Doctor of Philosophy(PhD) / In many areas of India, increasing groundwater use has led to depleted aquifers. Rainwater harvesting (RWH), the small scale collection and storage of runoff to augment groundwater stores, is seen as a solution to the deepening groundwater crisis in India. However while the social and economic gains of RWH have been highlighted, there has not yet been a thorough attempt to evaluate the impacts of RWH on larger catchment hydrological balances. The thesis here will endeavour to address this research gap through a case study of the 476 km2 ungauged semi-arid Arvari River catchment in the state of Rajasthan. Over 366 RWH structures have been built in this catchment since 1985 by the community and the local non-government organisation (NGO), Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS). The local effects of RWH structures and general catchment characteristics were determined through field investigations during the monsoon seasons of 2007 and 2008. The analysis described large variability in both climatic patterns and recharge estimates. Potential recharge estimates from seven RWH storages, of three different sizes and in six landscape positions, were calculated using the water balance method, which were compared with recharge estimates from water level rises in twenty-nine dug wells using the water table fluctuation method. The average daily potential recharge from RWH structures is between 12 – 52 mm/day, while recharge reaching the groundwater was between 3 – 7 mm/day. The large difference between recharge estimates could be explained through soil storage, and a large lateral transmissivity in the aquifer. Approximately 7% of rainfall is recharged by RWH in the catchment, which is similar in both the comparatively wet and dry years of the field analysis. This is because the capacity of an individual structure to induce recharge is related to structure size and capacity, catchment runoff characteristics and underlying geology. Due to the large annual fluctuations in groundwater levels, the field study results suggest that RWH has a large impact on the groundwater supply, and that there is a large lateral flow of groundwater in the area. The results inferred from the field analysis were then applied to a conceptual water balance model to study catchment-scale impacts of RWH. An existing model was not used because of the paucity of data, and the need to incorporate an effective representation of RWH function and impact. The model works on a daily time step and is divided into subbasins. Within the subbasin hydrological response units (HRUs) describe the different land use/soil combinations associated with the Arvari River catchment, including irrigated agriculture. Sustainability indices, related to water from groundwater and rainfall for irrigated agriculture demand, were used to compare scenarios of management simulated in the conceptual model. The analysis shows that as RWH area increases, it reaches a limiting capacity from where developing additional RWH area does not increase the benefit to groundwater stores, but substantially reduces streamflow. This limiting capacity was also seen at the local-scale, where cumulative potential recharge from an individual RWH structure reaches a maximum daily recharge rate. These results could have important implications for RWH development, but require further research. The analysis highlighted the important link between irrigation area and RWH area. If the irrigation area is increased at the optimal level of RWH, where the sustainability indices were greatest, the resilience of the system actually decreased. Nevertheless RWH in a system increased the overall sustainability of the water demand for irrigated agriculture, compared to a system without RWH. Also RWH provided a slight buffer in the groundwater store when drought occurred. While RWH addresses the supply-side issues of groundwater operation, the institutions that form rules for groundwater use must also be considered, because of the link between irrigation area and RWH. The Arvari River Parliament, the community-based group in the case study area, was examined according to Ostrom’s factors for collective action. It was found that the major limitation for the effectiveness of this group was the minimal information available about the aquifer characteristics.

Thesis (Ph. D. - Hydrology and Water Resources) - University of Arizona. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 214-232).

Thesis (M.Sc.). / Written for the Dept. of Bioresource Engineering. Title from title page of PDF (viewed 2008/05/14). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--Carleton University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 98-102). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rutgers University, 2007. / "Graduate Program in Geological Sciences." Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-83).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Waikato, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [75]-85) Also available via the World Wide Web.

