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Access to water has improved globally; however, nearly 800 million people continue to lack access, particularly in resource constrained contexts. Current efforts are not on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals aim of safe and affordable drinking water for all. Innovative and contextualized solutions are required. This article describes a university–government collaboration in Ethiopia that addressed key data limitations, without which equity-based decision-making was not possible. These efficient and cost-effective ways for obtaining and managing data support improved decision-making, and also identified avenues for improving water system governance through policy shifts and citizen participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopia, marked by diverse geography and rapid land use/land cover (LULC) changes, grapples with formidable water resource management challenges. Understanding the hydrological response to these changes is paramount for sustainability. This review paper provides an overview of studies that investigated the hydrological impacts of LULC changes in Ethiopian basins. The review discusses methodologies, key findings, implications for sustainable land and water resource management, research gaps, and future directions. Emphasizing results from diverse studies that utilized hydrological and geospatial modelling, LULC significantly affects surface runoff, streamflow patterns, and groundwater recharge. The observed consequences are increased surface runoff, modified streamflow timing, and reduced groundwater recharge. The review underscores the urgency for integrated land and water management strategies to alleviate adverse effects. Future research priorities include basin-specific studies, long-term monitoring, integrated modelling, consideration of socio-economic factors, and incorporating climate change scenarios to enhance understanding and guide sustainable water resource management in Ethiopian basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the processes by which "stakeholder" status is constructed, and the importance of sense of place to that construction in collaborative water resource governance processes. Water management often involves collaborative governance, but there can be differences between who has an interest in the outcome, and who is formally invited to participate as a "stakeholder." We examine a case study of a collaborative water governance process in Central Oregon, and found that existing models of stakeholder formation present in scholarly literature did not fully explain the dynamics of stakeholder participation. We propose a two-step "Interest-Participation" model of stakeholder formation: to be considered stakeholders, a group must not only have an interest in the outcome but must actively navigate barriers to participation. We moreover argue that collaborative engagement is an embodiment of sense of place, emphasizing the importance of competing place meanings in resource governance processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recognition of the 75th anniversary of the Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA) in 2022, a Special Issue was proposed to summarize achievements, challenges and future opportunities in themes directly related to Canadian water resources and their management. The solicited papers align with the aim of the CWRA to stimulate public awareness and understanding of Canada's water resources and provide new or increased knowledge on Canada's water. With growing concerns over impacts on water resources from a wide range of stressors, the support of a national conversation, as well as sharing knowledge and perspectives on water resources across Canada, has become increasingly important and urgent. This Special Issue presents seven papers that review and/or provide historical sketches from '75 years' of work conducted in Canada across select sub-disciplines of hydrology and water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unified management and planning of national or provincial natural resources distributed both aboveground and underground have become increasingly important. Accurate depictions of natural resource elements and their interactions are key to achieving integrated and systematic management of natural resources. However, current spatiotemporal data models are based only on data descriptions, attribute records, and other model knowledge of a more general basis, without intuitively describing relationships between these elements and natural resources. This paper, therefore, proposes an integrated data-model-knowledge representation model to explicitly describe the time, space, and interaction of natural resource entities through an integrated knowledge graph. First, this study constructs a conceptual model using the aspects of semantics, scale, and data-model-knowledge, thereby explicitly describing the relationships of natural resources. Second, a logical model of natural resource representation is proposed, that is integrated with time, space, attributes, and relationships. Finally, taking the management of water resources as an example, this paper realizes the meticulous presentation of the levels of detail and rich semantic relations of natural resource entities. The findings of this study lay the foundation for a more efficient, precise, and lucid perception of the distribution laws and complicated interactional relationships of natural resources, both aboveground and underground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates emerging models of governance for shared water resources in decentralized urban regions in Indonesia and draws on a case of inter-local government collaboration for shared water resources in Cirebon region, Indonesia. The paper points to cooperation practice involving a mixed-model of governance for sharing water. by identifying a series of requirements for mixed governance. This model suits well not only because of the regional nature of water resource management in general, but also because such a model is likely to strengthen trust, increase transparency, and provide more equal positions among regions or stakeholders involved. Crucially, this model tends to decrease problematic levels of local autonomy and inter-local rivalry, which currently appears as a major challenge for shared water resource cooperation attempts in the decentralizing contexts of Indonesia and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many water scientists aim for their work to inform water policy and management, and in pursuit of this objective, they often work alongside government water agencies to ensure their research is relevant, timely and communicated effectively. A paper in this issue, examining 'Science integrity, public policy and water governance in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia', suggests that a large group of scientists, who work on water management in the Murray- Darling Basin (MDB) including the Basin Plan, have been subject to possible 'administrative capture'. Specifically, it