Thesis (doctoral)--Göteborg University, 2006. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted. Includes bibliographical references (p. 213-227).

Thesis (doctoral)--Göteborg University, 2006. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted. Includes bibliographical references (p. 213-227).

There is a growing need to manage water resources in a sustainable way, particularly in semi arid areas, with dramatic social and economic development as well as rapid population growth. Optimising water allocation in a river basin is an important aspect ensuring equitable and efficient water use. This research develops an optimisation approach (the Integrated Water Resource Optimisation model, IWRO) to optimise the conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater resources in a sustainable manner. The IWRO model is comprised of a surface water optimisation model (SWO) and the Tsinghua groundwater optimisation (TGO) model. These models employ Genetic Algorithms (GAs) to optimise water allocation. Application of a surface water optimisation (SWO) model incorporating a GA is demonstrated initially for a simple test case, through which the GA approach was validated against known solutions. Sensitivity analysis of different operators and parameters related to GAs was also carried out. The validated SWO model was then applied to a more complex system, the Shiyang River Basin in Gansu Province in China, to maximise equitable surface water supplies. On the groundwater side, the GA approach was applied with the existing Tsinghua groundwater model to optimise groundwater supplies with sustainability considerations. The results were compared with those from an existing model (the WEAP model), indicating that the IWRO model is capable of satisfying the objectives of equitable water allocation and groundwater sustainability set for it. In the context of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), account must be taken of a wide range of social and environmental issues. Different scenarios were therefore designed for the Shiyang River Basin management. Various criteria in terms of economic, social, environment and water security were also indentified for further multi-criterion decision making analysis.

Qinhuai river in Nanjing, China, has suffered pollution since the late 1970s. To solve the problem, Nanjing Municipality conducted two river control projects. The first one in 2002 ended up a failure, and the second one in 2012 also faced various hinders. The aim of the thesis is to examine the sustainability of the river control launched in 2012, and to contribute with some suggestions for improvement. In this thesis, the author used methods of interview and literature review to gain the empirical data of the river control, used method of stakeholder analysis to analyze the data with the lens of sustainable development, Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and externalities. After the analysis, the river control is considered unsustainable. The conclusion is that the pollution mainly originates from wasted domestic water. And the river control launched in 2012 is not sustainable as it lacks long-term perspective, social participation, gender awareness and solutions to mitigate the externalities. The emphasis is that, as the enabler, regulator and provision offer, Nanjing Municipality needs to raise social participation and internalize the environmental externalities to reach sustainable management of the Qinhuai river.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2003. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-139). Also available via the Internet.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The National Water Act of 1998 provides the policy framework for stakeholder participation and the engagement of stakeholders closest to the resource on which they depend to be involved in developing and managing their water resources. Rainwater harvesting presents a viable option for securing water availability in order to increase food production and cash returns from food in the Ehlanzeni District Municipality which is one of the poorest districts in the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. The study focuses on rural youth (between the ages 18-35 years) in two villages of the Ehlanzeni District, Luphisi and Dwaleni, and seeks to assess the relationship between youth capabilities and food security. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods but with more emphasis on the quantitative data, with qualitative data providing anecdotal evidence to back up the findings. The qualitative data was collected from focus group discussions and the quantitative data was based on a baseline survey within the context of an Integrated Rain Water Harvesting Project implemented by a local NGO. The data drew on indicators in the questionnaire that were to do with social capital and empowerment. The indicators tapped into attributes/capabilities like trust, social cohesion and inclusion and sociability and examined these within the context of Amartya Sen's Capability Approach, to consider whether and in what ways these attributes relate to food security. The results show that there are youth have high levels of certain attributes/capabilities such as trust, social cohesion and inclusion, collective action and co-operation, self-esteem, and meaning. The findings also show that in other dimensions there are less opportunities and that, in particular, access to networks, access to knowledge and information and sociability are lacking among youth. Low levels of adherence to networks, lack of access to knowledge and information and poor sociability show that there are inadequate opportunities for youth to engage with issues around food and water security. The Chi-square test was used to investigate the relationship between youth capabilities and food security and at p<0.05 results showed that there was no relationship between youth capabilities and food security in Dwaleni. There were only three capabilities which showed any significant statistical relationship between youth capabilities and food security in Luphisi namely; collective action and co-operation, social cohesion and self-esteem. The study recommends that networking opportunities and access to information relating to food and water security should be improved. The thesis claims that there are adequate opportunities to build on existing capabilities such as self-esteem, trust and social cohesion that are not being maximized and that youth are not being adequately engaged in water resources management. / Water Research Commission

