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Water quality in Gal&aacute, pagos has been deteriorating by increased human impacts over the past few decades. Water quality is a key environmental component and issue in need to be evaluated in the Pelican Bay Watershed, the biggest urban and economic development of Santa Cruz Island, for better management and regulation of water resources. This study assesses coastal and ground water bodies of Pelican Bay by employing a 9-year dataset obtained during a local water quality monitoring program conducted by the Gal&aacute, pagos National Park. Physical-chemical and microbial parameters were evaluated with respect to national and international water quality standards. A statistical integrated approach was performed to calculate environmental background levels of water quality parameters and to explore their seasonal and spatial variation. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of changes in tourism and residents in San Cruz Island in the degradation of water sources. Results highlighted are: (a) water is not suitable for drinking and domestic use at some inland sites, (b) saline water is used for irrigation in the highlands, (c) the presence of parameters of concern at coastal sites represent a risk for human and ecosystem health, (d) background levels may serve for defining site-specific limits to control water quality, and, (e) the influence of population change on water quality conditions varied at each site with a higher effect at coastal sites relatively to inland sites. This study provided valuable information of the water quality status in Santa Cruz Island and can serve as a baseline for effective water management and control of pollution.

This document provides an overview of how water resource software’s (WRS) are used to manage water resources issues, criteria for WRS selection, and a high level review of WRS currently available that central and state governments of India can use for water management. The water resource issues covered include water allocation and planning, flood management, groundwater management, conjunctive use, water quality, and sediment transport.

Romania’s water resources are moderate, but sufficient with prudent resource management that will ensure conservation and sustainability; regional and inter-annual variation is, however, significant. Water availability in Romania is only 2,000 cubic meters per capita per year, just above the international threshold for water stress of 1,700

International audience; This study presents an original method to assess the effectiveness and robustness of measures aimed at reducing the gap between water resources and demand under climate and water use changes. A modeling framework integrating human and hydro-climatic dynamics and accounting for interactions between resource and demand was developed and applied in two basins of different scales and with contrasted water uses: the Herault (2 500 km\textlesssup\textgreater2\textlesssup/\textgreater, France) and the Ebro (85 000 km\textlesssup\textgreater2\textlesssup/\textgreater, Spain) basins. Natural streamflow was evaluated using a conceptual hydrological model. A demand-driven reservoir management model was designed to account for streamflow regulations from the main dams. Municipal water demand was estimated from population and unit water consumption data, and irrigation water demand was computed from crop and soil data, agricultural practices (irrigated areas and irrigation efficiency) and climate forcings. Environmental flows were accounted for by defining streamflow thresholds under which water withdrawals were strictly limited. Climate simulations from the CMIP5 exercise were used to generate 18 climate scenarios at the 2050 horizon, and a trend water use scenario was built based on demographic and local socio-economic trends by the mid-century. Indicators comparing water availability to demand were computed. To assess the efficiency of potential adaptation measures under climate change scenarios, the sensitivity of water stress to variations in the main drivers of water demand was tested. The effectiveness and robustness of individual measures varied between the basins and inside each basin, depending on the demand nodes. Finally an adaptation scenario combining different measures was tested in both basins, using the integrative modeling framework. This scenario led to encouraging results regarding the decrease of water stress. However, the effectiveness of the combined adaptation strategies was shown to be insufficiently robust to climate change uncertainties.

How can water resource agencies make smart investments to ensure long-term water reliability when the future is fraught with deep climate and economic uncertainty? This study helped SEDAPAL, the water utility serving Lima, Peru, answer this question by drawing on state of the art methods for decision making under deep uncertainty. These methods provide techniques for evaluating the performance of a water system over a wide range of plausible futures and then developing strategies that are robust across these futures. Rather than weighting futures probabilistically to define an optimal strategy, these methodologies identify the vulnerabilities of a system and then evaluate the key trade-offs among different adaptive strategies. Through extensive iteration and collaboration with SEDAPAL, the study used these methods to define an investment strategy that is robust, ensuring water reliability across as wide a range of future conditions as possible while also being economically efficient. First,on completion, the study helped SEDAPAL realize that not all projects included in the Master Plan were necessary to achieve water reliability, and the utility could save 25 percent (more than $600 million) in investment costs. Second, the study helped focus future efforts on demand-side management, pricing, and soft infrastructure, a refocusing that is difficult to achieve in traditional utility companies. Third, the study helped SEDAPAL gain the support of regulatory and budget agencies through the careful analysis of alternatives. Fourth, the study allowed the utility to postpone lower priority investments, and to analyze future options based on climate and demand information that simply is not available now.