is suggested that they have advocated for policies favoured by government agencies with the objective of gaining personal benefit, such as increased research funding. We examine evidence for this claim and conclude that it is not justified. The efforts of scientists working alongside government water agencies appear to have been misinterpreted as possible administrative capture. Although unsubstantiated, this claim does indicate that the science used in basin water planning is increasingly caught up in the politics of water management. We suggest actions to improve science-policy engagement in basin planning, to promote constructive debate over contested views and avoid the over-politicisation of basin science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia's ability to address Indigenous claims for water rights and to advance both national Indigenous and water policy is hampered by a lack of information on Indigenous water entitlements and the communities that hold them. This paper contributes to the policy agenda of increasing Indigenous water rights by developing a method that quantifies and enables spatially explicit comparison of Indigenous-held water within and across Murray-Darling Basin jurisdictions. We construct baselines for (i) Indigenous population (ii) Indigenous holdings of surface water entitlements, and (iii) Indigenous holdings of groundwater entitlements across water management units in the Basin. We estimate that Indigenous surface water holdings constitute no more than 0.17% of the equivalent permitted take across the entire Basin. Groundwater entitlements held by Indigenous entities constitute 0.02% of all available groundwater. The approximate market value of these water entitlements is A$19.2 million in 2015-16 terms, which equates to 0.12% of the total $16.5 billion market value. In contrast, 5.3% of the Murray-Darling Basin population is Indigenous, a proportion that is rapidly increasing. The production of estimates of this type, and Indigenous control of the data needed to generate them, are first steps in a reparations process that can contribute towards Indigenous water justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on fieldwork in rural Ireland to argue that environmental data can reinforce knowledge systems that shield structural problems and blunt efforts to rethink the role of community engagement in environmental governance. It offers a cautionary reading of how data has been instrumentalised by the EU and Irish State by showing how data diffuses responsibility and depoliticises environmental activism in cycles of funding and data collection. Since the 2000 Water Framework Directive, water governance in the European Union has increasingly relied upon extensive scientific, evidence-based decision-making and community and stakeholder involvement. We explore how these changes shape efforts to document and remediate water pollution. We expand upon Shapiro et al.'s (2018)'s "data treadmill" to understand how data rescales responsibility for pollution and its effects. The "data treadmill" gives name to cycles of data and funding that propel logics and strategies of environmental governance. We show how the data treadmill operates by perpetuating a narrative that effective action requires more precise data and evidence and solves questions of responsibility through bespoke approaches to environmental pollution. The data treadmill constrains communities through prevailing logics that surround data and environmental governance: communities become tied into European funding programmes that require, on one hand, the expertise of various professionals and consultants, on the other, place-based knowledge and social relationships to deliver innovative responses to structural problems. We offer a critical analysis of current institutional and policy in the EU and Ireland to highlight perils and contradictions of data-centric environmental governance as practiced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water management is concerned with action on the ground. The goal of this paper is to conduct a multi-voiced decision model for water resource management in the urban area of Mar de Plata city, Province of Buenos Aires, through the use of a multicriteria analysis tool. Using the Criterium Decision Plus system, criteria and subcriteria were integrated into a multi-voiced decision model for the prioritization of zones for water resource management. The criteria chosen were Potable Water Supply, Sanitation, Water Quantity, Potential Sources of Contamination, Flood Protection, and Equity. The model identified four of the seven zones as 'high' to 'very high' priority. Priority scoring ranged from 0.15 to 0.543. Regarding the criteria, "Potable Water Supply," "Water Quantity," and "Flood Protection" were identified as the main ones contributing to the final model results. The results show the starting point for generating proposals for water management actions in this urban area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Lebanon has the highest mean annual rainfall of all Middle Eastern countries, it is affected by water stress, negatively impacting agricultural food production, energy generation, and undermine ecosystem functions. The Bekaa area, where the upper Litani River Basin (LRB) is located, suffers serious water quality and quantity problems, which threaten agricultural productivity and public health. Most of the domestic and industrial water in the basin is left untreated. This study investigates prevailing water management issues in the basin. The analysis provides a critical reflection on the water quality and quantity indicators using Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), to 'ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all'. Results based on the author's observations and evidence from published reports and papers, since the early nineties, showed the existing management approaches fall short to mitigate the negative impact of the environmental problems in the LRB, particularly low water quality (indicator 6.3) and inefficient water use (indicator 6.4). Progress on achieving integrated water management (indicator 6.5) in the LRB is limited. Persistent environmental challenges remain due to weak governance, insufficient capacity, and law enforcement, which must be targeted by a public-private partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines new forms of political participation on the part of rural water committees in Nicaragua in the mid-2000s. In particular, it explores the role of multisectoral alliances in facilitating water committees' (1) physical mobility and political visibility, (2) political and legal capacity-building, and (3) access to state channels of representation. Contributing to theories of social capital, this case reveals a transformation of participation in water governance from locally grounded collective action for water management to engagement in public policy processes. In practical terms, the paper casts lessons for improved water governance via more inclusive policy processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The calculation of runoff and infiltration parameters is a fundamental task for water budget estimation and water resources management. The "Kenessey method" allows these values to be calculated and its use is widespread among water scientists and practitioners. Due to language barriers and inefficient translation in past decades, the method has undergone some misinterpretations and is now far from its original usefulness and purpose. The use of the modified method can give unreal results for specific climatic zones. The purpose of this paper is to point out these methodological variations and to return to the original approach, improving it with modern technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies indicated that the population size would arrive at its upper limits under the intense water scarcity in Urumqi. However, these 'limits' have been repeatedly exceeded, and the population has grown from one million in the 1980s to four million in 2014. This phenomenon is viewed as a 'mystery of the population carrying capacity of water resources'. This paper investigates the mystery under an amplified framework of generalized water. The entropy of virtual water was 48.9, and 3.08 billion m3 of external virtual water flowed into Urumqi. External virtual water makes a main contribution to increase water supplies under acute water scarcity, and this contribution results from the characteristic of dissipative structure in an urban economy. It is proved that generalized water is one of the most essential answers to the mystery at least. Generalized water plays an important role and generalized water management is necessary in an urban economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the currently changing climate conditions it is of primary importance to optimise the management of hydropower resources. This paper proposes a framework in a dynamic setting to determine the water outflow that maximises the value of a water resource for a given reservoir. The model includes two sources of uncertainty, the water inventory determined mainly by the water inflow and the electricity prices. It is implemented under the stochastic optimal control approach and calibrated using monthly data of reservoir characteristics from ResOpsUs. The results indicate that the inventory dynamics are specially important in valuing reservoir resources. The application of optimal management policies guarantees the long-term sustainability of the reservoir. The possible effects of climate change are considered in a sensitivity analysis to changes in the price and water inventory dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorghum grain yield is constrained commonly by soil nutrient deficiency and water stress in semi-arid areas across Africa. Grain yields ranges from 500 to 650 kg ha−1 in some parts of African and even below 500 kg ha−1 in some countries like Mozambique and Zimbabwe without using any nutrient amendments. The use of mineral fertilizer supply nutrients readily in the soil and increasing their availability to crops and improve crop yields. Farmers in rural communities are resources constraint and not able to buy adequate mineral fertilizers and they need to amend mineral it with manure. Application of manure improves soil physiochemical properties and nutrient availability which play an important for plant growth and increasing yields. However, cattle manure commonly used by smallholder farmers is rich in plant residues and require decomposers to use a lot of mineral nitrogen as sources of energy for decomposition hence nitrogen becomes unavailable to plants. Combining mineral fertilizer and manure has a potential of improving yields from 500 to 5000 kg ha−1 depending on soil type and rainfall received in the area. However, semi-arid regions are associated with low and erratic rainfall which causes soil water stress and reduce yields. There is need to combine water management with mineral fertilizer, and organic manure to create a sustainable sorghum production in marginalized areas. This paper reviews the effects of mineral and organic fertilizer in improving sorghum production in semi-arid region and come up with way forward to meet food demand in these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document discusses the importance of monitoring and information systems in the sustainable management of river basins. It highlights various technologies and methods that have been used to collect and analyze data, including satellite imagery, real-time sensor networks, drones, and machine learning models. The document also emphasizes the need to incorporate human systems into monitoring approaches and the importance of adaptive policies, public awareness, and international cooperation in river basin management. Case studies from different river basins around the world are included to showcase the role of monitoring and information systems in water resource management. [Extracted from the article]

Groundwater is a major source of water supply and supports many ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa. According to Integrated Water Resources Management principles, institutionalizing groundwater management and transboundary aquifer cooperation within lake and river basin organizations has long been on the agenda. Although progress has been made at the institutional and operational levels over the last decade, the capacity of these organizations has not been structurally augmented. While this calls for broad structural changes, a few practical solutions are proposed, such as hiring hydrogeologists in regional institutions, adopting open water data policies, and prioritizing intervention areas in transboundary aquifers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses some rhetorical uses of the figure of water management from the perspective of an affirmative approach to contamination which Derrida saw as constitutive of affirmation itself. Contaminated water and its discontents discussed in the text frequently appears in various kinds of writings as a frightening figure of contamination which simultaneously brings in the figure of water management as a way of controlling the purity of cultural exchanges and transmissions in which, as Caroline Petronius puts it, contagion journeys out of medicine into culture. The paper also addresses water and its management from the perspective of Astrida Neimanis's liquidizing of the border between the solid and the fluid as a border between the human and the inhuman. This perspective opens up the sphere of mutual contamination of the human and the inhuman and translates posthumanist theoretical positions into spheres of affirmative exchanges managed not by masters, but by Donna Haraway's companion species whom, or which, we all are. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the analysis of initiatives taken by selected European Union member states concerning enhanced water protection with respect to ownership and management of water resources and water distribution systems. Two of the countries studied have recently enacted their constitutional protection of water (Slovakia and Slovenia), one country is planning to reinforce the protection of water in its constitution (Czech Republic) and one state found the constitutional protection of water unnecessary (Finland). Whereas the reasons for (not) protecting water at the constitutional level vary widely, the common denominator is a strong support for protecting water as resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and exurban development pose challenges for water resources. This paper examines the perceptions and adaptive responses to those stressors among stakeholders engaging in exurban water management. Drawing on 42 interviews with planners, water managers, and local experts, we analyze perspectives on water-related hazards in the Hood River watershed, Oregon, and identify contrasting approaches to adaptation. Interview subjects identified climate-related hazards as most significant, with relatively less – although not insignificant – concern about development. Interviewees understood the role of the Watershed Group in four different ways: resistance to change, sustaining the present system, adapting to improve resilience, or transformational adaptation. Despite tensions between these approaches, the Watershed Group empowers local actors, offering grounds for social development. This study indicates that exurban areas may be poised to experiment and develop methods of collaborative resource management that reconcile different interests toward transformational adaptations to the dual challenges of climate change and urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water supply has been a chronic challenge in Istanbul since its foundation. Authorities have sought alternative methods since the Roman and Byzantine periods. Cisterns, channels and wells surveyed in urban heritage sites in Istanbul provide evidence of rainwater harvesting (RWH) as a working solution in the past. However, RWH systems have only been utilized in contemporary plans and policies very recently, particularly since the climate change crisis entered the political agenda in Turkey. Taking this as a point of departure, this paper investigates the challenges of widespread implementation of RWH systems in Istanbul through a participatory inquiry with water management actors. Challenges and needs are explored through a set of in-depth interviews and participatory workshops with representatives from water management institutions. The findings reveal that current challenges are related to planning and development, legislation and governance, financing, society, infrastructure, installation and operation of systems. The potential solution is the establishment of a governance mechanism that enables collective action among relevant actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article four main things are done. First, the difference between 'disaster preparedness' and the established field of 'disaster planning' is denoted. The latter, confusingly, is seen as post hoc aftermath response rather than prepared forethought. Second, there is a discussion about the similarities between 'disaster clean-up' in Roman times which was extorted as taxation from the poor to subsidize the rich and neo-liberal taxation policy in today's advanced economies, which similarly expropriate the poor to enable the rich to extort more wealth at the poor's expense. Third, we explore some weaknesses of ostensibly 'green' policy-making, which betrays traits of narcissism, egotism and vanity which should be avoided at all costs because they occasion failure and further raids on the taxpayer base in many cases. Finally, 10 papers are introduced, ranging from varieties of 'circular City', to rainfall harvesting, green space accounting and transition to wooden construction and revitalization of urban shrinkage settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I discuss urban planning and water management, primarily the development of drainage systems, based on the results of recent excavations in the Vågsbunnen area. The abundance of water from rainfall, rivers and streams was certainly a very important resource for the development of the early urban Bergen. It necessitated interventions of regulation and drainage that contributed strongly to the organisation of the Vågsbunnen area. While water management systems are previously known from the Bryggen area, recent excavations have uncovered previously unknown water management systems from the 11th century onwards in the Vågsbunnen area, suggesting that water management was a strategy right from the beginning of urban settlement. The rapid growth and expansion of the medieval town required strategies to control the water in the public spaces of the town. This led to the development of different types of water management systems, specialised for different needs. In this article, the archaeological material from previous and new excavations are studied in juxtaposition to written sources and geological data, in order to investigate the nature and development of these water management systems, and how they contributed to the urban development of the town. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian cities have experienced a high number of floods and droughts. In Australia, green infrastructure (GI) is increasingly popular in considering natural processes in sustainable water management practices. However, to date, there has been little examination of how the academic literature has addressed the use of GI in Australian landscape planning for water management. To investigate this, we applied a thematic framework and used the PRISMA approach to identify and analyse 98 peer-reviewed papers to better understand whether and how landscape planning perspectives are considered in current water management approaches in Australia. We found a recent increase in Australian-based literature related to GI for water management. However, there is limited literature discussing the significance of landscape connectivity and the multi-functionality of GI. This article concludes with recommendations for future research on the landscape planning principles of multi-functionality, landscape connectivity, and the integration of multiple scales of GI in Australian urban water management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of land use land cover (LULC) change and climate variability on water resources poses as a major threat in semi-arid environments, especially in the sub-Saharan Africa. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa are vulnerable to water scarcity. Hence, there is an urgent need for understanding the various methods for LULC change and climate variability assessment, to aid in water resources management at various scales. Various studies have modelled and assessed the effect of LULC change and climate variability on hydrological responses, using different approaches. In this regard, this paper provides a detailed review on the progress of various remote sensing techniques in modelling and assessing the effect of LULC change and climate variability on hydrological processes. The review also highlights the critical scientific strides and challenges of remotely-sensed applications in LULC change characterization and total evaporation estimation. Specifically, research gaps in the estimation of total evaporation in response to LULC change and climate variability, using remote sensing are also highlighted. The study demonstrated remotely-sensed methods used in hydrologic models such as the SCS-CN, WetSpa, JULES and the SWAT model that are used to determine run-off and streamflow. These methods have a component of total evaporation however evapotranspiration (ET) is not the sole focus. The study showed that the application of the remotely sensed SEBS tool has been widely accepted as a viable method to estimate total evaporation. However, it has been observed that there is limited focus on the impact of LULC change and climate variability on total evaporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydro-meteorological monitoring systems are essential sources of information for designing sustainable water management and developing equitable policies. In this paper we discuss the role of a regional monitoring network in Switzerland, Canton Ticino, and identify a list of challenges and actions to be considered to address future expected issues. The identification is based on a retrospective review of the monitoring network and analysis of the state of the art. Based on our experience, the most critical aspects relate to data density and quality, improvement of archiving and dissemination, modernization of the network for increased quality of service and better interoperability to foster the transition towards an innovative and interdisciplinary water resources management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the logic behind farmers' choice of adaptive water management practice is important to appreciate the opportunities and challenges they face and to scale targeted solutions effectively. This paper aims to understand the main drivers of change that induce adaptation in water management. The Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) framework that juxtaposed the within and across micro-, meso-, and macro-level drivers was applied to a case study of the Nile Delta to identify key drivers of change and farmers' adaptive responses. The framework helped in contextualizing key gender, temporal, and spatial dimensions of the drivers, and to identify their individual and interactive effects on farmers' adaptation decisions. We find that farmers' gender-differential water management choices are influenced not only by the individual changes in the three spheres of influence but also their interactions. The study highlights the benefits of using MLP to identify challenges that should often be tackled simultaneously to improve agricultural water delivery and use. We demonstrated that adaptation choices in water management are more sustainable when farmers' decisions are supported by enabling environments, including local regulations, norms, national institutional frameworks, and policies. They are also informed by and responsive to global trends such as climate change and markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines the importance of multiple time step optimization (MTO) in river basin allocation. The principal novelty of the work presented here is to provide a methodology for how to use MTO solutions in river basin planning and real-time operation. Two approaches for using the MTO results were tested on Damodar River basin in India and are presented in the paper. Using the proposed approach, the model managed flood flows without exceeding the downstream full bank channel capacity in 35 years of available historical data, while at the same time increasing generated hydropower on average by 63% annually, and supplying an additional 350 million m3 to irrigation and industry compared to the historical levels. The results presented in this study were obtained using the new Web-based Basin Management (WEB.BM) water management model, the only water allocation model with full Linear Programming (LP) optimization capabilities available online free of charge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the conceptual framework of a holistic, intelligent decision-support system (IDSS) to plan, manage and optimize water quality monitoring programs (WQMPs) for surface waters. WQMPs are a crucial component of water management because information on water quality is essential when taking action such as legislative compliance, environmental projects, urban and infrastructure development. Planning, managing and optimizing WQMPs is a complex process and requires multiple variables, rules and subject matter expert knowledge. The specific goals of this paper were to (1) assess to what extent the subject domain (WQMPs) is deemed appropriate for an IDSS; (2) describe the design process of the conceptual framework; (3) present the main elements of the system architecture; (4) present two case studies that served as potential end users; (5) illustrate the applicability of the IDSS and (6) describe subsequent steps to further test the IDSS. The IDSS was developed on the premise that the proposed system could (1) improve quality, (2) capture undocumented expertise that is perishable or in short supply (tacit knowledge), (3) provide accessible expertise to novice users, (4) have a training effect on users, and (5) show that the system, even partially complete, could still be useful. Our initial assumptions regarding these points were validated through interviews with subject matter experts. The conceptual framework was designed based on a literature review, interviews with 44 subject matter experts from Europe, Canada and the United States, interaction with end users from two case studies in the Province of Quebec, Canada, and five information technology experts from Canada and Germany. The IDSS presented in this paper will facilitate the planning, management and optimization of WQMPs. It will be exportable to various watersheds and consider the WQMP planner's need to update the network rapidly if changes occur in human, financial and technical resources. Holistic and adaptable decision-support system to plan, manage and optimize surface water quality monitoring programs Management and decision support system for knowledge acquisition processes on water quality System integrates tacit and explicit knowledge on water quality monitoring challenges Management and decision support system based on tacit knowledge from 44 experts and two case studies Adapted design methodology for an Intelligent decision-support system [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of the Anthropocene, understanding the dynamic interactions between humans and water is crucial for supporting both human well-being and the sustainable management of resources. The current water management challenges are inherently unpredictable and difficult to control. Social-ecological systems (SESs) approaches explicitly recognize the connections and feedbacks between human and natural systems. For addressing the complex challenges of the Anthropocene, consideration of SES attributes such as causality (or interdependence), feedback, non-linearity, heterogeneity, and cross-scale dynamics is important. In addition, innovative qualitative and quantitative methods such as Bayesian networks, agent-based modelling, system dynamics, network analysis, multicriteria analysis, integrated assessment and role-play games have recently been used in SES research. The overall goal of this review is to gauge the extent to which SES attributes and methods are considered within the current interdisciplinary water paradigm. The paper therefore develops the normative theoretical characteristics of SES in terms of its key attributes (i.e. causality, feedback, heterogeneity, nonlinearity, and cross-scale dynamics) incorporated in the water paradigm approaches. The paper then compares the methods applied in the interdisciplinary water paradigm and examines how they can complement each other. Finally, the paper reflects back on the usefulness of SES attributes and methods for assessing the interdisciplinary water paradigm and makes recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The privatization of water supply and institutional restructuring of water management – through decentralization and the penetration of global firms in local and regional markets – have been promoted as solutions to increase economic efficiency and achieve universal water supply and sanitation coverage. Yet a significant share of service provision and water resources development remains the responsibility of public authorities. The papers in this issue – with case evidence from Argentina, Chile, France, the USA, and other countries – address critical questions that dominate the international agenda on public versus private utilities, service provision, regulations, and resource development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stormwater Control Measures (SCMs) are increasingly applied to capture and utilise urban runoff to augment water supply, reduce flood risk, and to restore natural flow regimes in receiving waters. New advances in Real-Time Control (RTC) technology offer the potential to dynamically optimise SCM performance to meet multi-objectives, without the need for major structural upgrades. This paper reviews the application of RTC applied to different types of SCMs at a range of scales, revealing both the benefits and challenges. RTC can improve urban water management both now and into the future, and the applications are vast. SCM performance can be optimised at a single-site scale, but its real utility will be in larger collaborative systems, and its potential will increase with improved forecast capability and decreased costs of sensors and control elements. There is a critical need for creating new regulatory environments, governance and business models, to facilitate widespread implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many destinations are implementing various water management alternatives to diminish the environmental impacts of tourism and increase sustainability. These efforts toward sustainability can be understood as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies implemented by tourism destinations. This paper is focused on the tourism destination of the Costa Brava (Catalonia, Spain) and proposes a method for selecting a list of influential factors in water management for sustainable tourism destinations by considering stakeholder preferences for technical, economic, social, political, and environmental factors. A new qualitative Delphi technique is used to identify a set of qualitative and quantitative factors by surveying eight stakeholders (six water management experts and two hotel managers). In addition, the study presents the weight for each of the influential factors that decisionmakers - water planners, policy-makers, tourism destination managers and hotel managers - can use in assessing water management alternatives. Although research to date has addressed many aspects of responsible tourism, there is little literature on the importance of water management in responsible strategies for tourism destinations. This paper contributes to a more efficient selection of CSR strategies in tourism destinations by proposing a new methodology for identifying key factors for assessing sustainable solutions for water problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper was to analyze factors affecting domestic water consumption in Thohoyandou, Limpopo province, South Africa. A structured questionnaire was used to collect qualitative and quantitative data in the study area. A total sample of 100 households participated in answering the questionnaire. The results of the analysis found that average bath water consumption was 122 l/c/d, toilet flushing was 26 l/c/d, drinking and food preparation was 20 l/c/d, washing clothes was 5 l/c/d, washing cars was 2.5 l/c/d and home gardening was 6 l/c/d. The average water consumption of one household in the area was 190 l/c/d. Factors influencing water consumption in Thohoyandou were: education level of household head, age of household head, occupation of household head, gender of household head, family size, and tariff. SPSS performed correlation matrix and it was used to analyze factors affecting water consumption. Correlation matrix results showed that education level of household head was −0.627**, family size was 0.947**, tariff was 0.533**, female household heads was 0.647**, male household heads was (−0.634**), and age of household heads was (0.372**). Education level of household head results showed a negative correlation in all sub areas. The consequences of having more household heads with a low level of education was high water consumption, which is not in line with the Water Conservation Act. The contribution of the research was that household heads who have a high level of education typically consume less water than household heads who have a low level of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the capacity gaps in decentralized rural water management in Ghana across five dimensions: institutional, financial, human resource, technical and social. Using household and informant interviews and focus group discussions, qualitative data from the selected rural communities and water management agencies show that while institutional capacity forms the backbone of effective rural water supply and management, financial capacity is required to implement and sustain the other forms of local capacity. To achieve sustainable rural water services, the study recommends a shift in management approaches that ensures a progressive transfer of water management responsibilities to beneficiary rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effect of devolved irrigation water management systems and complementary irrigation technologies on collective empowerment in Ethiopia. We find that households' monetary, in-kind and labour contributions for irrigation water provision and appropriation are more common in farmer-managed gravity irrigation schemes compared with