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This review paper on groundwater protection measures in South Africa focuses on the actual implementation of groundwater protection measures, in particular, the resource-directed measures (RDM) as described in Chapter 3 of the National Water Act (NWA). Significant catchment-wide implementation of RDM has taken place in a phased manner throughout various catchments since 2012. By 2015, approximately R380 million had been expended on the catchment-wide implementation of the water resource protection measures over a period of 15 years. Considerable effort went into refining the RDM methodology, taking into account the groundwater component of the overall resource. In this paper, we contend that RDM, in its present form, will not make a significant contribution to groundwater resource protection and security in the country. This is a major concern because the Groundwater Strategy of the Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation (DHSWS) had declared the protection of groundwater as a national priority. This paper also examines institutional and governance arrangements (or lack thereof) as well as providing recommendations to support the effective implementation of groundwater protection provisions as prescribed by South Africa's water legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many nations have implemented policies to improve drinking water quality, but challenges arise from overexploited or contaminated groundwater-based sources. This paper aims at examining the aspects of water scarcity, security, and sustainability within an Indian village context. We attempt to compare two rural water supply sources in Nagla Chandi village in Uttar Pradesh, India: (a) untreated groundwater sourced from bore wells and (b) treated water from a reverse osmosis (RO) plant. We observed that subterranean minerals are the primary pollutants of unprocessed water drawn from borewells, which form the main source of drinking water. Even though water from the RO plant meets all the quality parameters of potability, frequent breakdowns of the plant due to improper management force the villagers to drink untreated water from the dug wells fitted with hand pumps, affecting their health. We also found a high incidence of water-borne diseases. The case analysis suggests enhancing village water treatment projects by training local artisans in system repair and increasing Panchayat staff to include trained engineers for technical advice and maintenance. The paper proposes reducing water testing cost in rural areas to make it possible Q4 for local organizations to regularly assess water quality and implement corrective actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several actors have an impact on the quality of drinking water, but ultimately drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) play a decisive role in ensuring that water quality complies with public regulations. Several developing technologies are combined in water treatment processes. In this paper, we are analysing the technological development of DWTPs in the South Bohemian region of the Czech Republic. The empirical basis is five DWTPs of varying size, and data are gathered through semi-structured interviews with relevant staff inside and outside of the five DWTPs. This study identifies the interplay of factors driving technological development: public regulations, the economic capacity of local DWTP owners together with subsidies from the European Union and national authorities, political priorities by local authorities, and the knowledge network. The paper addressess learning-knowledge-change processes of DWTPs, thereby contributing to our understanding of developing competence in producing drinking water. Generally, large DWTPs are front-runners in introducing new technologies while the smaller ones are lagging. Still, private companies operating small plants on behalf of municipal owners ensure that those DWTPs are part of a wider knowledge network, aiding to introduce a necessary and cost-effective upgrade to treatment steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on whether the 'One River, One Policy' is implemented or not, this paper used the questionnaire data of village (community) river chiefs in nine districts and counties under the jurisdiction of Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, and used the Difference-In-Differences Model to carry out an empirical analysis. The findings are threefold. Firstly, the 'One River, One Policy' implemented by primary river chiefs can improve the water quality of the river reaches in their charge. Secondly, annual river patrol times and public support can improve the water quality of the river reaches in charge of primary river chiefs. Thirdly, the River Chief System (RCS) can promote the treatment of river pollution under 'Responsibility Contracting', but for primary river chiefs, there is still a suspicion of whitewash pollution control behavior, so whether to establish a longterm mechanism of the RCS is still uncertain. The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical support and decision-making reference for constructing the positive incentive mechanism of the behavior of primary river chiefs in the reconstruction of the RCS, which has important practical significance for effectively improving the RCS and comprehensively promoting the Chinese experiences of river pollution control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Swachh Bharat Mission-Rural (SBM-R) is a flagship programme aimed at ending open defecation in rural India. In this paper, we study institutions and processes using Amartya Sen's conception of justice. We review the outcomes by assessing agencies, actions and processes involved in the implementation of the SBM-R programme. The findings are analysed using the Sanitation Well-being Framework. Sanitation well-being is achieved when an individual is able to experience the sanitation life cycle stages of acceptance, construction, utilisation and maintenance of safe disposal, which are part of the framework. The capability factors grouped under