Orientador: Gustavo Garcia Manzato / Banca: Simone Andrea Furegatti / Banca: Jozrael Henriques Rezende / Resumo: Este texto apresenta uma pesquisa que propõe um modelo para calcular a Capacidade de Suporte Hídrica (CSH) de regiões urbanizadas visando o Desenvolvimento Sustentável, principal objetivo da humanidade neste século. Utilizando as Análises Estocásticas de Fronteira como ferramenta de modelagem da capacidade de suporte, juntamente com o auxílio de um sistema de informações geográficas (SIG), foi criado um método para calcular a carga antrópica no meio ambiente, ou seja, calcular a intensidade de solicitação ou estresse sobre os recursos naturais que uma dada região exerce sobre seu meio. Um estudo exploratório foi elaborado para verificar a viabilidade desta proposta e posteriormente um modelo específico foi desenvolvido, utilizando variáveis de natureza hídrica, culminando no cálculo da CSH dos municípios e das Unidades de Gerenciamento de Recursos Hídricos (UGRHI) do estado de São Paulo. A disponibilidade hídrica superficial dos objetos de estudo, uma das variáveis hídricas que compõe o modelo, foi calculada de forma aproximada utilizando a nova proposta de regionalização de vazões para o estado de São Paulo, onde foi criado o primeiro banco de dados que agrega informações sobre as vazões Q95, Q7,10 e Qm para todos os municípios do estado.Na sequência, foram simulados três cenários abordando possíveis construções do modelo CSH, dois deles consideraram diferentes formas de agrupamento dos parâmetros e o terceiro obteve as classificações de suporte hídrico para as UGRHIs a part... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This work presents a research project that proposes a model to calculate the Hydric Carrying Capacity (HCC) of urbanized areas aiming at the Sustainable Development, the main goal of humanity in this century. Using Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) as a modeling technique for carrying capacity along with geographic information systems (GIS), a method to calculate the anthropic load in the environment was created. In other words, the idea was to calculate the stress intensity on the natural resources that a given region produces on its environment. An exploratory study was carried out to verify the feasibility of this proposal and later a specific model was developed. Using hydric variables, the model resulted in the determination of the HCC for the municipalities and for the Water Resources Management Units (UGRHI) of the State of São Paulo. The surface water availability of the objects of study, which is one of the hydric variables that compose the model, was calculated in an approximate way using the new proposal of regionalization of flows for the state of São Paulo. This resulted in the first database that aggregates information about the flows Q95, Q7,10 and Qm for all municipalities in the state. Three scenarios were simulated, discussing possible constructions of the HCC model. Two of them considered different ways of grouping the parameters and the third one obtained the hydric support classifications for the UGRHIs from the results of the municipalities. The first scenario pointed out 5 UGRHIs and 213 municipalities in potential hydric deficit, while the second pointed to 6 UGRHIs and 180 municipalities in this same situation. The third scenario pointed out 7 UGRHIs in potential deficits in supplying water demand. From these results, regions that are under potential water stress were pointed out, that is, regions that cannot provide the... (Complete abstract electronic acess below) / Mestre

Simple models that require little input data and are easy to use is the ideal case within hydrology. Basic water balance principles often represent such approaches as the method on rainfall-runoff relationship developed by Sutcliffe et al. in India in 1981. That was tested for the Kilombero Valley in Tanzania in order to estimate the recharge to the soil and sub-surface systems. Measured annual runoff in the streams was compared to the seasonal net rainfall to give the difference as potential recharge. This was done for five separate sub-catchment where the hillslope catchments gave a smaller proportion of the net rainfall to occur as surface runoff compared to the valley-catchments. Due to the difference in hydrologic setting from the original model site in India to the Kilombero Valley (e.g. a wetland and stream type), the soil moisture recharge could not be estimated. Also, corrections are needed to the data preparation process and the state of the original stream flow data is questionable. Thus, the results were interpreted as an indication on how the water resources could be moving in the system. An explaining theory that captured the difference between the landform types is mountain system recharge. That implied that all surplus rainfall generated in the mountains has a potential to eventually recharge the groundwater. The method tested, though its simple general concepts, could not alone give satisfying results for the Kilombero Valley system. However, this study convey the importance of continuous exploration of methods to describe the environment in a simplified way.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Soil moisture forms an integral part of the hydrological cycle and exerts considerable influence on hydrological processes at or near the earth’s surface. Knowledge of soil moisture is important for planning and decision-making in the agricultural sector, land and water conservation and flood warning. Point measurements of soil moisture, although highly accurate, are time consuming, costly and do not provide an accurate indication of the soil moisture variation over time and space as soil moisture has a high degree of spatial and temporal variability. The spatial variability of soil moisture is due to the heterogeneity of soil water holding properties, the influence of plants, and land uses. The downscaling of satellite microwave soil moisture estimates and soil water balance modelling was investigated at six transects in the semi-arid, Western Cape Province of South Africa, as alternatives to in situ soil measurements. It was found that microwave soil moisture estimates compared well to in situ measurements at the six transects (study sites), with coefficient of determination (r2) values greater than 0.7 and root mean square error (RMSE) values less than 1.5%. Downscaling using the universal triangle method, performed well at 4 of the 6 transects, with r2 values great than 0.65 and low to moderate RMSE values (0.5-12%). Soil water balance modelling similarly performed well in comparison with in situ measurements at 4 of the transects with regards to r2 values (>0.6) but had moderate to high RMSE (4.5-19%). Poor downscaling results were attributed to fine scale (within 1 km) surface heterogeneity while poor model performance was attributed to soil hydrological and rainfall heterogeneity within the study areas.