farmer-managed pump systems and jointly managed schemes. The most frequent conflict occurrence was observed in jointly managed gravity irrigation systems, followed by farmer-managed gravity systems. Our results indicate that irrigation users' degree of participation, decision-making capacity and strength of local governance are also affected by several household, plot, village, scheme and climatic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is difficult to predict and manage the ecological consequences of multiple water quality stressors on our freshwater systems. This is due to the dynamism of the source-stressor-response relationships and multiple factors including lack of data, complex impact pathways and risks, and uncertainties that are difficult to parameterise. We present a risk-based probability modelling approach using a Bayesian network (BN), to manage multiple water quality stressors at multiple spatial scales. We illustrate the use of this approach, by evaluating the probable ecological effects of altered water quality associated with multiple sources in three case study rivers in South Africa. Water quality and land use activity were used to describe conceptual risk pathways, parameterise the BNs and model the probable consequences of multiple water quality stressors. The BN model demonstrated that the endpoints that were selected for the study reflected the risks associated with the levels of the input water quality variables. The model further demonstrated that the electrical conductivity BN was just as sensitive as the more complex salt model. The BN model was further able to accurately represent risks to all systems irrespective the water quality data base size. This approach can contribute towards more sustainable water resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities have cumulatively altered natural thermal regimes, with impacts and occurrences of extreme events amplified and exacerbated by global climate change. This leads to cascading ecological impacts in river systems. This paper translates knowledge generated over more than ten years of thermal research in South Africa into a protocol for establishing environmental water temperature guidelines for perennial rivers in South Africa. Tools and protocols for generating thermal guidelines reflecting seasonal variation and daily ranges, setting ecologically relevant thermal targets, and approaches for incorporating water temperature into management plans are presented. Tools include a spatial (thermal) framework within which air-water temperature models are applied and reference thermographs are generated; national maps of system resilience and air-water temperature model accuracy; a database of variables likely to indicate system resilience and model accuracy; innovative tools for generating thermal metrics and thermographs; a screening process to assess thermal risk; and an evaluation process to assess thermal change based on deviation from reference or expected thermal conditions. The importance and value of thermal data was recognised by the freshwater community and collection of water temperature data strongly endorsed. Future rollout of a water temperature-monitoring programme for South Africa needs to be prioritised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the consumption of water is increasing in arid countries such as Saudi Arabia, water management becomes a big challenge for both the government and society. The challenge also includes supplying continuous water with good quality at minimum cost. In this paper, we introduce a smart water management system that can be used in buildings where continuous flow of water is not available; instead, water is stored in big tanks underground of the buildings. The proposed smart system regulates the water flow between the underground tanks and other tanks on the top of the buildings and controls the water level in these tanks using LoRa communication technology. If the system detects any shortage of water or fault in the system mechanism that affect the water flow, such as faulty valves or defective pump, it deactivates the corresponding part and send an emergency signal to the building's manager. In the mean time, the system also measures certain important water quality elements continuously and sends warning messages to the building's manager if the value of any of these measurements exceeds safe levels. The system was run for a long period of time, where all water quality parameters were recorded. The system stopped and sent an emergency signal when water pump was deliberately disconnected but went back to operation after the pump was connected again. The proposed system proved to be a very good solution to the existing mechanically controlled system that most buildings in Saudi Arabia have. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water security covers a wide range of issues and risks to people, the natural and built environment, the economy, and interactions between these. This breadth creates an interconnected complexity and the potential for perceived intractability. Tackling water security meaningfully therefore requires a judgement in balancing the holistic nature of water security with reductionist understanding of key processes and elements. This paper demonstrates that systems thinking can be adapted to achieve this through different systems framings of water security, tailored to local context. Through four case studies, we show how systems thinking has been adapted and applied to fit the contextual analysis and management of multiple water security issues. We show how this approach has dissolved disciplinary and sectoral silos; changed the spatial scale at which water security is addressed; improved data acquisition and analysis to better understand relationships between sub-systems; and integrated socio-ecological issues of justice and power with more traditional bio-physical understandings of water security. This is an important step towards turning systems thinking into systems transformation and making the concept of water security actionable and accessible to policy, planning, and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of integrated water resources management (IWRM) is broadly recognized, but practical implementation methods are little known. This paper proposes a Practical IWRM approach that has the potential to accelerate consensus-building and problem-solving relating to water resources based on the formation of an aligned perception of natural and human-made water resource systems among stakeholders, and the establishment of a properly functioning multi-stakeholder partnership (MSP). This approach was applied in four countries – Sudan, Bolivia, Indonesia and Iran – where it has worked well in different contexts, and can be an effective methodology usable elsewhere in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the adverse effects of growing water scarcity on the lives and livelihoods of poor people have become a major policy concern in India. This paper reviews the effectiveness of macro-level policies for rainwater conservation and