personal, cultural, structural, environmental and service elements of the framework determine the sanitation environment facilitated by the state. Failure in experiencing one of the life stages leads to slippage in sanitation, where people resume open defecation, despite possessing toilets. The paper presents a review of literature on the political, technological and structural issues in programme implementation, followed by an analysis of 42 interviews and 12 focused group discussions of state and non-state actors conducted in rural Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh, India. We found that slippage is prevalent in the field site and identified 26 capability factors (expansion and constraints) that led to slippage in sanitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper constructs a green development efficiency index framework of water-energy-food in China, and uses the Super-EBM model to measure it more accurately and scientifically. The existing studies on water-energy-food efficiency lack the analysis of regional differential decomposition and spatial state transition. In this paper, two kinds of models are used for complementary analysis. One is kernel density map, Dagum spatial Gini coefficient decomposition and traditional Markov chain, which does not contain spatial factors. The other is the global Moran index, spatial Markov chain and spatial spillover effect, including spatial factors. The spatio-temporal dynamic evolution of the green development efficiency of water-energy-food (GWEF) in China is compared from the perspective of national, regional and provincial dimensions. The conclusion is more scientific and comprehensive, which is conducive to the green collaborative development among water-energy-food, economy and environment in China. The study found that GWEF had a lot of room for improvement. The overall spatial difference was mainly derived from the regional difference. GWEF had a significant positive spatial autocorrelation. The development of GWEF maintained the convergence characteristics of clubs. The spatial spillover effect of the main influencing factors was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community water projects offer an economically attractive and physically accessible solution for livelihoods. Piase Community Water Project (PCWP) was initiated in 2005 to provide potable water to the rural communities surrounding Piase. Using data from a field survey with sampled participants in the Bosomtwe district, where this rural water project was implemented, the paper analyses challenges encountered during the project's progress. An advanced SWOT matrix approach is used to analyse the cascading effects of both internal and external factors on the PCWP's planning and evaluation. Following an analysis of existing rural water planning and evaluation issues, the paper explores possible solutions and long-term strategies to provide rural communities with a reliable water supply. This study provides significant insight for policymakers to develop effective strategies that promote a balance between strengths and weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in rural water projects in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper farmers’ resilience index (FRI) was constructed considering the natural disaster using five dimensions including physical, social, economic, human and natural. The scale is administered to the 240 paddy farmers in two coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. Principal component analysis was performed in order to fix the weightage for each variable. About (39.58%) of farmers are resilient to natural disasters with the highest resilience score for financial capital (0.641) and natural capital with less resilience score (0.401). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to determine how well the generated model of the scale fits the data. The structural equation modelling (SEM) path diagram was developed based on the conceptual model, which uses resilience as a latent variable. The SEM analysis revealed that four dimensions of capital positively affect farmers’ resilience except for the human capital which negatively affects resilience. To reduce the effects of natural catastrophes in the upcoming years, the adaptation strategies from the highly resilient places can be examined and put into practice in the less resilient areas. It is imperative that development programmes at all levels incorporate climate awareness and stakeholder capacity building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper is an attempt to analyze the existing literature on hydro-hegemony (HH) theory, which has emerged to explain transboundary water interactions. The literature highlights that the conventional water interaction literature inadequately deals with three important factors: (i) asymmetric power relations, (ii) varying intensities of conflict, and (iii) the importance of the geographical location of riparian states. Since its emergence, it has evolved both in theory development and in application to transboundary basins. Although an attempt has been made earlier for reviewing, organizing and evaluating the overall literature on HH, the review itself is somehow silent on the hegemonic approaches to assess its contribution to the transboundary water governance literature and to identify the existing and future research gaps. This paper, however, not just addresses these omissions to (i) review the scholarly literature on HH; (ii) explore the challenges associated with power, cooperation, and conflict; and (iii) identify and explore potential trends in HH theory, but it also gives special attention to the hegemonic approaches within states’ boundaries and the ingredients to enrich the theory and research agenda of HH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming and social and economic development have led to conflicts over water resources that have gradually become one of the most disruptive factors in the global political landscape. Resolving international water conflicts is of great significance for maintaining the peaceful development of countries (regions). This paper considers the Nansi Lake located on the provincial border of Jiangsu and Shandong in eastern China as an example. Based on the textual analysis, this paper analyzes the specific data of the historical conflict resolution of the Nansi Lake to study the effectiveness of the management policies of water conflict in the Nansi Lake, namely administrative law enforcement, administrative consultation, civil consultation, policy regulation, and engineering measures. Furthermore, this paper also makes the following optimization recommendations for the policy of water conflict management by considering the successful circumstances for the policies to be applied: strengthen the government's deterrence in administrative law enforcement to promote the development of policies; promote administrative consultation and equal dialogue and exchanges among parties; understand the positions of the different parties in the civil consultation and ensure their independence of cooperation and analysis; improve the ability of scientific decision-making and effective operation for water administration department; strengthen construction management, especially effective supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to objectively evaluate the operation effect of the Sustainable Supply Chain (SSC) collaborative governance of Water Diversion Projects (WDPs), this paper, from the perspectives of SSC and collaborative governance, and according to the existing modes of SSC collaborative governance of WDPs, constructs the collaborative management mechanism of related subjects of WDPs, and then constructs the evaluation model of the collaborative governance capacity of WDPs by using the DEMATEL (Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory)-ANP (Analytic Network Process) method. Specifically, in this paper, the indexes at various levels are selected through literature mining and text analysis, and the mutual influence degrees among index are determined with the help of DEMATEL, so that the causality diagram can be drawn. On this basis, we obtain the global weight and the mixed weight of each index by using the ANP method and SD (Super Decisions) software, thus determining the relative importance of each index. The study finds that with regard to the SSC collaborative governance capability of WDPs, the highest requirement is made on Information Collaboration Capability (ICC) which also provides the foundational guarantee. The proportion carried by Subject Participation and Collaboration Capability (SPCC) is the lowest, however, its mixed weight is 1.9077, second only to ICC. Both Water Quantity Collaboration Capability (WQCC) and Water Quality Assurance Coordination Capacity (WQACC) account for a high percentage, which is consistent with the actual situation. The study provides a capability evaluation index system for the SSC collaborative governance of WDPs, enriches the theory of SSC collaborative governance of WDPs, and provides decision-making support for the operation and management of WDPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracking unseen water in products (Embedded Virtual Water) has generated great interest in the scientific community. This water transfers between geographies via suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and customers in multiple phases. However, the Virtual Water Trading System lacks proper accounting standards, established protocols and processes in the context of product manufacturing. Therefore, there is a need to establish a technology platform to handle the complex virtual water international trade. Such a platform should uphold transparency and create 'water consciousness' and awareness among companies and consumers. The concept of a virtual water currency and blockchain technology platform together can manage these processes. Blockchain helps in setting up secure, verifiable, scalable and traceable systems. Blockchain manages the audit and contract management processes with ease. Virtual water currency is critical to advocate sustainability. The objective of this paper is to establish the key linkages between virtual water and usage of blockchain. A systematic literature survey was conducted on 16 journal repositories (153 journal papers) of IWA Publishing to establish virtual water linkages and five journal databases (IEEE Xplore, Sciencedirect, ACM Digital Library, Springer Link and Wiley Online Library covering 5026 journal papers) for blockchain and water management linkages. This study proposes to introduce virtual water currency and set up an International Virtual Water Trading System using blockchain. The proposed platform seamlessly integrates the quality, cost and sustainability of industrial products and their sub-components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to improved drinking water and sanitation has been declared a fundamental right by the UN General Assembly. However, around 25 and 50% of the global population lacked access to safely managed drinking water and improved sanitation in 2020, respectively. India, the second most populous country in the world, has around 3.7 and 31% of its population without access to improved drinking water and sanitation, respectively. This paper explores the factors determining a household’s access to improved drinking water and sanitation in India, using India Human Development Survey (IHDS) II data. The results indicate that urban households with bigger family sizes, with fewer rooms, married but uneducated household heads, belonging to forward castes, were more likely to have access to improved drinking water. Similarly, households with married female heads, belonging to forward castes, small household sizes, older aged heads with primary education, from Non-EAG (Empowered Action Group) states, located in urban areas, earning higher incomes and having more rooms were more likely to have access to improved sanitation. Findings suggest subsidized improved water and sanitation services and an increase in public investment to make these facilities affordable for poor rural households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducting a health assessment of rivers and lakes is a technical approach that enables the accurate diagnosis of water health status and scientific analysis of aquatic ecological environments. This paper focuses on studying the typical rain-sourced water bodies of Huangrigang River and Dishui Lake (DSL) in Lin-gang, Shanghai. The Australian Stream Condition Index and the Analytic Hierarchy Process were used to establish a typical river and lake health evaluation index system. Expert scoring and leastsquares methods were used to determine the weights of each index, and a quartile method was used to establish the evaluation criteria. The evaluation results indicate that the health status of the Huangrigang River is sub-healthy with a score of 72.1, whereas DSL is healthy with a score of 75.7. The low flow velocity of the regional river and the weak mobility of the water body are the main issues affecting the health status of the HRGR. Additionally, the density of phytoplankton in the river is significantly high. Dripping Lake is faced with two major problems: a high risk of eutrophication and a high density of phytoplankton in the lake. This article provides theoretical support for the sustainable use of regional water resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to understand the national-level policy change that occurred in Brazilian drought management, whereby the policy shifted from reactive crisis management to a drought preparedness approach. We found that a combination of factors supported the policy change, such as the interplay of multiple drought events in different regions of the country, the length and timing of these events, attention paid to the issue, and the role of policy entrepreneurs and political entrepreneurs in connecting solutions to the problem. The analysis is based on the multiple streams framework (MSF), which includes two windows of opportunity: an agenda window, to account for the juncture at which the drought issue appeared on the political and public agenda; and the decision window, when a drought preparedness instrument was designed and adopted. We contribute to the literature on policy change in the wake of a disaster by showing how a long-duration event sparked policy change and by shedding light on the role of creeping crises as focusing events; and we contribute to the MSF literature by analytically distinguishing the features of the agenda and the decision window and by applying the theory to a Latin American context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the framework of shared socio-economic pathways, this study predicts future population and economic conditions of the Zhanghe River Basin and combines with the water quota to predict future water demand. First, the localization parameter system is constructed. Furthermore, the water demand is calculated. The results show that (1) under regional competitive pathway, the population is the largest, while under uneven pathway, the population is the smallest. The largest economic forecast is obtained under fossil fuel development pathway, while the smallest economic forecast is obtained under regional competitive pathway. (2) The results for domestic and economic water use in the basin show that the annual water demand shows an increasing trend. Fossil fuel development pathway is the scenario with the highest socio-economic water demand, while regional competitive pathway is the scenario with the least. (3) The Zhanghe River Basin faces a high risk of water resource shortage in the future. Even under the situation of minimum socio-economic water demand, the total water demand is difficult to meet fully. The forecasting framework established in this paper has high application value and can provide a reference for water demand forecasting and prospective water demand management in river basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aimed to evaluate the impacts of water pricing and quota policies under changing climatic conditions on the major production factors using economic-biophysical modeling. The data were collected by 382 questionnaires focusing on wheat, barley, cotton, alfalfa, and sugar beet crops in the 2017-2018 cropping year in North Khorasan Province, Iran. Climate change scenarios were defined as wet, moderate, and dry scenarios resulting from precipitation changes. The results showed that climate change scenarios reduce the total irrigated area of crops and total water used. Due to the effect of precipitation on crop yield, dry and moderate climate changes reduce the total gross income, while wet climate changes increase it. The scenarios of quota and pricing policies were then applied under climate change scenarios. The amount of water conserved by applying the quota policy was equal to the quota rate, while the impact of the pricing policy varied depending on the type of climate change. The highest amount of water conserved belonged to the conditions of dry climate change in Atrak and Central Desert catchments, which was about 6.8-8.6 and 3.83-14.48%, respectively. As the climate moves toward drought conditions in this province, the implementation of such policies can partially protect water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues for greater application of adult learning theory in capacity development for water agencies in developing countries. Although the need for capacity development is clear, we believe its delivery, especially through 'technical assistance' projects, is of limited effectiveness. In the authors' experience, this limited effectiveness is due to the mismatch between intention and delivery. This may be due to inappropriate objective setting, lack of focus in training delivery and poor cultural awareness, reinforced by an unchallenged, ineffective model of teaching. A more collaborative and adult learner focused approach can help to define the learner's current situation and identify the learning methods that suit them best. Although the effectiveness of capacity development has many factors, the diligent application of well-tested adult learning practices and culturally appropriate learning methods can give positive results. This