Editorial

4 pages, 182 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Feature Papers of Water Resources Management, Policy and Governance

by Athanasios Loukas and Luis Garrote

Water 2022, 14(14), 2191; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14142191 - 11 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1282

Water resource management aims to environmentally and economically satisfy the water demands of various water uses in a hydrological basin [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Water Resources Management, Policy and Governance)

Research

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19 pages, 974 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Adaptation: A Vital Priority for Sustainable Water Resources Management

by Elpida Kolokytha

Water 2022, 14(4), 531; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14040531 - 11 Feb 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2324

Abstract

Sustainability in terms of water management implies the study of all interrelated parameters (social, environmental, economic, engineering and political) in a comprehensive way. Although Greece is presented in the international rankings as a water-rich country, it has significant water problems due to its [...] Read more.

Sustainability in terms of water management implies the study of all interrelated parameters (social, environmental, economic, engineering and political) in a comprehensive way. Although Greece is presented in the international rankings as a water-rich country, it has significant water problems due to its high temporal and spatial distribution of water resources and its unsustainable management practices characterized by a fragmented and sector-oriented water management system. This problem has been significantly improved by the adoption of the EU WFD and the development of management plans at the river basin scale. Nevertheless, because of the climate change effects, there is still a long way to go, and radical changes are needed in order to reach sustainability. Adaptation is a vital response toward sustainability. The Mygdonia agricultural basin is a case study of a highly negative water balance system that highlights the shortcomings of both water management and adaptation in Greece. Analysis of the hydrology of the basin, as well as the climate projections until 2100, revealed the urgent need for concerted action. A set of different development adaptation strategies was applied and assessed concerning their effectiveness. According to the outputs of this research, integrated watershed management is a prerequisite for a successful adaptation policy. Radical reform is needed in the agricultural sector by decreasing the agricultural land and changing crops. Demand management is the solution rather than focusing on supply options. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Water Resources Management, Policy and Governance)

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16 pages, 2884 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving Transboundary Drought and Scarcity Management in the Iberian Peninsula through the Definition of Common Indicators: The Case of the Minho-Lima River Basin District

by Rodrigo Maia, Miguel Costa and Juliana Mendes

Water 2022, 14(3), 425; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14030425 - 29 Jan 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2977

Abstract

Drought is one of the most damaging natural hazards in the Iberian Peninsula, causing varied socioeconomic and environmental impacts. To prevent these impacts, there must be close cooperation between Portugal and Spain, as the two countries share five river basins. However, regarding drought [...] Read more.

Drought is one of the most damaging natural hazards in the Iberian Peninsula, causing varied socioeconomic and environmental impacts. To prevent these impacts, there must be close cooperation between Portugal and Spain, as the two countries share five river basins. However, regarding drought planning and management the two countries are clearly in different stages. Portugal approved a national drought plan in 2017, while Spain has already had drought plans in place for all River Basin Districts since 2007 and approved an updated version of these plans in 2018. The Spanish drought plans currently in place foresee two sets of indicators: prolonged drought and scarcity indicators. This paper presents the definition of similar indicators for the Portuguese part of the shared Minho and Lima river basins, according to European guidelines and in common with Spain, with the aim of developing a joint international drought management plan for these basins. For the period from October 1980 to September 2017, the comparison of the indicators obtained for the Portuguese parts of the basins with the corresponding Spanish ones shows a similarity in the occurrence of drought and scarcity in both parts of the basins, although with a higher prevalence of scarcity situations in the Lima Spanish part. This work was developed in close collaboration with the River Basin District competent authorities of both countries, aiming to be a prototype for the definition of new and comparable drought and operational scarcity indicators. Therefore, this work is a starting point for the creation of common tools for integrated drought management of transboundary basins in the IP. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Water Resources Management, Policy and Governance)

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21 pages, 13042 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Changes in Mulberry-Dyke-Fish Ponds in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area over the Past 40 Years

by Wenxin Zhang, Zihao Cheng, Junliang Qiu, Edward Park, Lishan Ran, Xuetong Xie and Xiankun Yang

Water 2021, 13(21), 2953; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13212953 - 20 Oct 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3054

Abstract

Mulberry-dyke-fish pond ecosystems are a representative traditional eco-agriculture in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Investigations about the changes in the systems and their relevant water environments under the background of rapid urbanization can provide valuable information to formulate sustainable protection and [...] Read more.

