Management of water resources has become more complex in recent years as a result of changing attitudes towards sustainability and the attribution of greater attention to environmental issues, especially under a scenario of water scarcity risk introduced by climate changes and anthropogenic pressures. This thesis addresses the conflicts in optimizing multi-purpose hydropower operations under an environment where objectives are often conflicting and uncertain. Mathematical programming formulations can be used to achieve flexible, feasible and optimal operation and planning solutions to satisfy expectations of multiple stake-holders, including regulatory environmental compliance and sustainability. Innovative optimization models using MINLP with binary variables, fuzzy set theory, partial constraint satisfaction and multi-objective formulations incorporating unit commitment problem and adaptive real-time operations are developed and applied to a real life case study. These methodologies provide advances and valuable insights on optimal operations of hydropower systems under uncertain decision making environments. / by Andre Rodrigues Ferreira. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

This thesis improves the understanding of adaptive water governance in the policy process, and draws lessons of policy relevance for flood management. Scholars using the concept of adaptive water governance posit that factors influencing the governing activities of social actors are of critical importance to improve society’s capacity to better respond to the on-going water crisis. They developed a set of principles for adaptive water governance, in particular the need for polycentric forms of governance, where power over decision-making is not held by a single social actor but distributed across society, and the use of participatory processes, promoting collective action and enhancing collective reflection. Empirical evidence on the validity of these principles remains sparse, in particular in public policy processes.The thesis uses established research on the policy process to better conceptualise the governance of complex water problems. It examines empirically the emergence of integrated, ecosystem-based flood management in Scotland, a typical Western democracy though characterised by an interesting history of institutional design and flood policy dynamics. First, factors influencing the formulation and integration of the approach in national environmental policies are identified, drawing on an inductive, thematic and historical analysis of documents and interviews with key policy actors. Second, factors influencing the implementation of the approach, in particular the role of policy instruments and public participation, are then identified in the Eddleston and Bowmont-Glen catchments. A combination of documentary analysis, interviews with local actors, and Q Methodology are used. The thesis supports the general principle that polycentric governance can improve the adaptability of governance systems. Horizontally, multiple actors with decision-making power may encourage greater reflexivity in the policy process. Having multiple policy regimes may also foster innovative interventions. Vertically, significant autonomy between governance levels may help better adapt policies to the appropriate scale of intervention. The devolution of legislative powers from the British to the Scottish level is presented as an example. At a more local level, providing greater autonomy to implementers can enhance their capacity to enforce policies. The thesis also provides evidence for critics of polycentric governance. In particular, polycentric governance may result in a lack of coherence between policy regimes, heterogeneous implementation, and potentially status-quo, rather than change. The thesis supports the idea that a strong participatory approach may help overcome the limitations of polycentric governance. Findings indicate that critical factors for success are the institutional context in which it occurs, its inclusive nature, adequate resourcing, time available, and the willingness of participants to reach compromise and learn. Individual entrepreneurship is clearly fundamental to increase the adaptability of governance systems.Overall, the thesis shows that attention to the public policy process is an important analytical approach to the study of adaptive governance. Past research on the policy process provides constructive theories to explore principles of adaptive governance in an empirical context. Main policy recommendations, for Scotland and beyond, include, amongst others, a call for strong governance arrangements to accompany the work of multi-actor groups for policy integration, the use of instrument mixes across policy regimes to influence land managers, and greater support for non-governmental catchment organisations to foster local collaboration and improve policy implementation.

