No Estado do Paraná, o setor industrial de papel e celulose possui aproximadamente 200 mil hectares de área reflorestada com Pinus . A crescente demanda vem impulsionando a implantação de novas áreas, sendo imprescindível a otimização do uso da área que se apresenta como o fato central da sustentabilidade. Neste contexto, não somente o que diz respeito à produtividade propriamente dita, mas aspectos relativos à qualidade ambiental, como os recursos hídricos e a conservação do solo são importantes para a conservação do ecossistema. Esse trabalho teve como objetivo principal caracterizar a dinâmica hidrológica e a biogeoquímica de duas microbacias, cobertas respectivamente, por Mata Atlântica e Pinus taedaL. As microbacias localizadas na região centro-leste do Estado do Paraná, no Município de Telêmaco Borba, foram selecionadas com a finalidade de realizar medições de precipitação e vazão, durante o período de agosto de 2005 a julho de 2006, e principalmente quantificar o balanço dos nutrientes. De acordo com os resultados, concluiu-se que as duas microbacias apresentaram características semelhantes para a dinâmica hidrológica, para as propriedades do solo e, principalmente para o balanço geoquímico dos nutrientes. Portanto, essas constatações apóiam a hipótese para futuras comparações entre as duas microbacias e permitem inferir que prováveis mudanças que possam ocorrer poderão ser atribuídas às práticas do manejo florestal. / In the State of Paraná, Brasil, the pulp and paper industry holds about 200 thousand hectares of Pine plantatios. An increasing demand has been stimulating the implantation of new areas and this fact requires the optimization of land use practices, that which is itself a central fact for sustainability. In this context, not only from the perspective of the productivity, itself, but also in regards to environmental aspects, such as water resources and the conservation of the soil, which are important for the conservation of the ecosystem. The main objective, of this work was to characterize the hydrological and biogeochemical dynamics of two small catchments, covered wither Rainforest and Pinus taeda L. plantation. The catchments, located in the center east region of the Paraná State, in the municipality of Telêmaco Borba, were selected with the purpose of water balance calculation through continuous measurement of precipitation and streamflow, during the period of August of 2005 until July of 2006, and, mainly, the estimation of the catchment nutrients budget. The results showed that the two catchments presented similar characteristics in hydrological dynamics, as well an in soil properties and, mainly, in the geochemical nutrients budgets. Therefore, these evidences support the hypothesis for future comparisons between the two catchments and allow inferring that probable changes that can occur might be attributed to the practical forest management in one of them.

A bacia hidrográfica do rio Tramandaí constitui-se importante porção do território gaúcho, muito frequentado por sua localização no litoral norte do Rio Grande do Sul, o que tem implicado em apropriações de espaço e demanda por água e esgoto. Uma de suas lagoas, a dos Quadros, é um dos principais corpos hídricos da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Tramandaí, tanto pela sua importância em conservação da biodiversidade, quanto para os usos múltiplos de sua água, como abastecimento público, irrigação, pesca e lazer. Esta pesquisa se propõe a analisar a paisagem em transformação no âmbito da bacia hidrográfica, destacando a área de preservação permanente no entorno da lagoa dos Quadros. São considerados os atributos paisagísticos de estrutura, forma, função e dinâmica para a análise sócio-espacial e temporal. A partir de imagens de satélite de 2005 e 2015, anos de ocorrência de estiagem e de alta pluviometria respectivamente, fotografias aéreas e visitas técnicas ao local, são comparados os usos da terra na bacia hidrográfica e nas área de preservação permanente do entorno da lagoa A contribuição para a gestão ambiental é provocada pela revisão dos diversos instrumentos incidentes na área da bacia e pela observação da variação climática, levando à reflexão sobre os limites impostos pela legislação ambiental para definir as áreas de preservação permanente para lagoas costeiras do Rio Grande do Sul e, consequentemente, às funções ecológicas, sociais e econômicas que se propõe a conservar. Os resultados evidenciam, primeiro, que a bacia hidrográfica tem sofrido alterações significativas quanto ao uso do solo, com expansão urbana, agricultura e silvicultura ocupando espaços de áreas naturais. E, segundo, a delimitação legal da área de preservação permanente no entorno da lagoa – ao não considerar a estrutura ecossistêmica, com suas formas de vida típicas do ambiente às margens da lagoa, tampouco a variação que o clima pode trazer em períodos secos ou chuvosos – não cumpre com a função ecológica que se propõe a realizar. O estudo da paisagem possibilitou entender como os processos socioeconômicos e legais vêm alterando as características naturais da bacia hidrográfica do rio Tramandaí e inferir as tendências de uso futuro da terra e da água. / The Tramandaí River Basin constitutes an important portion of the territory of Rio Grande do Sul, highly popular for its location in the northern coast of the state – which implies appropriation of space, and water and sewage demand. One of its lagoons, Lagoa dos Quadros, is one of the main bodies of water of the Tramandaí River Basin, as much by its importance in biodiversity conservation, as by the multiple uses of its water, such as public water supply, irrigation, fishing and leisure. This research intends to analyze the changing landscape around the river basin, highlighting the protected areas around Lagoa dos Quadros. Landscape attributes – structure, form, function and dynamics – are considered for the socio-spatial and temporal analysis. By means of satellite images from 2005 and 2015, years of drought and high precipitation, respectively, aerial photographs and technical visits, it is possible to compare the land uses in the river basin and in the fully protected areas around the lagoon. The contribution to environmental management is due to the review of the several incident instruments in the area of study and to the observation of the climatic variation. This leads to the discussion of the limits established by environmental law to define the protected areas of coastal lagoons of Rio Grande do Sul, which, consequently, leads to the discussion of the ecological, social and economic purposes that it intends to conserve. The results show, first, that the river basin has been subject to significant alterations with regard to the land use, with urban sprawl, agriculture and silviculture occupying natural areas. And, second, that the delimitation of the areas around the lagoon to be fully protected – by neither considering the ecosystemic structure, with its typical life forms at the margins of the lagoon, nor the variation that the climate can bring in periods of drought or high precipitation – does not fulfill its ecological function. The study of the landscape made it possible to understand how the socioeconomic and legal processes have been altering the natural characteristics of the Tramandaí River Basin and to deduce the trends of future land and water use.