paper describes five principles for improving capacity development in developing countries. Those principles are: structural alignment of learning, culturally appropriate learning methods, active learning methods, learning trajectories and 'water specialist as andragogist'. The paper describes and evaluates three case studies of capacity building activities, where these principles were applied either in a deliberate structured approach or through happy accident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) describe a course of action to address poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all (https://sdgs.un.org/goals). More specifically, SDG 6 clarifies how water quality, quantity and access are crucial to human well-being, and yet human activities are compromising water resources through over-exploitation, pollution, as well as contributing to the spread of disease. Globally aquatic ecosystems are highly threatened and concerted efforts by governments and civil society to 'turn the situation around' are simply not working. Human-created problems require human-centred solutions and these require different ways of thinking and acting to those behaviour patterns that are contributing to the challenges. In this paper, we first consider causal approaches to attitude change and behaviour modification that are simply not working as intended. We then explore enabling responses such as citizen science and co-engaged action learning as more tenable alternatives. SDG 6 has a focus on clean water and sanitation for all. The SDGs further clarify how the extent to which this goal can be realized depends, to a large extent, on stakeholder engagements and education. Through stakeholder engagements and educational processes, people can contribute towards SDG 6 and the specific indicator and target in SDG 6.b - Stakeholder participation. Following a three-year research process, that investigated a wide range of participatory tools, this paper explores how the Stream Assessment Scoring System (miniSASS; www.minisass.org) can enable members of the public to engage in water quality monitoring at a local level. The paper continues to demonstrate how miniSASS can contribute to the monitoring of progress towards Sustainable Development Goal Target 6.3, by providing a mechanism for data collection indicator 6.3.2. miniSASS is proving popular in southern Africa as a methodology for engaging stakeholder participation in water quality monitoring and management. The technique costs very little to implement and can be applied by children and scientists alike. As a biomonitoring approach, it is based on families of macroinvertebrates that are present in most perennial rivers of the world. The paper concludes by describing how useful the miniSASS technique can be for addressing data gaps for SDG 6.3.2 reporting, and that it can be applied in most regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a survey of selected Water Users' Associations (WUA) and their members in West Bengal, India, this paper examines the nature and determinants of member participation in irrigation management. WUA meetings were held on a regular basis with higher member participation under Tube Well, Check Dam and River Lift Irrigation schemes. Their physical characteristics (e.g., high sub-surface storage and flowing rivers with large catchment areas) and system features (e.g., centralized pump house and defined distribution infrastructure) contribute to better water availability, incentivizing the members to participate. Our regression analysis suggests that along with these factors, the socioeconomic attributes of members and their perception about the functioning and decision making of the WUA influence participation in the collective management of schemes. The more the members perceive the functioning of WUAs as democratic and transparent, the greater is their incentive to participate. Greater participatory involvement of the members in the form of donating land for irrigation construction and in training programs is also found to be crucial. So, this paper argues for making the decision-making processes within WUAs democratic and transparent, along with greater efforts toward capacity building of the members, including training for skill enhancement, management and provision of agricultural support practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study on the risk of Cretaceous water inrush in the Ordos Basin in China is of great significance to the safe production and environmental protection of the western coal seam. This paper selects the following five key influencing factors for Cretaceous water inrush: the coal seam mining thickness, rock quality designation, distance between the top boundary of the waterconducting fracture zone and the bottom boundary of the Cretaceous system, the thickness of the Cretaceous aquifer, and the height of the water head. Furthermore, based on an analysis of geological and hydrogeological conditions of the Yingpanhao coal mine, the comprehensive weights of these factors were found using a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and the entropy method (FAHP-EM) to be 0.27, 0.25, 0.22, 0.08, and 0.18, respectively. This paper describes the use of ArcGIS's spatial overlay analysis to create a risk assessment zoning map using these weightings. By comparing the evaluation results of the FAHP-EM and the water inrush coefficient method, it is shown that the FAHP-EM provides additional insight in assessing the risk of coal seam roof water inrush. The research results of this paper provide a theoretical basis for coal mining safety in western China to assess water inrush. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to water is a matter of daily survival for people around the world. Water is crucial for human survival and also central to the development of every nation. The recent literature on world water suggests that the water crisis being experienced is related to governance and not a real crisis of scarcity and stress. This paper aims at identifying water governance practices and the challenges associated with water governance in Ghana. The paper reviews the literature on the implementation of policy directives and actions with specific focus on water resources governance aspects of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Ghana. Ghana's National Water Policy is expected to turn the fortunes of the country around in terms of water resources management. Concerning water resources management, the policy advocates for an IWRM approach. Since its implementation, certain setbacks have been challenging the effectiveness of the policy, such as inadequate institutional capacity, inadequate funding, ineffective enforcement of existing regulations, inadequate legal framework, and lack of adequate data. The paper suggests, among other things, the building of both human and institutional capacity, and making the environment a government priority, as ways to contribute to the effective implementation of the National Water Policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring the human right to water requires monitoring at national or subnational levels, but few comprehensive frameworks exist for industrialized contexts. This paper introduces a subnational-level framework - known as the California Human Right to Water Framework and Data Tool (CalHRTW) - developed by the authors at the California EPA's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. This paper has two objectives: (1) to present the theoretical foundations and methodology used to develop the first version of CalHRTW (CalHRTW 1.0) and (2) to showcase how results can be used. CalHRTW 1.0 measures three components of the human right to water: drinking water quality, accessibility and affordability for community water systems in California. Nine individual indicators grouped by component, and three indices that summarize component-level outcomes are used to quantify system-level results. CalHRTW allows users to: (1) summarize system-level conditions statewide and identify challenges, (2) explore social equity implications and (3) centralize information for planning. CalHRTW draws on approaches from existing international monitoring efforts and complements existing California efforts by being the first US effort to comprehensively and explicitly monitor the HRTW under one umbrella. This work offers other US states and countries a model to build monitoring efforts to realize the human right to water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-water harmony in the Yellow River Basin has an important influence on promoting ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. This paper explores the degree of harmony between humans and water in the provinces of the Yellow River Basin. Based on the provincial-level data of nine provinces from 2001 to 2020, a human-water harmonious coupling coordination degree model was constructed, and the spatial and temporal analysis of the coupling coordination characteristics of nine provinces was carried out utilizing ArcGIS software. The results revealed that: (1) From the point of view of human-water harmony, from 2001 to 2020, China's human-water relationship was on the rise, from reluctant coupling coordination to good coupling coordination. (2) Qinghai, Gansu, and Sichuan provinces have the most significant increase in human-water harmony, from on the verge of a dysfunctional decline to quality coupling coordination. (3) From 2001 to 2011, the human system's comprehensive index was inferior to that of the water system's comprehensive index. In 2003, the comprehensive index of human and water systems was the largest. From 2012 to 2020, the human system's comprehensive index was higher than the water system. However, in 2015, the two indices diverged significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional flood simulations fail to properly consider the impact of soil infiltration in floodplain areas with high soil infiltration rates. Notably, ignoring soil infiltration will lead to considerable uncertainty in flood simulations. In this paper, a fully hydrodynamic model coupled with the Green-Ampt infiltration model was used. Taking a natural reach in northern China (HTH in this paper) as a case study, observed flood discharge data were used to analyze the influence of soil infiltration on flood propagation based on the flood propagation simulation results for various inflow conditions. The maximum difference of inundation area is about 25%. The results show that soil infiltration has little effect on the inundation area during the rising stage of a flood. In the late period of a flood, the inundation area considering the effect of infiltration is smaller than that without infiltration, and the smaller the peak coefficient is, the longer the flood duration is, the larger the impact of infiltration on the inundation area. When the peak shape coefficient is 0.42 and the flood duration is 44.4 h, the maximum difference of the inundation area is about 28%. The research results provide a reference for flood management and post-disaster rescue efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater resources remain under constant pressure due to population growth, economic development, and changing weather patterns. Water supply utilities generally struggle to keep up with the growing demand for freshwater resources and consequently adopt demand management policies to address supply challenges. As water consumers, households can play a major role in water conservation. This paper examines the impact of biographic characteristics on water consumption behaviour and the adoption of water-efficient technologies in the city of Durban, South Africa. Probit regression models are estimated using survey data collected from 300 household heads sampled across the city. Among other results, the study finds income as the most consistent determinant of water consumption behaviours and the adoption of water-efficient technologies. Furthermore, the level of education was also found to be a consistent determinant of the adoption and installation of water-efficient technologies. These results are significant and serve to guide water utilities when implementing demand management water policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To what extent do domestic institutions affect the solution of collective action problems in international waters? Dwindling water resources and dire climate change projections make the determination of water rights in international rivers a major source of contention among states. If the states cooperate based on integrated water resource management principles, they could achieve social equity, economic efficiency, and sustainability. Yet, many international rivers remain subject to unilateral exploitation. This paper explores the role of domestic institutions in facilitating the emergence of international water rights. Adopting a political economy approach, it presents a case study analysis of the dispute over the Euphrates and explores the complex interaction of governing institutions in achieving efficient water management. I argue that the solution to the collective action dilemma in water rights is the creation of property rights institutions, which requires high levels of trust and reciprocity among highly motivated actors, who are accountable to their people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable water supply is one of the key issues for water resources management. The future demand for clean water is putting pressure on the Malaysian government to find alternative supplies and best management practices in managing water resources, such as the use of reclaimed water. This paper evaluates the perceptions and acceptance of the use of treated water for non-drinking purposes in Malaysia from the responses of 1,004 participants. The results show that age and level of education play an important role in the level of community acceptance. Females tend to be more selective than males in their acceptance to use reclaimed water. To guarantee that the public receives accurate information about reclaimed water, social media can be used for disseminating information, especially to younger generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pacific Island countries have among the lowest access to improved drinking water sources and sanitation services in the world. Due to geography, climate, the high frequency, and severity of disasters, transportation difficulties and resource constraints, government and private sector support to rural populations are limited and likely to remain so. However, the unique demographic characteristics of the region see considerable support flowing to rural areas from village kin in urban centres and overseas, hinged on strong socio-cultural norms of reciprocity, self-help, and obligation. Focusing on Fiji, this paper examines how select social networks are being used to support improved rural water and sanitation outcomes. Results demonstrate that kinship-orientated urban-rural linkages, select customary norms, relations and practices, common interest associations (such as village development committees), and select social media groups, all constitute critical components of the WaSH enabling environment in Fiji. Given the unique character of the Pacific Islands region, leveraging existing social networks to support improved rural water and sanitation outcomes may constitute a fruitful community water management 'plus' strategy for both governments and non-government organisations seeking to strengthen rural water and sanitation service outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We adopted a spectral clustering algorithm to divide the document co-citation network of 1,776 papers in the field of Lancang-Mekong water, and 14 clusters were identified. For each cluster, the top-cited references construct the knowledge base, and the most-coverage cities are taken as the research frontier. Three indicators, namely betweenness centrality, citation burstness strength, and Sigma, were used to identify the research outputs with pioneering and transformative value. The changes in the research topics and hotspots are closely related to the planning, construction, and operation progress of hydropower engineering, that affected by the gaming results of all parties. The 2009-2010 is an important time boundary, with the original research hotspots including the impact of upstream reservoirs on the hydrological regime and sediment (Clu#3) and arsenic contamination of groundwater in the Lower Mekong (Clu#4) that obtained periodical achievements and reached consensus to some extent around 2008, and the new research boom turns to the Tonle Sap Lake and flood pulse (Clu#2) in short-term characterized literatures with the highest burstness strength mainly concentrated around 2012. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the politicisation of urban water services governance, over a hundred European cities have implemented water services remunicipalisation reforms inspired by the theory of water management as a common. This paper aims to answer questions about the contextual variables that impact the water utility governance processes and the factors that determine the policymakers' choices. In particular, the work reconstructs the water remunicipalisation reforms of Paris (2009) and Naples (2011) with the Process-Tracing method, compares them, evaluates their outcomes and formulates previsions about their continuance. We base the analysis on qualitative data collected by documentary investigations and 27 in-depth interviews with protagonists of the remunicipalisation processes. Despite implementing the same management model, the water remunicipalisation has produced profoundly different governance processes and outcomes. The Parisian remunicipalisation was quick, efficient, almost conflict-free, and produced a slight implementation gap, whereas the Neapolitan one was long, complex, highly conflictual and generated a substantial implementation gap. Contextual variables and actors' behaviour are essential in explaining water policy reform outcomes. The protagonists of analysed reforms have taken decisions based on opportunities and limits defined by their local contexts and the relational systems in which they are historically embedded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]