Despite the emphasis of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) on 'soft' demand-side management, large-scale water infrastructure is increasingly being constructed in basins managed under an IWRM framework. While there has been substantial research on IWRM, few scholars have unpacked how IWRM and large-scale water infrastructure development coexist and conflict. Piura, Peru is an important site for understanding how IWRM and capital-intensive, concrete-heavy water infrastructure development articulate in practice. After 70 years of proposals and planning, the Regional Government of Piura began construction of the mega-irrigation project, Proyecto Especial de Irrigacion e Hidroelectrico del Alto Piura (PEIHAP) in 2013. PEIHAP, which will irrigate an additional 19,000 hectares (ha), is being realised in the wake of major reforms in the Chira-Piura River Basin, a pilot basin for the IWRM-inspired 2009 Water Resources Law. We first map the historical trajectory of PEIHAP as it mirrors the shifting political priorities of the Peruvian state. We then draw on interviews with the newly formed River Basin Council, regional government, PEIHAP, and civil society actors to understand why and how these differing water management paradigms coexist. We find that while the 2009 Water Resources Law labels large-scale irrigation infrastructure as an 'exceptional measure', this development continues to eclipse IWRM provisions of the new law. This uneasy coexistence reflects the parallel desires of the state to imbue water policy reform with international credibility via IWRM while also furthering economic development goals via large-scale water infrastructure. While the participatory mechanisms and expertise of IWRM-inspired river basin councils have not been brought to bear on the approval and construction of PEIHAP, these institutions will play a crucial role in managing the myriad resource and social conflicts that are likely to result.

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil / For generations, participation has been a mainstay of academic writing and teaching. By the 1970's, the policy statements of the major international donors and implementing agencies all emphasize the importance of participation (Dudley, 1993). It is time to stop simply reiterating the cry for community participation and prolonged argument about definitions of participation - related concepts. That was yesterday's battle. Certainly, despite all the rhetoric, participation often does not happen.

Tesis para optar al grado de Máster en Estudios Internacionales. / En consideración de la “Carta de intenciones” (Letter of Intentions), firmada el 14 de julio de 2016 para la cooperación en temas relacionados con el gestión integrada de los recursos hídricos –en adelante GIRH– entre Chile y Holanda, se ha propuesto la creación de un proyecto piloto en la cuenca del río Elqui a partir de los hallazgos del estudio técnico "GIRAgua", actualmente en ejecución, incorporando las áreas de Sistemas de Información, Transferencia de Tecnología y la gestión integrada del agua para resolver las prolongadas sequías y la presión intensivas sobre los recursos hídricos con el objetivo de explorar necesidades concretas y nuevas oportunidades de colaboración con Chile. / Considering the "Letter of Intentions" signed on July 14, 2016 in order to cooperation on issues related to integrated water resources management –hereinafter IWRM– between Chile and the Netherlands in order to explore concrete needs and opportunities for collaboration in Chile, the creation of a pilot project in the Elqui river basin has been proposed based on the findings of the "GIRAgua" technical study, currently underway, incorporating the areas of Information Systems, Transfer of Technology and efficient use of water to solve prolonged droughts and intensive pressure on water resources in order to explore concrete needs and new opportunities for collaboration with Chile.

Esta Tese analisa os condicionantes, os limites e as possibilidades postos à efetivação de uma gestão efetivamente integrada em bacias hidrográficas de dupla dominialidade, contextualizando tais questões ao modelo de gestão em implantação no Brasil a partir do início da década de 90. O trabalho está focado na gestão das águas da bacia do Rio Paraíba do Sul, analisando o processo histórico de construção do sistema e seus impactos nas estratégias de convivência entre os dois diferentes organismos atuantes no trecho paulista da bacia: o Comitê da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Paraíba do Sul (CBH-PS), responsável especificamente pela gestão no trecho paulista da bacia; e o Comitê para a Integração da Bacia do Rio Paraíba do Sul (CEIVAP), com jurisdição sobre a totalidade da bacia. O marco conceitual deste estudo apóia-se, principalmente, nas contribuições de autores situados no campo reconhecido como neoinstitucionalista. Promoveu-se um minucioso resgate do processo de implantação das diferentes “instituições políticas" relacionadas à gestão das águas da bacia, contextualizando assim o “processo político" de convivência entre os dois modelos de gestão retratados, abrindo-se dessa maneira perspectivas mais amplas para a análise dos conteúdos e dos impactos decorrentes dessas políticas. Para o adequado desenvolvimento deste estudo foi realizado o acompanhamento – tanto documental, quanto presencial - das atividades de ambos os Comitês. A pesquisa está também apoiada em entrevistas com um amplo conjunto de informantes centrais. O relato do histórico da gestão no trecho analisado foi organizado em cinco períodos, retratando movimentos de conflito e cooperação entre os atores. Apesar dos diversos desafios ainda a serem enfrentados rumo à integração, os dados coletados apontam para um gradual avanço na maturidade do sistema de gestão de recursos hídricos, com perspectivas positivas rumo à implantação de ações coordenadas e cooperativas na bacia. Esse movimento também explicita a dimensão temporal como um importante fator a ser considerado no processo de mudança institucional. / This study examines the possibilities and the restraints of the estabilishent an effective Integrated Water Resource Management System in the Paraiba do Sul River Basin in the context of the new Brasilian water management policy started in the 1990s. The research focused on the institutional an jurisdictional complexity of this management, particularly in the São Paulo State section. This study analyzes those institutional frameworks, their articulations and overlaps, and the outcomes on sustainable water use. The research was based on documental analysis and interviews. The management history report of the analyzed section was organized into 5 moments, depicting points of contention and cooperation among the ones involved. The gathered data point to a gradual improvement in the evolution of Integrated Water Resource Management System with positive perspectives towards the implementation of coordenated and cooperative actions in the Basin.