This study draws upon state-of-the-art methods for decision making under deep uncertainty (DMU) to give SEDAPAL and decision makers in Lima answers to pressing questions. It draws upon several methodologies including Robust Decision Making, Decision Scaling, and Adaptive Pathways, to prioritize the investments in SEDAPAL’s Master Plan. Together these methods help define an investment strategy that is robust, ensuring water reliability across as wide a range of future conditions as possible while also being economically efficient.

To evaluate the sustainability of services in the region, an overall sector assessment has been done taking into account four main dimensions: access to services, quality of services, efficiency of services, and financing of services. Each of these dimensions is measured through three simple and objective indicators. For each indicator, best practice values are established by looking at the best performers in the region, and the countries closest to those best performers are deemed to have a more mature sector. A more complete description of the methodology to assess sector sustainability is included in the annex of the state of the sector regional report from the Danube Water Program. The outcomes of this assessment for the Serbian water sector are presented, which also shows average and best practices in the Danube region. The Serbian sector sustainability score is 61, which is below the Danube average sustainability of 64. The assessment shows that, on average, the country performs well in terms of access to piped water and flush toilets, nonrevenue water, and affordability. The main deficiencies of the Serbian water sector identified through the sector sustainability assessment are the level of investment, wastewater treatment coverage, and the operating cost ratio. The main sector challenges are: strengthening and clarifying sector governance; ensuring tariff setting according to the cost recovery principle to improve overall performance in preparation for EU accession; and enhancing water utility staff capacity and training.

International audience; Assessing water supply sustainability is crucial to meet stakeholders' needs, notably in the Mediterranean. This region has been identified as a climate change hot spot, and as a region where water demand is continuously increasing due to population growth and the expansion of irrigated areas. The Hérault River catchment (2500km2, France) is a typical example and a negative trend in discharge has been observed since the 1960s. In this context, local stakeholders need to evaluate possible future changes in water allocation capacity in the catchment, using climate change, dam management and water use scenarios. A modelling framework that was already calibrated and validated on this catchment over the last 50years was used to assess whether water resources could meet water demands at the 2030 horizon for the domestic, agricultural and environmental sectors. Water supply sustainability was evaluated at the sub-basin scale according to priority allocations using a water supply capacity index, frequency of unsatisfactory years as well as the reliability, resilience and sustainability metrics. Water use projections were based on the evolution of population, per-unit water demand, irrigated areas, water supply network efficiency, as well as on the evaluation of a biological flow. Climate projections were based on an increase in temperature up to 2°C and a decrease in daily precipitation by 20%. Adaptation strategies considered reducing per-unit water demand for the domestic sector and the importation of water volume for the agricultural sector. The dissociated effects of water use and climatic constraints on water supply sustainability were evaluated. Results showed that the downstream portions would be the more impacted as they are the most exploited ones. In the domestic sector, sustainability indicators would be more degraded by climate change scenarios than water use constraints. In the agricultural sector the negative impact of water use scenarios would be stronger. The environmental sector would be hardly satisfied especially in summer with low resilience levels. The adaptation strategies considered in this study would not be sufficient to cope with both anthropogenic and climate changes. Other strategies were discussed based on known examples in the Mediterranean context.

This policy paper records the outcome of a strategic analysis of investment requirements in the water sector in Zimbabwe as of December 2013. The work, entitled Zimbabwe water sector investment analysis, was undertaken in close collaboration with senior officials in Zimbabwe as an exercise in determining where World Bank investments may be most effective in the future, and to assist the government of Zimbabwe to develop its own investment strategies. The analysis was framed around two key questions: (1) what immediate investments are required to ensure that water in sufficient quantity and at adequate quality will be available to underpin recovery? This is in order to ensure that water availability would not constitute a constraint to future growth and development; and (2) where in the water sector should the next dollar be best spent? This paper summarizes the context of the water sector in Zimbabwe at the time of the study and reflects the key elements of policy advice derived from the analysis. It is important to record and recognize the key elements of policy advice provided by the World Bank through the water sector investment analysis.