The potential of agroforestry to alleviate problems related to scarcities of arable land, water, food and fuel wood is subject to understanding system functioning and implementing and managing an efficiently designed system. The objectives of this study were to understand interactions and productivity of a hedgerow intercropping system with reference to water and radiation use, and analyse system design and management scenarios in order to enhance returns. Field trials monitoring soil water, solar radiation and plant productivity were conducted during 2006-2008 at Ukulinga Research Farm (KwaZulu Natal, South Africa) using a Jatropha-Kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) hedgerow intercropping system as case study. In order to extrapolate results, a process-based hedgerow intercropping model was developed by building intercropping and tree growth into the SWB-2D model. Data collected from the field trials were used to parameterise and evaluate the model, which was used to analyse hedgerow orientation and spacing to determine income scenarios of virtual system and to help develop design criteria. Allometric relationships of Jatropha using basal stem diameter and crown width as predictor variables were found to be very reliable. Stem diameter was linearly related with wood and branch proportions and inversely proportional to foliage. Neither below-ground (BG) interspecies competition nor tree spacing had any significant effects on allometry. Allometric equations were proven valid for accurate, non-destructive and rapid predictions of tree growth under various growing and non-destructive canopy management conditions. When interspecies competition was present, none of the tree spacing/arrangement options tested resulted in consistently highest tree relative growth rates (RGR). Treatments had no effect on tree RGR when high water availability and kikuyu dormancy coincided. The single-row treatment (SR) produced the shortest trees, but generally had the highest stem RGR during low rainfall periods. The standard-spacing treatment (SS) had the highest RGR during the spring and summer seasons. Jatropha-only treatment (JO) trees were the tallest and biggest. Treatments affected post-pruning tree height increase, even when rainfall was high. Length of tree-crop interface (TCI) generally decreased tree yield, especially as trees matured toward their maximum-yield age (4-5 years). SR trees showed slow response to pruning due to a high TCI. They, however, exhibited compensatory growth during May to August, when competition for water with grass was low. BG competition reduced tree nut yield more than tree biomass. Tree spacing/arrangements had no effect on tree harvest index. Soil water varied among treatments and was asymmetrically distributed across tree hedgerows. System ET was generally the highest in SR and lowest in the double-row treatment (DR). Differences were mainly due to transpiration. Treatments affected tree root distribution, which was inferred using correlations between tree RGR and soil water deficit (SWD). In JO and SR, fine tree roots were asymmetrically distributed. Their distribution in DR was essentially symmetrical. Strong vegetative RGR-SWD correlations during the 2007/08 season indicated that tree growth was mainly water-limited. Though DR and SR had comparable tree RGRs, DR produced less grass than SR. This implied DR had more intensive BG competition than SR. Interspecific competition was severe due to a lack of temporal complementarity between Jatropha and kikuyu and a shallow soil profile (0.6 m). Tree water uptake predominantly came from the 0.2 – 0.6 depth, which had about 8.6% of the total root biomass in the profile. There was no clear relationship between intercrop growth and root distribution. Radiation use efficiency of kikuyu decreased towards tree hedgerows possibly due to preceding interaction of the irradiance with tree canopy reducing photosynthetically active radiation. The effect of radiation distribution on tree-crop (T-C) interactions was mainly to magnify effects of water. Finally, tree spacing/arrangement could be manipulated to optimise radiation and soil water distribution and intercrop growth. Predictions of solar radiation distribution, profile water content and tree water use were quite accurate. In general, intercrop productivity simulations were acceptable. Intercrop growth was overestimated when rainfall was high and underestimated when rainfall was low. During model calibration, tree woody biomass, leaf area index, crown width and nut yield were predicted adequately, while leaf dry mass was overestimated. During model validation, woody biomass and crown width were simulated reasonably well. However, foliage biomass, leaf area index and nut yield were overestimated. Overall, adequacy of the model for simulating tree productivity was established. Using scenario modelling, model capabilities to facilitate design/planning and management of hedgerow intercropping systems and interpretation of model outputs were demonstrated. The model can be used to determine the T-C trade-off that yields maximum income. By selecting best-case row orientation and spacing scenarios using the model, and keeping in mind values of tree and intercrop yields, system returns can be maximised. Tree crown growth can also be predicted in order to decide on the extent and timing of pruning. The present model is applicable to any potential tree-intercrop combination. It should be linked to a nutrient simulator of SWB, its component, and appraised further by considering shade-intolerant and shade-loving crop species, along with evergreen and deciduous tree species. This provides model users with numerous T-C combinations to choose from. Various tree spacing/arrangement options can also be explored using the model in order to realise the full potential and implications of the experimental findings of this study and others. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / gm2014 / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted