption of ideas of collaborative governance and institutional devolution associated with integrated water resources management (IWRM) are central to this framework. Using social theory, this study examines structural and agential dimensions of power manifested during the establishment process of a water user association in the Northwest Province of South Africa. Portraying that the establishment process of this new institution was flawed due to power asymmetries of interacting actors, this article unmasks supposedly collective decision-making processes in collaborative water governance. As the establishment of water user associations in South Africa is an ongoing political process, our findings have societal relevance for the country’s future water policy implementation.

The Analysis of Transaction Costs in Water Policy Implementation in South Africa: Trends, Determinants and Economic Implications

Water is a complex economic good. It requires optimal management to control rising scarcity and competition for use. South Africa like many other parts of the world is in the process of implementing market-based water policy reforms to attain equity, efficiency, and sustainability in water use. However, these reforms have not been entirely successful and water allocation problems persist. This could be due to many contributing factors, certainly, but this paper narrows down to identify possible transaction costs that would arise from the policy process. Transaction costs can be great hindrances to policy formation and implementation especially if they constitute a large component of total policy costs. However, transaction costs remain generally unmeasured and this study fills in this gap for the Olifants basin of South Africa. Specifically, the study identifies and quantifies transaction costs incurred by various stakeholders in the water policy process in the Olifants basin in South Africa. Further, determinants of irrigation farmers’ transaction costs are assessed using regression approaches. Results from this study allow evaluating existing policies ex-post for improvement purposes.

Capital social como conceito-chave para a avaliação do sucesso de consórcios intermunicipais: o caso do CISMAE, Paraná

RESUMO Este estudo tem como propósito realizar uma investigação sobre a formação e implantação de um consórcio de saneamento no sul do Brasil face ao novo cenário estabelecido pela Lei nº 11.107/2005, Lei dos Consórcios Públicos, e pela Lei nº 11.445/2007, Lei de Diretrizes de Saneamento Básico. Para que os municípios possam cumprir as diretrizes da Lei Nacional de Saneamento Básico e alcançar a universalização na prestação de serviços, vislumbra-se uma oportunidade para a utilização do instrumento do pacto consorcial no sentido de agregar recursos às capacidades técnicas, administrativas e operacionais na prestação do serviço de abastecimento de água e de esgotamento sanitário. O marco conceitual é ancorado nas contribuições de autores situados no campo reconhecido como capital social. O trabalho empírico foi desenvolvido com base no Consórcio Intermunicipal de Saneamento Ambiental (CISMAE) do Paraná, por ser um dos primeiros do setor e pela peculiaridade de sua formação. A metodologia selecionada foi de natureza qualitativa. Foram utilizadas como instrumento de campo, entrevistas semiestruturadas com membros do consórcio, que foram analisadas pela técnica de análise de conteúdo temático. Os resultados revelaram que a criação do consórcio público é um importante fator para estimular a implantação e gestão das políticas públicas de saneamento adstritas em seu território. Os benefícios em razão da existência do consórcio para os municípios são múltiplos, como a potencialização de recursos socioeconômicos, tecnológicos e humanos e, portanto, racionalização de aplicação de recursos, maior transparência na sua aplicação, maior segurança jurídica ao acordo de cooperação consorcial e o empoderamento político.

Spatial fit between water quality policies and hydrologic ecosystem services in an urbanizing agricultural landscape