This Issues Paper, requested by the former Ministry of Water Resources Development and Management as a recommendation of the National Water Policy (NWP), will contribute to the National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS) by examining opportunities for adaptation to climate change in the water resources sector, using both structural and non-structural measures. It uses models to provide preliminary estimates of the possible impacts of climate change in 2050 and 2080 on these water resources. A number of opportunities to adapt to these impacts are discussed. Many of these adaptation opportunities constitute no-regrets actions, in that they are actions that are worth undertaking in their own right, irrespective of the severity of impacts from climate change.

This report outlines a 3-year program to upgrade the knowledge platform for managing water resources in Central Asia. Its ultimate purpose is to enhance the ability of all countries to engage in evidenced- based dialogue on water and energy management. It focuses on regional actions, linking all five countries plus Afghanistan, but recognizes the essential role of national initiatives. It covers the core elements of a modern decision support system and, based on extensive consultations, supports a change in accessing, developing, and sharing information and analysis. The intended outcomes of the road map are to: (i) establish a knowledge platform that is accepted by countries as a basis for cooperative actions; (ii) enhance capacity and knowledge sharing at the national and regional levels; and (iii) directly improve management of water at national and transboundary scales.

This paper presents the first basin-wide assessment of the potential impact of climate change on the hydrology and production of the Ganges system, undertaken as part of the World Bank’s Ganges Strategic Basin Assessment. A series of modeling efforts, downscaling of climate projections, water balance calculations, hydrological simulation and economic optimization, inform the assessment. The authors find that projections of precipitation across the basin, obtained from 16 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-recognized General Circulation Models are highly variable, and lead to considerable differences in predictions of mean flows in the main stem of the Ganges and its tributaries. Despite uncertainties in predicted future flows, they are not, however, outside the range of natural variability in this basin, except perhaps at the tributary or sub-catchment levels. The authors also find that the hydropower potential associated with a set of 23 large dams in Nepal remains high across climate models, largely because annual flow in the tributary rivers greatly exceeds the storage capacities of these projects even in dry scenarios. The additional storage and smoothing of flows provided by these infrastructures translates into enhanced water availability in the dry season, but the relative value of this water for the purposes of irrigation in the Gangetic plain, and for low flow augmentation to Bangladesh under climate change, is unclear.

It is often argued that the true benefits of water resource development in international river basins are undermined by a lack of consideration of interdependence in water resource planning. Yet it has not been adequately recognized in the water resources planning literature that overestimation of interdependence may also contribute to lack of progress in cooperation in many systems. This paper examines the nature and degree of economic interdependence in new and existing water storage projects in the Ganges River basin based on analysis conducted using the Ganges Economic Optimization Model. We find that constructing large dams on the upstream tributaries of the Ganges would have much more limited effects on controlling downstream floods than is thought and that the benefits of low-flow augmentation delivered by storage infrastructures are currently low. A better understanding of actual and prospective effects of interdependence not only changes the calculus of the benefits and costs of different scenarios of infrastructure development, but might also allow riparian countries to move closer to benefit sharing positions that are mutually acceptable.

The paper reflects the main methodological aspects of the PAPRIKA Project based on the following objectives: (i) to contribute to a more accurate assessment of glacier retreat, snow cover and climate change in Koshi Basin, Nepal; (ii) to have a better understanding of the contribution of glacier and snow melting to water availability; (iii) to correlate the results with local people's perceptions of climate change and their socio-economic impact. For this, the paper:highlights the fact that the water used by the population comes from different origins (glacier melting, snow melting, frost, rain) the combination of which varies between the four main landscape units: high, middle and low mountains, and finally the Terai plain;describes the methodology adopted to observe and analyse current as well as future environmental changes in the atmosphere, cryosphere and hydrosphere;shows that, for each origin, different reasons may explain the changes in water availability, and thus the impact on agriculture and the different water usages.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hn.v11i1.7197 Hydro Nepal Special Issue: Conference Proceedings 2012 pp.12-17

Kosovo is a small and young state that gained an interim United Nations (UN)-administered status in the wake of the Dayton peace accord only in 1999; it declared independence in 2008. Compared to neighboring countries, it is still lacking in its basic infrastructure and its administrative and technical skills. In addition, with the onset of the War in Yugoslavia in 1992 most investment and normal maintenance came to a standstill. Much of the publicly owned infrastructure fell into disrepair or was vandalized, but private investments led to a construction boom which, however, is leading to many environmental problems. The government is committed to reconstruction and to the development of a peaceful state. It also intends to align with EU policies. Thus, the study has the specific objectives to: (i) assist the government to improve its river basin planning and management by providing (for demonstration purposes) a replicable tool and simulation model for integrated river basin planning and management; and (ii) support the government in its identification of priority measures of structural and non-structural nature to help strengthen the water resources sector performance. The source(s) for the financing of the identified projects will need to be identified further by the Government as the World Bank has not committed to involvement in the sector.

