EQ3- integrated water resource management Flashcards
transboundary basins
-theres 263 transboundary lake+river basins that cover nearly 1/2 earths surface
-total of 145 nations incl. territory w/in international basins+21 countries lie entirely w/in international basins
-most basins r shared between 2 countries, theres many basins where this no. is higher
-13 basins worldwide r shared between
intergrated water resource management
-according to wb, IWRM aims to establish a framework for coordination whereby all adminstrations+stakeholders involved in river basin planning+management come together to develop an agree set of policies + stratergies
-aim=achieve a baalanced +mutual approach to land,water n natural resource management
iwrm
-free from corruption
-food+water securtity for poor
-good gov
-effective dialogue between users n providers
-cash recovery of schemes via effective pricing
-appropriate choices regarding water use in economic productivity
-effective regulation+planning of use
sustainable management of water resources
groundwater management
-aquifer storage+recovery (reuse)
-groundwater quality+quantity modelling
sustainable management of water resources
waterway management
-river rehabilitation
-sustainable water allocation
-waterway health
-enviromental flows
-waterway structures
sustainable management of water resources
monitoring technoologies
-sensor tech
-real time wireless monitoring n control systems
sustainable management of water resources
intergrated urban water management
-water treatment tech
-water sensitive urban design
-water harvvesting n reuse
water poverty index
-an index used to measure localised water stress, for the use of national govs to improve provisions. 5 componenets:
-▪ Water resources – the availability and quality of water
▪ Access to water – the distance from safe water for drinking, cooking, cleaning and
industries
▪ Handling capacity – management, infrastructure and income
▪ Use of water – for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes
▪ Environmental indicators – ability to sustain nature and ecosystems
-each component scored out of 20. 0=water stress 100=no water stress
-finland= highest=78
-haiti=lowest=35
hard engineering
mega dams
facts+pros
china/colarado
-Nearly 60% of the world’s major rivers are impeded by large dams
-5000 megadams globally
-provide irrigation,HEP+flood control+domestic water supply
-make 1/6 of worlds electricity
-in colarado, nile, yangtze
-the 3 Gorges dam in China or the Aswan dam in Egypt.
hard engineering
mega dams
cons
-flooded areas of cali
-1.3million displaced in cali
-ecological imapcts=sediment+river dolphins(china)
-landslides
-the capital costs of such dams r high
-high evaporation losses from the water surface,
-disruption of the downstream transport of silt
-displacement of people.
3 gorges dam china
-blocks the Yangtze River;
-cost £17 billion to build + completed+ functional on the 4 July 2012.
-dam drains an area of 1.8 million km2 + will supply Shanghai (pop of 13 million) + Chongqing (pop of 3 million) w sufficient supplies of water
-worlds largest HEP scheme
-protects 10 mill ppl + 25,000 hectares of farmland from flooding
-Up to 1.2 million people, 1,600 enterprises, 140 towns + 4,500 villages=relocated;
-many of these haven’t received compensation - $30 million+ of funds set aside for this has been taken by corrupt local officials
-traps human+industrial waste=affect biodiversity
-interfered w aquatic life-Siberian Crane + white flag dolphin which are threatened with extinction
-fish stock decline
-port=may become silted up bc of ^ deposition=cause delta+affect longevity of dam
hard engineering
desalination plans
facts+pros
-process by which dissolved solids in sea water r partially or completely removed to make it suitable for human use
-sustainable process altough does have ecological impact on marine life
-been undertaken on a small scale for centuries, recently theres been tech advances like: reverse osmosis +carbon nanotube membranes
-claims to provide 70% of israels domestic water supplies by 2020
-reliable+predictable supply of water
-as price of freshwater rises some countries will look to sea as supply
hard engineering
desalination
cons
-israel: fossil fuels, saline water dumped on plants back into ocean
-each plant requires own power station+emits co2 but much of energy is solar
-contains antiscalling agents that harm ecosystems
-expensive process
-requires inputs of advanced technology and energy
-
hard engineering
water transfer schemes
-s china=rich in water resources but north isnt. to even it out WTS used in 2003= expect to take 50yrs+cost $100bn
