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In many parts of the world the combined pressures of population growth and a drying climate have resulted in the proliferation of water focused policies which aim to increase the resilience of socio-ecological systems. Until recently, these policies often reflected surface water centric views of water resources, with groundwater receiving scant attention. In this paper we provide an introduction to the importance of groundwater for water-dependent socio-ecological systems and why it needs to be better incorporated into environmental water management policies. Specifically we highlight the key role of groundwater in buffering the environment and socio-economic activities against drought. We also outline some of the key challenges that face policy-makers and managers implementing groundwater management policies. These include dealing with groundwater resources that are spatially and temporally mismatched with surface water resources; transboundary governance issues; challenges between focusing on either preventative or restorative actions and most importantly limited knowledge about groundwater resources and groundwater–ecology relationships. We hope that the information in this paper will assist in the development of sustainable surface-groundwater water management policies, as well as highlight important challenges that should be considered before implementing groundwater related policies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As cholera spread from Haiti to the Dominican Republic, Haitian migrants, a largely undocumented and stigmatized population in Dominican society, became a focus of public health concern. Concurrent to the epidemic, the Dominican legislature enacted new documentation requirements. This paper presents findings from an ethnographic study of anti-Haitian stigma in the Dominican Republic from June to August 2012. Eight focus group discussions (FGDs) were held with Haitian and Dominican community members. Five in-depth interviews were held with key informants in the migration policy sector. Theoretical frameworks of stigma's moral experience guided the analysis of how cholera was perceived, ways in which blame was assigned and felt and the relationship between documentation and healthcare access. In FGDs, both Haitians and Dominicans expressed fear of cholera and underscored the importance of public health messages to prevent the epidemic's spread. However, health messages also figured into experiences of stigma and rationales for blame. For Dominicans, failure to follow public health advice justified the blame of Haitians and seemed to confirm anti-Haitian sentiments. Haitians communicated a sense of powerlessness to follow public health messages given structural constraints like lack of safe water and sanitation, difficulty accessing healthcare and lack of documentation. In effect, by making documentation more difficult to obtain, the migration policy undermined cholera programs and contributed to ongoing processes of moral disqualification. Efforts to eliminate cholera from the island should consider how policy and stigma can undermine public health campaigns and further jeopardize the everyday 'being-in-the-world' of vulnerable groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 30 years leading thinkers have taken us beyond mechanistic and reductionist analysis into systems theory and the critical boundary judgements that are fundamental to systems analysis. In defining and discussing boundary conditions, we also redefine values and facts imposed on hydrological and economic analysis that underpins decisions about government policy in water resources. The repeal of legislation for distributed interventions (water-efficient appliances and rainwater harvesting) that was previously enacted to improve the security of a regional water supply system is examined as a case study. The results of the analysis were defined by the costs and benefits that are inside or outside of the boundaries of legitimate and recognized consideration. This paper refers to those differences as boundary conditions and considers how those boundary conditions affect the outcome of analysis. Setting of boundary conditions (what is included, what is excluded and assumptions) in engineering and economic analysis dominates outcomes of decisions about government policy. These insights have general application to development of government water policy. The investigations outlined in this paper were combined to create an enhanced version of a systems analysis of a policy for setting targets for water savings on all new dwellings. It was established, using appropriate boundary conditions, that a 40% target for water savings is feasible for South East Queensland (SEQ) and provides a cost-benefit ratio of 2.1. These results indicate that a policy of mandating targets for sustainable buildings would provide substantial benefits to the state of Queensland, water utilities and citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the use of environmental benefits in the policy-making process in nine European countries. Growing competition for financial resources suggests that a precise understanding of the benefits provided by policies is needed. In particular, the environmental co-benefits that environmental policies offer must be more thoroughly investigated. Yet because there is often a focus on systems rather than individual species or specific environmental factors it becomes more difficult to characterise benefits. This paper shows that the role of environmental benefits to advise policy action differs across selected European countries. Environmental benefits are used at different stages of the policy cycle and for different purposes. In many cases they are not used to inform high level decision making but to stimulate public debate or to develop more targeted legislative proposals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper analyzes the intermittent water distribution system in the West Bank, Palestine. It quantifies the impacts of reduced supply duration on the hydraulics and costs of water distribution. It shows that designing systems based on intermittent supply criteria implies increasing the diameters of pipes significantly, which is expensive and infeasible. The paper recommends that studying the local conditions should precede the design of new systems to avoid reduced supply duration and related negative impacts. In addition, improving governance, revising tariffs, reducing leakage, saving water, involving the private sector, and improving water diplomacy should be considered in any water policy reform. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Scarcity will affect nearly two-thirds of the world in the near future. The impacts of climate change are likely to exacerbate these problems and unless appropriate adaptation strategies are adopted, resilience is difficult to achieve. The paper surveys the water resources available in South Asian countries and takes into account the projected climate change impacts on these resources. The paper also analyses the water policies and formulates a conceptual water policy framework in which adaptation is central. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Community management has been widely criticized, yet it continues to play a significant role in rural drinking water supply. In India, as with other ‘emerging’ economies, the management model must now adapt to meet the policy demand for ever-increasing technical sophistication. Given this context, the paper reviews the history and concepts of community management to propose three typologies that better account for the changing role of the community and external support entities found in successful cases. It argues that external support entities must be prepared to take greater responsibility for providing ongoing support to communities for ensuring continuous service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Water pricing policy is determined by multiple, though conflicting objectives. This paper analyzes flat water charges for households based on property values, using Trinidad as a case study. A major finding is that this tariff is economically inefficient and encourages water wastage which becomes environmentally unsustainable. Also, while social equity is a main objective in using this method of water pricing, in reality this is compromised. A key contribution of this paper is that water supply is regular in many countries where flat rates are used, but Trinidad consumers suffer from water shortages. The politics of water pricing and poor governance explain this anomaly in service, economic inefficiency, social inequity, and environmentally unsustainable water management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety of medium- and large-scale dams is addressed in many countries, but limited attention is paid to problems associated with smaller farm dams, particularly potential cumulative threats posed in larger catchments. Farmers in Australia often overlook the common law obligation to review and design dams in line with current standards. The result is downstream communities, property and environment placed at risk. This paper demonstrates the significance of this problem with case studies undertaken in policy-absent South Australia, policy-driven Victoria and policy-strong New South Wales, including empirical evidence on attitudes and responses of landholders and key policy actors. This demonstrates need for supervision of small dams. Tasmania is included as a case study as it represents a policy-model state on how this can be best achieved in line with international best-practice. The four cases provide useful comparative lessons. Policy guidelines applicable to any jurisdiction are included; their application is illustrated with the case studies. The paper considers the policy implications of these lessons for Australia in particular and the world in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid growth in demand for water, the resource is increasingly being transferred from agriculture to cities and industries. This paper examines trends and expected future changes in sectoral water demand, which drive water transfers. It then describes alternative mechanisms for water reallocation, including administrative reallocation, market-based reallocation, collective negotiation, and other means, including combinations of mechanisms, and illegal transfers. Transfer mechanisms and implications for rural livelihoods and the environment are illustrated for case studies in the western United States and Asia. The paper concludes with a series of suggestions for alternative policies and institutions for reallocation that could help reduce adverse consequences for the poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities, governments and communities worldwide must now confront the issue of urban stormwater management (USM). This paper discusses USM in regard to the Greater Metropolitan Region of Sydney (GMRS), State of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. In order to a) improve the water supply in the region and b) mitigate the impact of urban stormwater on Sydney's coastal areas, there must be devised a regional urban stormwater management strategy. This will integrate urban development, coastal pollution control and water conservation. Government policy, water pricing reform, and public commitment are core components of the strategy. The paper reviews relevant practices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Adelaide, and Shanghai which could be of use to the GMRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an empirical basis for local water-governance reforms in the Philippines using primary data from 299 water managers representing water districts, community-based water organizations, irrigators’ associations and local government water providers. Survey results showed that local water organizations are subject to various forms of laws and regulations; there are no set bases for water price determination; and water administration set-up varies from the formal to the loosely informal structures. Recommendations are offered towards responsive local water governance arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines how three sustainability factors (water supply, regulatory policy, local management) are affecting the sustainability of a community water supply project in Kenya. Findings show that after 10 years the project is at a threshold of sustainability – it may yet fail. Changing rainfall patterns and additional withdrawals from new projects are threatening available water supply. The community is resisting compliance with water sector reforms including those intended to benefit community-managed projects. Community management deficiencies and a lack of supportive external relationships are impeding project continuity and sustainable local water management. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Projections of future water availability are required by water managers and policy makers in order to take action to mitigate some of the potentially negative impacts of climate change on water supplies in the urban, agricultural and environmental sectors. However, in order to do this, these projections must have some level of confidence associated with them, and even if this is the case, the research community must make the data and/or information available in a format that is directly usable by water managers and policy makers. This paper presents results from a water availability study recently carried out across southeastern Australia as part of the South Eastern Australian Climate Initiative. More importantly, it shows how the results of this study have been used in defining a range of plausible future streamflow scenarios to be used by water resource managers in the state of Victoria in updating its water supply-demand strategies for the next 50 years. Climate change projections for this region were summarised by creating "dry", "wet" and "median" future runoff scenarios for 2030 and 2060 based on the second driest, second wettest and median global climate model (GCM) results. These results were then averaged across 27 catchments covering the state of Victoria. We contend that in areas such as the state of Victoria where there is near-unanimous agreement among GCMs as to the direction of climate change impacts on rainfall, along with theoretical understanding consistent with changes in large scale circulation in a warmer world, projected changes in water availability can be used by water resource planners to assist them in better planning for future changes in supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the nationally and internationally urgent water insecurity issue, and why it represents a highly relevant area for social policy action by social workers, both at local and global levels. Drawing on secondary data analysis, the paper explores the nature and scope of water insecurity as a global social work issue, discusses its social policy dimensions, and suggests a framework for social policy action by social workers. It argues that, due to the complex nature of the water insecurity issue and its consequences, particularly on the poor and disadvantaged groups, and on ecosystems, it is critical to analyse it from conservation, distribution, and access perspectives and to act. Social workers need to think creatively about the application of their knowledge, skills, and virtues to the water insecurity issue in order to bring about necessary changes in human and institutional behaviour relating to water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has developed a national biofuel policy to increase energy security, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and stimulate rural development. In this policy, the government has set blending targets for mixing ethanol and biodiesel with gasoline and diesel, respectively. In India, ethanol is produced from irrigated sugar-cane while biodiesel is produced from jatropha, which is said to require no irrigation. This paper analyzes the possible impacts of an increase in sugar-cane and jatropha production on water management and use. It finds that India's biofuel policy is likely to place additional pressure on scarce water resources. Although the development of biofuels may be necessary, care must be taken to anticipate its likely impacts on water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current European policy on water resources use in cities is undergoing radical reform in an attempt to confront the water quality problems and the dramatically intensified water scarcity. Among the most elaborate documents concerning current water policy is the Water Framework Directive (WFD), which spells out the targets of water policy at the European level. The confrontation of water scarcity, deterioration in quality, and the reduction in costs of the water supply industry emerge as decisive principles of the new European policy on water use in cities. These targets are currently assimilated in the agendas of national water policies in almost all European countries. To achieve these objectives several policy instruments have been applied in Europe. The more prevailing instruments are: demand management, privatization of water companies and efficient/full cost pricing of water use. The present article aims at systematically evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the current water policy for urban systems, by examining the coherence of its instruments as well as their appropriateness for achieving the policy's targets. To start with, the paper presents an elementary economic analysis of the current water policy. The effects of the most common policy instruments are systematically traced in the framework of economic analysis. Next, three indicative case cities are presented and examined. As it turns out, however, the results of the implementation of the main instruments are contradictory. This drastically reduces the effectiveness of the water policy. We indicate that these contradictory effects are inherent in the water policy and originate in the lack of appropriate social processes and institutions for the management of natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the recently developed 'Guidelines for the design and control of intermittent water distribution systems'. These guidelines outline a new approach to the design of urban water distribution systems for developing countries in order to maintain adequate and equitable supplies under the common conditions of water resource shortage. The guidelines are novel in that they recognise the reality of intermittent supply and hence provide new methods of analysis and design, appropriate for such systems. Design objectives specifically tailored to intermittent systems are developed and drive the design process. These objectives are expressed in terms of equity in supply, adequate pressure at water connections and duration or time of supply that are