Mulberry-dyke-fish pond ecosystems are a representative traditional eco-agriculture in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Investigations about the changes in the systems and their relevant water environments under the background of rapid urbanization can provide valuable information to formulate sustainable protection and development strategies. Using the Landsat images obtained after 1986, this study combined supervised classification and visual interpretation approaches, as well as water intensity index and synthesized index to identify the spatial patterns of changes in the ponds in the GBA over the past 40 years. The results indicated that during the period 1986–2013, the total surface area of the ponds in the GBA increased significantly and peaked in 2013 with a total increase of 84.63%; After that, the total surface area showed a downward trend with a total decrease of approximately 31.34%. The year of 2013 was identified as the milestone of the changes. The results proved that human activities have continuously influenced the spatial distribution and size of fish ponds in the past 40 years. The fish ponds had transformed from near-natural ponds with different sizes and a near-natural random distribution in the early stage into an artificial distribution and an artificial shape. Land use changes, industrial transfer, Government guidance and financial motives were the major drivers to the changes. If no effective measures are taken, this shrinking trend in the ponds will remain in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Water Resources Management, Policy and Governance)

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26 pages, 1695 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding the Complexity of Water Supply System Governance: A Proposal for a Methodological Framework

by Fernando Gumeta-Gómez, Andrea Sáenz-Arroyo, Gustavo Hinojosa-Arango, Claudia Monzón-Alvarado, Maria Azahara Mesa-Jurado and Dolores Molina-Rosales

Water 2021, 13(20), 2870; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13202870 - 14 Oct 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3146

Abstract

The question of how the complexity of water governance may be understood beyond a heuristic concept remains unanswered. In this paper, we propose a Water Governance Complexity Framework to address the complexity of water governance. Through a literature review, rapid surveys, and 79 [...] Read more.

The question of how the complexity of water governance may be understood beyond a heuristic concept remains unanswered. In this paper, we propose a Water Governance Complexity Framework to address the complexity of water governance. Through a literature review, rapid surveys, and 79 semi-structured interviews, we propose how this framework may be operationalized using different proxies and by applying it to the case of the water supply system for domestic use in Oaxaca, Mexico. In places such as the rural communities of Oaxaca, where the state plays a partially absent role in the water supply, we found legal pluralism and diverse formal and informal stakeholders in a multi-level structure. At the local level, four modes of governance were identified, resulting from seven institutional change trajectories. These trajectories result from linear (alignment) and non-linear (resistance and adaptation) interactions between local, state, and national institutions over different periods. We provide a pragmatic framework to understand complexity through the organization and historical configurations of water governance that may be applied globally, providing a necessary starting point and solid foundation for the creation of new water policies and law reforms or transitions to the polycentric governance model to ensure the human right to water and sanitation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Water Resources Management, Policy and Governance)

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14 pages, 1552 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Conflicts in Implementing Environmental Flows for Small-Scale Hydropower Projects and Their Potential Solutions—A Case from Fujian Province, China

by Qizhen Ruan, Feifei Wang and Wenzhi Cao

Water 2021, 13(18), 2461; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13182461 - 07 Sep 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2754

Abstract

Releasing environmental flows is a valuable strategy for mitigating negative impacts of small-scale hydropower projects on river and riparian ecosystems. However, maintaining environmental flows has faced considerable resistance from different stakeholders, and previous studies have failed to appropriately investigate solutions. Here, online questionnaires [...] Read more.