-transfer 44.8billion m3 of water each year
-reduces water insecurity in n + supports economy develop
-more water available for irrigation
-health benefits
-helps china cope w/cc
-groundwater w/drawal reduce
hard engineering
water transfer schemes
cons
-region prone to eqs which could cause intensive dmaage to scheme
-Source area
- drop in flow up to 60% bc of diversion/transfer
-River has low flow + becomes polluted increasing impact on ecosystem’s salinity
-CC can combine w lower flows to lead to water scarcity
Receiving area
-Availability of water leads to greater use
-^ use for development, e.g. golf courses, tourism
-Promotes unsustainable irrigated farming by agri-business
-Nitrate eutrophication, salination and ecosystem destruction. Pollution transfer
Sustainable Water Management
smart irrigation
-sprinklers + surface flow systems r being replaced by modern automated spray technology n advanced drip irrigation systems
-ogallala aquifer usa:
-16 wireless infrared sensors have been put in field-measure crop temp to c if they need water. if=temp=on automatically
-grow wheat+crops dont need lot of water
-allow some fields to return to grassland+money made from hunting,ecotourism+dude ranches
Sustainable Water Management
smart/drip irrigation
cons
-government gives higher subsidies for crop fields rather than grassland fields, this would need to change.
aims of sustainable water management
- minimise wastage and pollution of water resources
- ensure that there is access to safe water for all people at an affordable price
- take into account the views of all water users
- guarantee an equitable distribution of water within and between countries
sustainable water management
recycling water
-grey water: a low-cost option that produces water for agricultural use, but not human consumption. less energy intensive
-city/clean wastewater: is a relatively cheap method of conserving freshwater supplies, especially in areas of extremely high demand.
-Dongtan, China= have 2 water systems going in houses. 1=grey water + 2= clean water. so they are reducing the demand on freshwater supplies.
-they consume16,500 tonnes per day, but will discharge only 3,500 tonnes= good leap
-bedzed london=recycled water is used for toilet flushing, garden irrigation + public area cleaning.
water recycling cons
-require more maintenance than a regular sewer or septic system.
-The climate may be unsuitable for recycling.
- may only be able to recycle in warmer months if u live in cold climates.
- Your soil may be too permeable or not permeable enough, n u may need to make adjustments.
- health disease from bacterias being transfered such as e.coli so lead to water/food borne diseases
sustainable water management
Singapore
rain water harvesting
-few natural water resources,thriving economy, high standard of living +high per capita consumption of water= made WM a top priority w/its6 millionpop.
-Its a holistic approach to WM based on 3 key strategies:
1. Collect every drop of water=since 2003 per capita water home use drop 165L a day to 150L a day.
2. reuse water endlessly= new technologies to re-use grey water
3. Desalinate more seawater=2 desalination plants now meet 25% of the water demand.
-despite this it has to import water from malysia
Water Sharing Treaties
Helsinki rules
international treaties must contain concepts like equitable use and shares. criteria :
- Natural factors → rainfall amounts, discharge, share of drainage basin
- Social and economic needs→ population size, welfare of people, development
plans
- Downstream impacts → restructuring flow, water tables, pollution
- Dependency→ availability of alternative sources
- Prior use → the tricky question of existing historic rights and potential future use
- Efficiency → avoiding waste and mismanagement
water sharing treaties
Different organisations are involved in promoting effective water management schemes:
-UNECE Water Convention=promotes joint management + conservation of shared freshwater ecosystems in Europe and neighbouring areas.
- UN Water Courses Convention =offers guidelines on the protection+use of transboundary rivers.
- However, the WWF says that most agreements lack appropriate enforcement and monitoring.
Key players involved in water management include:
UN – UNECE (UN Economic Commission for Europe Water Convention) aims to protect and ensure the quality and sustainable use of transboundary water resources.
EU – Water Framework Directive agreed in Berlin 2000– Targets to restore river, lakes, canals, coastal waters to suitable condition.
NationalGovernments– e.g. the UK’s environment agency which checks compliance with EU frameworks.