convenient to the consumers. The modifications required to model such systems have been incorporated into a new network analysis simulation tool coupled with an optimal design tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Soviet period of the command system left a legacy of under-funded multilevel bureaucratic structure of water administration and planning for the Central Asia and Caucasus countries. The existing administrative system of water management is unable to cope with inter-sector, dynamic, and versatile character of current water management problems. Therefore, the situation calls for principles of integrated water resources management (IWRM) in the region. This paper presents some ideas about institutional reforms in water sector started in Central Asia and Caucasus regions. It describes the key IWRM principles and how these principles are being implemented into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The State of Ceará is located in the Northeast of Brazil, characterized by a semi-arid climate, with a pronounced time and space variability of its rainfall. Recurrent droughts have been plaguing the region, and as a result, water is stored in reservoirs as much as possible. However, it is has been shown that, despite the large amount of water stored in reservoirs, the water shortages still persisted. After years of having water resources management based only on supply side, Ceará State's current water policy emphasizes the demand side, including legal water rights, charging for water educational campaigns, and the decentralized decision making of the users through their participation in river basin committees. This policy is carried out by Secretariat of Water Resources (SRH), who motivates, analyzes, and formalizes the requests for water use rights, and the Company of Water Management of the State (COGERH), which acts as a catalytic agent in activities that support users' organization in river basins. This paper shows how Ceará is dealing with the initial allocation of water rights and analyzes the obstacles and challenges of that new way of managing water in the state. The model is still being implemented, but the differences in the results for overcoming the 1993 and 1998 droughts show the importance of having a dedicated institution for water management. A conceptual model is also presented representing the steps that could be followed for the implementation of a water market that is limited in space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A better knowledge of droughts is required to improve water management in water scarce areas. To appropriately cope with droughts, there is the need to adopt adequate concepts relative to droughts and water scarcity, to properly use drought indices that help characterize them, including ones relative to their severity, and to develop prediction tools that may be useful for early warning and that may reduce the respective lead time needed for appropriate response. In this paper, concepts relative to drought and other water scarcity regimes are discussed aiming both to distinguish droughts from other water scarcity regimes and to base a common understanding of the general characteristics of droughts as hazards and disasters. Three main drought indices are described aiming at appropriate characterization of droughts: the theory of runs, the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), and the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). Their application to local and regional droughts in the region of Alentejo, Portugal is presented focusing on the respective comparison and possible adequateness for drought monitoring. Results indicate some difficulties in using the theory of runs, particularly because it requires a subjective definition of thresholds in precipitation and does not provide a standardized classification of severity. Results show that drought characterization with the PDSI and the SPI produce coherent information, but the PDSI is limited relative to the SPI because it requires more data to perform a soil water balance while the SPI needs only precipitation data, which are more easily available in numerous locations. It is concluded that adopting the SPI is appropriate, but there is advantage in combining different indices to characterize droughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After nearly half a century of planning, the construction of the controversial south-to-north water transfer (SNWT) project in China was officially launched just before the end of 2002. This paper looks into the decision-making process of the project in the context of the country's transition from a centrally-planned economy to a market economy, rapid economic development, and severe environmental degradation. Uncertainties concerning future water demand in individual sectors are examined with reference to the latest projection prior to the launch of the project. Adjustment of project objectives and shut of the focal issues concerned over the years are elaborated. The analysis suggests a high degree of uncertainty in future water demand. The expansion of project objectives to include ecosystem recovery in the late 1990s, however provided a decisive argument for implementing the project as no other alternative was considered available to meet the estimated ecosystem water requirement Consequently, remaining doubts on the need for the project and concerns on adverse environmental impacts have tended to be sidelined. With the implementation of the project, the government is caught in a dilemma of keeping water prices low to substantiate the economic needs and improving water use efficiency to honor the environmental objective of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on partnerships across the state-society divide in the management of bulk water in the state of Ceará, in Northeast Brazil. It examines the creation of Users' Commissions in two of Ceará's river basins--the Lower Jaguaribe/Banabuiú and the Curú. It is argued that the presence of synergy across the state-society divide is critical to guarantee meaningful public participation. In turn, meaningful participation improves decision making at the river basin level and supports positive values in policy making such as decentralization, equity, accountability and transparency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]