Releasing environmental flows is a valuable strategy for mitigating negative impacts of small-scale hydropower projects on river and riparian ecosystems. However, maintaining environmental flows has faced considerable resistance from different stakeholders, and previous studies have failed to appropriately investigate solutions. Here, online questionnaires and interviews were conducted among small-scale hydropower project owners, government administrators, and the public in Fujian Province, China. The results showed that the major hindrance to implementing environmental flows was the potential economic loss resulting from reductions in electricity production, stakeholders’ skepticism, technical difficulties, and a lack of the government supervision. Diversion-type projects pose the largest losses of electricity production after the release of environmental flows, and by adopting a 10% of mean annual flow as minimum target, most small-scale hydropower projects obtain low marginal profits without compensation. Here, we proposed an appropriate payment for ecosystem services by introducing an economic compensation program for different types of small-scale hydropower projects scaled by potential losses in electricity generation. Under such a scheme, economic losses from a reduction in electricity production are covered by the government, hydropower project owners, and electricity consumers. Our study offers recommendations for policymakers, officials, and researchers for conflict mitigation when implementing environmental flows. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Water Resources Management, Policy and Governance)

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19 pages, 2311 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Role of Water Supply Development in the Earth System

by Slobodan P. Simonovic and Patrick A. Breach

Water 2020, 12(12), 3349; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12123349 - 29 Nov 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2580

Abstract

The ANEMI model is an integrated assessment model of global change that emphasizes the role of water resources. Securing water resources for the future is a key issue of global change and ties into global systems of population growth, climate change carbon cycle, [...] Read more.

The ANEMI model is an integrated assessment model of global change that emphasizes the role of water resources. Securing water resources for the future is a key issue of global change and ties into global systems of population growth, climate change carbon cycle, hydrologic cycle, economy, energy production, land use and pollution generation. The focus of the presented work is on the development of global water supplies necessary to keep pace with a growing population and global economy. With the structure of the ANEMI model, a series of experiments are conducted in order to assess: (i) the current role of water supply in the global Earth system; (ii) the level of water stress that can be expected in the future; and (iii) what are the potential effects of water quality on global surface water supply and the distribution of water supply types. The results of model simulations show that surface water resources were sufficient to meet the water demand and water quality is not shown to be a significant factor for the development of surface water supplies. Due to globally aggregated scale, these impacts are averaged and likely understated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Water Resources Management, Policy and Governance)

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26 pages, 1925 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Institutional Framework for Modeling Water Availability and Allocation

by Ralph A. Wurbs

Water 2020, 12(10), 2767; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12102767 - 04 Oct 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3230

Abstract

Effective water resources management requires assessments of water availability within a framework of complex institutions and infrastructure employed to manage extremely variable stream flow shared by numerous, often competing, water users and diverse types of use. The Water Rights Analysis Package (WRAP) modeling [...] Read more.

Effective water resources management requires assessments of water availability within a framework of complex institutions and infrastructure employed to manage extremely variable stream flow shared by numerous, often competing, water users and diverse types of use. The Water Rights Analysis Package (WRAP) modeling system is fundamental to water allocation and planning in the state of Texas in the United States. Integration of environmental flow standards into both the modeling system and comprehensive statewide water management is a high priority for continuing research and development. The public domain WRAP software and documentation are generalized for application any place in the world. Lessons learned in developing and implementing the modeling system in Texas are relevant worldwide. The modeling system combines: (1) detailed simulation of water right systems, interstate compacts, international treaties, federal/state/local agreements, and operations of storage and conveyance facilities, (2) simulation of river system hydrology, and (3) statistical frequency and reliability analyses. The continually evolving modeling system has been implemented in Texas by a water management community that includes the state legislature, planning and regulatory agencies, river authorities, water districts, cities, industries, engineering consulting firms, and university researchers. The shared modeling system contributes significantly to integration of water allocation, planning, system operations, and research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers of Water Resources Management, Policy and Governance)

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