critically examines micro-level local community institutions for the sustainable management of traditional water bodies. Using Ostrom's design principles and qualitative data from three different multipurpose tanks, the study finds that management decisions at the local level have benefited few influential members of local communities and deprived a large number of poor households from resource uses, making the local institutions ineffective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Water Resources Journal / Revue Canadienne des Ressources Hydriques is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Water Resources Journal / Revue Canadienne des Ressources Hydriques is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Metropolitan governance is back on the agenda in Australia as cities continue to grow and dominate the economy as well as their surrounding regions. In some sectors, however, metropolitan governance is not new. Water resources have long been governed at a metropolitan scale, even if it has not been explicitly called so. This paper uses the example of water governance in South East Queensland (SEQ) to draw lessons for metropolitan-scale governance across Australia. It discusses why and how water governance in SEQ has become increasingly 'metropolitan', the advantages of this approach, and why it has also proved problematic. In particular, the findings of the research highlight how the approach in SEQ has been fragmented. The paper concludes by outlining recommendations for improving coordination and participation at the metropolitan scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is currently a recognition of the need for more collaborative approaches to water management, which involve communities of place as proactive stewards of their local water environments. However, the desire for such participatory approaches sits awkwardly with the primarily technocratic orientation and practices of the responsible professional organisations in the water sector. Professionals sometimes struggle to communicate with, or respond to, communities stressed by flood and other impacts. This paper examines the concept of "hydrocitizenship" in relation to the engagement between professional stakeholders interested and involved in water landscape management, regulation and associated issues, and communities in the River Aire corridor, Yorkshire, UK. The case study-based research used innovative, arts-based exploratory approaches that aimed to examine participants' relationships with water and how local environmental concerns about policy and water could be revealed. Group conversations and interviews were used as a strategy both to develop mutual understandings between participants and to inform the creation of public performances which stimulated further discussion and reflection. The paper focuses on reporting the role and experience of stakeholders, and identifies the emergence of unexpected synergies, where performance became the means of two-way communication between the different groups involved in the research. In particular, a flexible, creative and playful approach captured the imagination and gained interactions and creative collaborations within local communities and stakeholder groups. The paper concludes by reflecting on possible extensions of this work in other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dual nature of water – giver of life and massive disruptor – is not new. There is rarely one equilibrium state for a water system; there are multiple different states natural water systems cycle through. And human-induced changes to water systems, including through the use of technologies to modify and exploit them, and through climate change, further accentuate the opportunities for extreme disruptions to society. Human history is dotted with examples of challenges in managing water systems and disruptions. This year, parts of Australasia have seen widespread drought, massive fires, smoke pollution, ecological destruction, hail storms, cyclones and now a pandemic, COVID-19, protection from which requires adequate safe water and space for hygiene and limiting transmission. Our notions of time, space and connection to others and our environment, including water, have again come into focus as we search for a new equilibrium after this wave of disruptions – a 'new normal'. But is this just a very human desire for stability amid the seeming chaos? Instead, do we instead need to get better at managing more appropriately through the 'old abnormal': the continuous variability, change and increasingly extreme events due in part to human modification and societal expansion across the planet? This editorial paper provides a reflection on the moment we have found ourselves in at the beginning of 2020. It draws together insights from a range of water science and management challenges presented in the papers of this issue, in order to chart some positive ways for more appropriately navigating water systems and their future disruptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological plant remains are key data in the identification of the material consequences of imperial interventions in past local lifeways. In this paper, the spatial and stratigraphic analysis of plant remains preserved in a hypothesized kitchen context from the archaeological site of Dhiban, Jordan, is presented in detail. This context is dated to ca. a.d. 570–640 based on 16 AMS dates, a time when the Dhiban community was part of and located at the eastern edge of the Byzantine empire. Analysis of over 130 point-provenienced flotation samples reveals a local emphasis on the agricultural production of wheat, peas, and grape, in spite of the challenges of water management in a semi-arid landscape. Comparison with other nearby and contemporaneous sites indicates that while all grew a similar suite of crops, their frequencies vary, possibly indicating a community of agricultural practice specializing in different foodstuffs or crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Iberian Peninsula is a climate change hotspot, where the temperature is increasing faster than the global annual mean surface temperature, with the largest reduction of precipitation. Consequently, freshwater availability is expected to decrease substantially. In this context, freshwater systems are especially vulnerable in terms of meeting the water demands and ecosystem requirements we know today. In this paper, we present an extension of the eco-engineering decision scaling (EEDS) method to explore trade-offs in agricultural and ecologic metrics at the catchment scale across a range of unknown future hydrological and climate states. The extended EEDS method evaluates current water resource management rules focusing on agricultural and ecologic objectives, identifies climate hazards that make the system fail and assesses climate risk in three time horizons for the design of adaptation measures. The case study is the Serpis River basin, Spain, where 72% of available water is used for agricultural purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]