In this issue: trends: 10 years of private-sector participation in water; interview: Mozambiques industry behind the tap; and feature: irrigating Brazils semi-arid northeast.

International audience; In the last fifty years, many mountain watersheds in temperate countries have known a progressive change from self-standing agro-silvo-pastoral systems to leisure dominated areas characterized by a concentration of tourist accommodations, leading to a drinking water peak during the winter tourist season, when the water level is lowest in rivers and sources. The concentration of water uses increases the pressure on aquatic habitats and competition between uses themselves. Consequently, a new concept was developed following the international conferences in Dublin (International Conference on Water and the Environment ? ICWE) and Rio de Janeiro (UN Conference on Environment and Development), both in 1992, and was broadly acknowledged through international and European policies. It is the concept of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). It meets the requirements of different uses of water and aquatic zones whilst preserving the natural functions of such areas and ensuring a satisfactory economic and social development. This paper seeks to evaluate a local water resources management system in order to implement it using IWRM in mountain watersheds. The assessment method is based on the systemic approach to take into account all components influencing a water resources management system at the watershed scale. A geographic information system was built to look into interactions between water resources, land uses, and water uses. This paper deals specifically with a spatial comparison between hydrologically sensitive areas and land uses. The method is applied to a French Alps watershed: the Giffre watershed (a tributary of the Arve in Haute-Savoie). The results emphasize both the needs and the gaps in implementing IWRM in vulnerable mountain regions.

Almost all of the world’s glaciers in the tropical latitudes are located in the Central Andes (Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia). Due to their high altitude, to the high level of radiation and to the tropical climate dynamics, they all are particularly threatened by climate change, as a result of not only warming, but also of changing variability of precipitation. Many glaciers are of crucial importance for the livelihood of the local populations and even for three capitals, Lima (Peru), La Paz (Bolivia) and Quito (Ecuador), which depend on them for water and energy supplies. This paper shows that after a period of increased flow due to the glacier melt disequilibrium, the available water resource will decrease along with the rapid shrinking of the glaciers considered as water reservoirs. The case of the Cordillera Blanca (Peru) is analyzed more in detail with the mid-term (20 years) and long-term (1–2 centuries) impact of the glacier shrinking on the local water resources. Associated risks for the population and consequences for the human activities (tourism, hydropower, agriculture and stock-breeding, large-scale irrigation) are described at each stage of the mountain range.

Water resources management is a complex issue for several reasons : multiplication and concentration of uses in a situation of interdependence, diversity of socio-economic users, responsibilities split between public and private, sectoral and sometimes mutually contradictory regulations overlap, opposition of representation systems... This complexity relates to the relevance and feasibility of integrated and sustainable water resources management in mountain watersheds at a local level. Is this the solution to the management problems in such areas, i.e. can it provide sustainable solutions to reconcile economic use and water resources conservation? We have chosen the “systems” approach applied to the “Giffre” watershed for holistic understanding of water resources management systems specific to mountain areas.; La gestion des ressources en eau est un domaine complexe à maîtriser pour plusieurs raisons : multiplication et concentration des usages en situation d'interdépendance, diversité de l'organisation socio-économique des usagers, responsabilités éclatées entre acteurs publics et privés, superposition de textes réglementaires sectoriels et parfois contradictoires entre eux, opposition des systèmes de représentations... Cette complexité nous interroge sur la pertinence et la faisabilité d'une gestion intégrée et durable des ressources en eau sur un territoire de montagne à un niveau local. Est-elle la solution aux problèmes de gestion sur un tel territoire, autrement dit peut-elle apporter des solutions durables pour concilier les usages économiques et la préservation des ressources en eau ? Pour y répondre, nous avons choisi la méthode systémique appliquée au bassin versant du Giffre pour comprendre dans sa globalité le système de gestion des ressources en eau caractéristique d'un territoire de montagne.