This study investigates provisions made within institutional and regulatory frameworks of water resources management to enhance multi-stakeholder relationships and the challenges of maintaining those relationships, and implications of water resources management for rural communities in the Densu River basin, Ghana. The primary objectives of this study were four fold, these are to: i) review the existing regulatory framework and how it promotes or hinders multi-stakeholder relationships within the catchment area; ii) examine multi-stakeholder relationships to identify challenges in promoting effective collaboration in water resources management; iii) explore the impacts of catchment management on the livelihoods of rural communities; and iv) generate a model that best or appropriately conceptualizes relationship mechanisms within the framework of water governance. The study employed a mixed methods approach which included data collected through reviewing regulatory and policy documents, key informant interviews, observation, and a household survey of 327 respondents. The results indicate that provisions are made within the existing institutional and regulatory framework to foster multi-stakeholder inter-relationships in the water resources management in the Densu River basin. The management of the Densu River basin is guided by a number of regulatory mechanisms that are scattered within different institutions. The regulatory mechanisms are seen as the instruments for building and maintaining multi-stakeholder relationships, but some have become a source of conflict among stakeholders, posing threats to water resources management in the Densu basin. The findings show that several issues hinder effective multi-stakeholder inter-relationships in water resources management in the Densu River basin. These issues include colonial legacies embedded within institutions, institutional challenges, and political processes. Despite the adoption of integrated water resources management (IWRM) some institutions still hold on to the old water resources management arrangements instituted during the colonial era, creating challenges for effective institutional collaboration. Additionally, institutional challenges such as limited financial and human resources, corruption, high attrition rate, and lack of integration of projects and programs are also threatening multi-stakeholder inter-relationships. The political processes at the district assemblies that determine representatives on the Densu Basin Board were also identified as posing significant threat to building effective multi-stakeholder inter-relationship for water resources management in the Densu River basin. The findings further indicate that a number of uncoordinated catchment management strategies such as restrictions on farming areas, bans on illegal mining and logging, and others strategies have been instituted in the upper Densu basin to prevent degradation of the river. However, these strategies are having significant socioeconomic impacts on the local communities. A majority of residents are aware and comply with the enforcement of the strategies, but some are quite reluctant to adhere to them because of increasing economic hardships. This situation threatens the successful implementation of the strategies and the overall protection of the river. Other residents, however, have adopted alternative strategies (expanding petty trading, farming improvement, multiple jobs and others) to cope with the increasing economic hardships as a result of the enforcement of the catchment management strategies by the government.

<p>The aim of the study is to understand the level of co-operation between emerging and commercial farmers in a Water User Associations. The effort is expected to inform policy and improve practice in the building of new water institutions as government strives to implement IWRM.</p>

University of Macau / Faculty of Law

Craft villages played a significant role in the development of Vietnam’s rural economy for a long time. The range of products and production methods, including the processing of materials and chemicals, are now adapted to modern market requirements but environmental and labour protection issues are not adequately considered in the management of the craft villages. The reasons are various: poor education of responsible operators, deficient technical equipment or missing regulatory framework and implementation of existing regulations. The INHAND project (Integrated Water Management Concept for Craft Villages) started in 2011 and is studying the food processing village of Dai Lam located on the banks of the Cau River in the Bac Ninh province (about 40 km NE of the capital Hanoi). The household-scale business focus mainly on rice and cassava processing with 200 out of 1000 households producing alcohol from cassava and rice, 10 households producing tofu, and 30 households recycling aluminium. In addition, most households also raise pigs. The wastewater is released mostly untreated into the receiving stream. Within the framework of the INHAND project, four German und two Vietnamese partners will conduct a basic analysis inventory in the village with identification of suitable measure for an integrated, environmentally sound concept for the removal and reuse of all output streams. The second major task of the 3.5 years research project is the conceptualisation, development and implementation of pilot-scale treatment facilities in the village and the scientific monitoring of their planning and operation. / Đã từ lâu, làng nghề đóng vai trò quan trọng trong quá trình phát triển kinh tế nông nghiệp tại Việt Nam. Các sản phẩm và phương thức sản xuất, bao gồm cả giai đoạn xử lý vật liệu và hóa chất, đã từng bước được cải tiến cho phù hợp với yêu cầu của thị trường hiện đại. Tuy nhiên, những yếu tố về môi trường và an toàn lao động vẫn chưa được quan tâm đúng mức tại các làng nghề do nhiều nguyên nhân như: trình độ của nhà sản xuất, vận hành còn hạn hẹp, thiếu trang thiết bị kỹ thuật, các quy chuẩn còn thiếu hoặc chưa được thi hành triệt để. Dự án INHAND (đề án xử lý nước tổng thể cho làng nghề) được khởi động từ năm 2011 và hiện đang tiến hành nghiên cứu làng nghề chế biến thực phẩm Đại Lâm ,nằm bên bờ song Cầu, thuộc tỉnh Bắc Ninh, cách Hà Nội 40 km. Mô hình kinh tế hộ gia đình tại làng chủ yếu tập trung vào chế biến gạo và sắn: 200 trong số 1000 hộ gia đình nấu rượu gạo và sắn, 10 hộ sản xuất đậu phụ, 30 hộ tái chế nhôm. Ngoài ra, gần như tất cả các hộ đều có nuôi lợn. Nước thải của làng được dẫn trực tiếp ra các khối nước mở, gần như không qua xử lý. Trong khuôn khổ dự án INHAND, bốn đối tác Đức và hai đối tác Việt Nam sẽ tiến hành phân tích hiện trạng môi trường của làng để tìm ra những biện pháp thích hợp nhằm xử lý và tái sử dụng các dòng thải. Nhiệm vụ thứ hai trong thời gian 3,5 năm của dự án là lập ra đề án, phát triển và triển khai các trạm xử lý ở quy mô thử nghiệm, đồng thời quan trắc khoa học các quá trình thiết kế và vận hành.