Sustaining hydrologic ecosystem services is critical for human wellbeing but challenged by land use for agriculture and urban development. Water policy and management strive to safeguard hydrologic services, yet implementation is often fragmented. Understanding the spatial fit between water polices and hydrologic services is needed to assess the spatial targeting of policy portfolios at landscape scales. We investigated spatial fit between 30 different public water policies and four hydrologic services (surface and groundwater quality, freshwater supply, and flood regulation) in the Yahara Watershed (Wisconsin, USA)—a Midwestern landscape that typifies tensions between agriculture, urban development, and freshwater resources. Spatial extent of water policy implementation was mapped, and indicators of hydrologic services were quantified for subwatersheds using empirical estimates and validated spatial models. We found a spatial misfit between the overall spatial implementation of water policy and regions of water quality concern, indicating a need for better targeting. Water quality policies can also be leveraged to protect other hydrologic services such as freshwater supply and flood regulation. Individual policy application areas varied substantially in their spatial congruence with each hydrologic service, indicating that not all services are protected by a single policy and highlighting the need for a broad spectrum of policies to sustain hydrologic services in diverse landscapes. We also identified where future policies could be targeted for improving hydrologic services. Joint spatial analysis of policies and ecosystem services is effective for assessing spatial aspects of institutional fit, and provides a foundation for guiding future policy efforts.

The 12 OECD principles on water governance – When science meets policy

On the 4th of June 2015 the OECD Ministerial Council welcomed the “OECD Principles on Water Governance”. This is one of the most visible and high-level results of two years of activity of the Water Governance Initiative (WGI), a multi-stakeholder platform of more than 100 delegates from public, private and non-profit sectors and gathering twice a year in a policy forum since March 2013. This new guidance for policymakers is rooted in six years of work on multi-level governance of water policy at the OECD, and more recently in the areas of stakeholder engagement, governance and performance of water services, basin governance, and integrity and transparency. The Principles were developed in a bottom-up fashion and led to extensive consultation of multiple and diversified interested parties in the early stages of their preparation. They are clustered around three main driving goals of water governance, namely its effectiveness, its efficiency, and its ability to generate trust and engagement, and are meant to inspire actions leading to better water governance at all levels of government and across the range of stakeholders involved in water policy design and implementation. Based on the authors’ advisory, policymaking and academic experience, the paper will seek to discuss the rationale of the 12 principles and scope the needed conditions for their effective implementation by governments and stakeholders.

Land-use response to drought scenarios and water policy intervention in Lijiang, SW China

As a part of the Asian highlands, Lijiang, in the northwest of Yunnan Province, China, is threatened by climate-induced drought and an increasing water demand by tourism development. Understanding local farmers’ land-use options in response to drought and policy intervention is crucial for future adaptation strategies. We assessed farmers’ land-use options and the socio-economic factors affecting decisions under drought and water policy scenarios using household surveys. From the total of 174 households surveyed, whether under a drought scenario or a drought scenario with water policy intervention, we found that respondents preferred land-use options focusing on four choices: keep current pattern; keep crops, but reduce areas; abandon farming; rent out farmlands. Findings suggest that there is a growing pattern of agricultural abandonment for urban jobs as a strategy to cope with climate change impacts. The results identified a total of five socio-economic factors that have a significant effect on the households’ land-use options. These factors are important for the households’ land-use decisions and could prevent people from altering their livelihood strategies. We provide some specific recommendations which could enhance local households’ potential adaptation to drought, as well as for effective management of water to prevent potential conflicts in the design or implementation of water policy with the local community.

Rationalising water policy and the institutional and water governance arrangements in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Integrated water resources management approaches have been developed worldwide to improve water resources management practices. There are however, lingering issues with reference to the applicability of its integrated principles, especially when shifting from policy to practice (action). By conducting an exploratory case study in the Sao Paulo State, Brazil, this paper explores different stakeholders' perspectives regarding the water policy (Water Act of 1991). Through analysing institutional and water governance arrangements, the research assesses if current water policy is being translated into practice. Analysis suggests that the water policy and proposed principles are aligned with international approaches for water resources management. However, results also indicate that the principles by themselves are not sufficient to guarantee successful practice of a decentralised, participatory and integrated water resources management system. In a complex water management system, such as the one in the Sao Paulo State, coordination among different government levels and sectors is considered to be a key element to improve the likelihood of water policy implementation.

Water policy implementation in the state of São Paulo, Brazil: Key challenges and opportunities

Challenges in implementing water planning and management are common, and the effective implementation of integrated water policies is yet to occur. In Brazil, the state of São Paulo enacted a Water Act in 1991 to ensure water availability for current and future generations based on the principles of decentralization, participation and integration. This research addresses water policy implementation issues by conducting an exploratory case study in the state of São Paulo. Factors affecting the water policy implementation process were analyzed, together with some water resources management practices. The findings indicate four dimensions of key challenges: institutional and governance, political, financial and technical. The stakeholders believe the political and the institutional and governance challenges are more important than the technical and financial ones. Additionally, the results show different levels of involvement in the areas of water policy strategy, the planning and decision-making process, and implementation by the different stakeholders groups. Stakeholders external to the water sector and from local government were considered to be less involved in water-related issues, when compared with stakeholders from the water sector. The study recommends a change in current institutional and governance arrangements in order to influence decisions and investments in different levels and sectors.

Impact of global initiatives on drinking water access in Africa

In a quest to achieve a sustainable supply of drinking water, most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have adopted water supply models designed to meet targets set by continually changing global water initiatives (GWI). Consequently, strategies to deliver these GWI concomitantly changed after dominating water policy implementation at a particular time. The review observes that these changes often overlooked contextual setting and undermined smooth continuity from one initiative to another. The poor link between initiatives, therefore, allowed the factors responsible for poor access to persist. To that end, the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade initiative (1981–1990) did not meet the target of ‘water for all’. Similarly, the International Water for Life Decade (2005–2015) failed to reduce by 50% the number of people without access as anticipated.

From Water-Constrained to Water-Driven Sustainable Development—A Case of Water Policy Impact Evaluation

A water allocation policy that aimed to balance water demand with water availability to ensure sustainability was implemented in an arid region of China over ten years ago. This policy’s success was assessed across three dimensions: society, the environment, and the economy. While the assessment was not intended to be comprehensive, it highlighted the best outcomes of the policy intervention while revealing some hidden issues. It was found that although the policy was successful in placing a ceiling on water use in the middle reaches of the Heihe River, the Water User Association, one of the main actors in water policy implementation, was under-recognized, even though it functioned well. Moreover, the economic structural adjustment at the macro level had not led to any significant reduction in water use, the reasons for which were explored.

Socioeconomic and Demographic Predictors of Potable Water and Sanitation Access in Ghana

Lack of access to potable water and good sanitation is still one of the most challenging public health concerns of the twenty-first century despite steady progress over recent decades. Almost a billion people globally lack access to safe water; over two billion live without adequate sanitation facilities. The challenge is even more daunting for Sub-Saharan Africa where coverage levels for both potable water and sanitation remain critically low. The urgent need to address the issue calls for adequate understanding of the socio-economic dimensions. Using the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, we investigated the socio-economic and demographic factors associated with access to potable water and improved sanitation facilities. Our generalized linear models reveal that income, education, household size, and region are significant predictors of improved water and sanitation access. Our discussion and conclusion sections highlight the implications of the study results for water policy formulation and implementation in Ghana, and broadly for other developing countries.

Tourism as tragedy? Common problems with water in post-revolutionary Nicaragua

This paper examines the increased demand placed on limited water resources by a rapidly growing tourism sector in Playa Gigante, Nicaragua. Results from field campaigns suggest that recharge of the local aquifer may not meet burgeoning tourism demands for water. This paper also points to initial conflicts over water between locals and tourism operations, which are further complicated by ineffective implementation of national water policies and the common pool nature of groundwater. The conclusion discusses the need for more extensive research and better implementation of water policy through community governance and collaboration.

Next stop, implementation: collaborative monitoring to inform adaptive policy-making and implementation

Abstract. Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways has been developed as an approach to deal with deep uncertainties and support robust decision-making for long-term planning. Given the unpredictable and uncertain futures, implementation of the resulting adaptive policies needs to be informed by regular monitoring. However, monitoring implementation in practice is complicated by the need to coordinate activities and share information among multiple actors. Here we present a first outline for an approach to organise collaborative monitoring to support adaptive implementation of long-term water policies. The analytical basis rests on an extension of Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways with actor analysis principles. Monitoring is to be organised around adaptation tipping points, for which a set of questions needs to be addressed that put societal actors central. Examples from two water management cases in the Netherlands suggest the usefulness of this approach.

Invertebrate communities delineate hydro-ecoregions and respond to anthropogenic disturbance in East-Amazonian streams

Many tropical regions lack models predicting the biological and environmental conditions expected in any given area, thus precluding the implementation of reference condition-based water policies. We focused on streams of French Guiana, and tested two predictions: geomorphology determines ecological sub-regions that have typical invertebrate communities, and diversity declines as anthropogenic pressure increases. Sixty-five stream sites were sampled for benthic invertebrates and physical–chemical variables across various watersheds. We used the Self-Organizing Map algorithm (neural network) to model relationships between invertebrate communities and environmental variables. Sites characterized by invertebrate communities clustered into two major subsets matching French Guiana’s hydro-ecoregions: the coastal alluvial plain characterized by recent sediment and low elevations, and the Guiana Shield characterized by an eroded rocky substrate and dense rainforests. Changes in community composition, and to a lesser extent taxonomic richness within each sub-region revealed ecological impacts of gold mining and logging, further clustering hydro-ecoregions into subsets of reference and impaired sites. Further analyses would, however, be needed to identify tipping points between natural and disturbed states, especially in remote headwater streams where gold mining had the harsher impact upon freshwater diversity, making upstream communities resembling the most downstream impacted ones.

Translating the human right to water and sanitation into public policy reform.

The development of a human right to water and sanitation under international law has created an imperative to implement human rights in water and sanitation policy. Through forty-three interviews with informants in international institutions, national governments, and non-governmental organizations, this research examines interpretations of this new human right in global governance, national policy, and local practice. Exploring obstacles to the implementation of rights-based water and sanitation policy, the authors analyze the limitations of translating international human rights into local water and sanitation practice, concluding that system operators, utilities, and management boards remain largely unaffected by the changing public policy landscape for human rights realization. To understand the relevance of human rights standards to water and sanitation practitioners, this article frames a research agenda to ensure that human rights aspirations lead to public policy reforms and public health outcomes.

Impact of Climate Change on Aquatic Fauna of Economic Importance in Niger Delta, Nigeria

The study discusses the impact of climate change on aquatic lives in the Niger Delta region. To realise this, the study basically adopted a library search design of reviewing literatures of climate change impact on aquatic lives in the Niger Delta region. Meteorological data (rainfall, temperature and humidity) were also extracted from literatures to explain the evidence of climate change in the areas. The meteorological data showed that, temperature, rainfall and humidity have changed over the last 10 years. This change translates to climate change because it is at least up to a decade (10-year period), and it showed a 1.5&#176C rise in temperature from 2003 to 2013 and an increase of 342.2 mm in the amount of rainfall in Niger Delta. These clearly paint the picture of global warming. Furthermore, in the same period, there was a decrease of 9% in the amount of humidity in the area. Thus, it is very clear that the climate is changing over time within this region. This certainly has some effects on the aquatic Fauna in the region. In fact, for the next 10 years, the aquatic fauna that now inhabit various habitats may no longer be able to adapt to the changes, leading to their extinction and total elimination from the habitats in question. And as such, these aquatic fauna will either modify their body structure and function in order to tolerate the change in climate, migrate to new and comfortable habitat or even stand the risk of becoming extinct. To abate the impact of climate change in the region, introduction of new water management reform and policy implementation, and carbon sequestration amongst others were recommended. This electronic document is a “live” template. The various components of your paper [title, text, heads, etc.] are already defined on the style sheet, as illustrated by the portions given in this document.