Water resources management is a complex issue for several reasons : multiplication and concentration of uses in a situation of interdependence, diversity of socio-economic users, responsibilities split between public and private, sectoral and sometimes mutually contradictory regulations overlap, opposition of representation systems... This complexity relates to the relevance and feasibility of integrated and sustainable water resources management in mountain watersheds at a local level. Is this the solution to the management problems in such areas, i.e. can it provide sustainable solutions to reconcile economic use and water resources conservation? We have chosen the “systems” approach applied to the “Giffre” watershed for holistic understanding of water resources management systems specific to mountain areas.; La gestion des ressources en eau est un domaine complexe à maîtriser pour plusieurs raisons : multiplication et concentration des usages en situation d'interdépendance, diversité de l'organisation socio-économique des usagers, responsabilités éclatées entre acteurs publics et privés, superposition de textes réglementaires sectoriels et parfois contradictoires entre eux, opposition des systèmes de représentations... Cette complexité nous interroge sur la pertinence et la faisabilité d'une gestion intégrée et durable des ressources en eau sur un territoire de montagne à un niveau local. Est-elle la solution aux problèmes de gestion sur un tel territoire, autrement dit peut-elle apporter des solutions durables pour concilier les usages économiques et la préservation des ressources en eau ? Pour y répondre, nous avons choisi la méthode systémique appliquée au bassin versant du Giffre pour comprendre dans sa globalité le système de gestion des ressources en eau caractéristique d'un territoire de montagne.

This paper investigates the interaction between water resources management and the environment. It argues that an integrated, holistic approach to water management is beneficial for the environment but also that environmental concerns are not to be ignored for integrated water management to be effective. To this purpose the paper introduces the interactions between different water uses and why it is important to address these interactions for sustainable water resources management. It explains how the environment is being effected by the use of water by other sectors, and the benefits and implications of an integrated management system for the environment. Illustrated by several practical cases in Asia, Southern Africa and small island developing states, the paper makes a strong case for IWRM to be an effective approach for sustainable management at river basin level. It also demonstrates that stakeholder engagement form the start. and the process being driven by local interests and addressing real needs are elements of IWRM without which it will not work. The paper argues that addressing environmental is essential for sustainable use of water resources, and that strong political support and institutional backing is required for IWRM to be successful.Keywords: integrated water resources management, environment, river basins, interaction, water uses, benefits, implications, institutional, legislation, instruments, stakeholder participation, local management

In the past decade, Tanzania has experienced high economic growth and it is in the global limelight as a recent success story in Africa. A variety of factors have contributed to this success, including liberalized policies and reforms, infusion of external capital from development partners and the private sector, debt cancellation, and a strong performance by emerging sectors such as mining, tourism, and fisheries. Its social policies, largely influenced by the First President Julius Kambarage Nyerere, including a single national language and relative political stability have contributed to a strong sense of nationhood, which sets it apart from many of its neighbors and has provided an unusual degree of stability that has facilitated major economic transformation without a significant social backlash.

In the face of the changes in the planet's natural resources and of their unequal distribution, it is becoming more urgent that contemporary societies oversee environmental assets in a global manner. Although international directives, when they are transposed into national laws, may set specific objectives, meeting them at the local level is as yet an uneven enterprise. Nevertheless we hope to demonstrate, using a case-study involving local tensions over water resources, that public management of the crisis may be developed that effectively involves the civic society, by using the incentives and enforcement tools of central government and of local institutions., Face aux altérations des ressources de la planète et à leur distribution inégalitaire, il devient de plus en plus urgent pour les sociétés contemporaines de gérer les biens environnementaux de manière globale. Si ces orientations internationales, transposées en droits nationaux, fixent de tels objectifs, leur mise en œuvre locale apparaît comme très relative. En effet, une véritable gestion concertée nécessite la mise en place de dispositifs locaux de gouvernance appuyés sur les acteurs publics de l'aménagement et de l'environnement, et sur les diverses communautés d'usagers. En l'absence de tels dispositifs, et à partir d'un cas de tension locale sur la ressource, nous souhaitons montrer qu'entre un règlement marchand de la crise et une gestion concertée « purement » locale, peut se développer par les rôles incitatifs et coercitifs de l'Etat et des institutions locales (syndicats et autres intercommunalités) une gestion publique associant la société civile.

This report presents the findings of the Thames River basin water management study, undertaken jointly by the Ontario ministries of the Environment and Natural Resources. The study was initiated in response to growing concern over existing problems relating to water quality, flooding and erosion in the watershed, and over potential problems anticipated as a result of future population growth and economic development.