Der Wasserdampfgehalt der Atmosphäre gehört zu den Hauptkontrolleuren des Treibhauseffektes und spielt eine Schlüsselrolle im globalen Energiekreislauf, wobei den Polargebieten als globale Wärmesenken eine besondere Bedeutung zukommt. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurde aus Messungen des Global Positioning System (GPS) der integrierte Wasserdampfgehalt innerhalb der letzten Dekade bestimmt und analysiert. Die Untersuchungen stützen sich auf die Reprozessierung eines aus 195 Stationen bestehenden globalen GPS-Netzes. Die aus den geschätzten GPS-Troposphärenparameter bestimmten Wasserdampf- zeitreihen wurden hinsichtlich Genauigkeit und Homogenität untersucht. Nach Korrektion der Inhomogenit äten ist es möglich, mit GPS mehrjährige Schwankungen im potenziellen Niederschlagswasser mit einer Genauigkeit besser als 0,3 mm Höhe der Wassersäule zu erfassen. Als Ergebnis der Untersuchungen zeigen sich in Europa und großen Teilen Nordamerikas Anomalien des Wasserdampfgehaltes im Bereich eines Millimeters, welche sich vor allem auf thermodynamische Effekte zurückführen lassen. In den Tropen und im Südosten der USA können die Wasserdampfanomalien 3 bis 5 mm betragen. Sie sind durch dynamische Prozesse bedingt, die mit der Südlichen Oszillation im Zusammenhang stehen. Eine Anwendung der aus GPS-Beobachtungen bestimmten Wasserdampfzeitreihen ist die Validierung des Wasserdampfes im globalen Wettervorhersagemodell des National Center for Environmental Predicton (NCEP). Über Europa und großen Teilen Nordamerikas reproduziert NCEP die Schwankungen des Wasserdampfgehaltes sehr gut und stellt damit eine gute Datengrundlage für ?ächendeckende Untersuchungen langfristiger Veränderungen im Wasserdampfgehalt dar. In der Antarktis und den Tropen wird jedoch das saisonale und mehrjährige Signal des Wasserdampfes von NCEP um 25% bis 40% unterschätzt. Als zweite Anwendung der GPS-Wasserdampfzeitreihen erfolgt die Validierung satellitenbasierter Radiometermessungen über der Antarktis. Sie zeigt eine gute Übereinstimmung der Wasserdampfwerte aus GPSund Radiometermessungen. Die im Rahmen dieser Arbeit aus GPS-Beobachtungen bestimmten Wasserdampfzeitreihen bilden eine sehr gute Datengrundlage für weitergehende Untersuchungen der Wetter- und Klimaforschung. / The atmospheric water vapour is one of the main variables controlling the greenhouse effect and it plays a crucial role in the global energy cycle. In this context the polar regions which act as global heat sinks are especially important. This study uses observations from the Global Positioning System (GPS) to investigate changes of the integrated atmospheric water vapour. It is based on a reprocessing of a global GPS network consisting of 195 stations. A strong emphasis was placed on the investigation of the accuracy and the homogeneity of the GPS derived water vapour time series. After correcting the inhomogeneities interannual ?uctuations in the precipitable water can be determined from GPS data with an accuracy of 0.3 mm in water column height. As a result, the interannual variations in the water vapour content are in the order of one millimetre over Europe and over large areas of North America. They are mainly related to thermodynamic effects. In the tropics and in the south east of the USA water vapour anomalies can reach 3 to 5 mm caused by dynamic processes connected to the Southern Oscillation. As one application of the estimated GPS water vapour time series a validation of water vapour from the global numerical weather prediction model of the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) was carried out. Over Europe and large parts of North America the seasonal signal and the interannual variations of the water vapour are very well reproduced by NCEP. Hence, in these regions NCEP presents a good database for area-wide investigations of long-term changes in the water vapour content. However, in Antarctica and in the Tropics the seasonal and also the interannual signals of the NCEP water vapour are strongly underestimated by 25% to 40%. A second application of the estimated GPS water vapour time series is the validation of satellite-based radiometer measurements over Antarctica. A good agreement was found between the water vapour derived from GPS and radiometer data. The water vapour time series estimated in this study provide a good basis for further weather and climate related investigations.

<p>The aim of the study is to understand the level of co-operation between emerging and commercial farmers in a Water User Associations. The effort is expected to inform policy and improve practice in the building of new water institutions as government strives to implement IWRM.</p>

Mémoire (M.Sc.A.)--Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1986. / Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU

Thesis (M.Sc. (Geography)) - Rhodes University, 2008