Orientador: Miguel Petrere Júnior / Resumo: Com o objetivo de descrever os principais padrões de organização das comunidades de peixes realizamos amostragens trimestrais em diferentes ambientes da bacia do rio Iguatemi. Os dados de abundância e ocorrência das espécies foram submetidos a métodos uni e multivariados procurando verificar a existência de um padrão longitudinal e sazonal para essas comunidades. Encontramos 72 espécies de peixes em toda a bacia, constatamos que existe variação longitudinal estatisticamente significativa na composição de espécies para os rios Jogui e Iguatemi, mas não existe variação sazonal. A diversidade de espécies não variou longitudinalmente no rio Iguatemi, mas sim no rio Jogui. As espécies apresentam um padrão determinístico de associação, com clara diferenciação ente espécies de riachos de cabeceira e de rios de maior volume. Existem diferenças significativas na composição de espécies entre os ambientes estudados. Contudo estas diferenças não foram relacionadas às características selecionadas dos ambientes estudados. / Abstract: This paper aims to describe the main patterns of fish communities organization. Tree-monthly samples were realized in different environments of Iguatemi River basin. The abundance and occurrence of species were submitted to uni and multivariate statistical methods in order to verify the existence of a longitudinal and seasonal pattern in fish communities. Seventy two fish species were collected in all basin. We observed longitudinal differences in species composition for Jogui and Iguatemi Rivers. However we did not detect any seasonal variation. The species diversity did not show statistically significant longitudinal variation in Iguatemi River, contrary to Jogui River. Fish species presented a deterministic association pattern in both rivers, with a clear differentiation between headwaters and downstream. Albeit we detected a significant difference in species composition in the whole basin it is not correlated to selected environmental characteristics. / Doutor

As estradas de terra têm um importante papel pelo escoamento de produtos, serviços e pessoas. No entanto, sofrem com a erosão acelerada, sendo importantes contribuintes de sedimentos para rios, nascentes e reservatórios. A cultura da cana-de-açúcar, que se encontra em uma nova fase de grande expansão, contém os carreadores em seus canaviais - estradas que circundam e entremeiam os talhões - fazendo parte da malha viária que serve a agroindústria da cana e sendo responsáveis pelo escoamento de toda a produção do campo às usinas. No presente estudo foi analisada a produção quantitativa e qualitativa de sedimentos em carreadores de cana-de-açúcar em função da ocorrência de chuvas naturais. O local do estudo observacional foi uma fazenda de cana situada na bacia hidrográfica do Ribeirão do Feijão (SP). Foram instaladas 4 parcelas observacionais em carreadores internos diferentes, tendo sido colhidas amostras de 30 eventos chuvosos de cada parcela. Além das perdas de sedimentos foram também determinados a granulometria, teores de nitrogênio total, fósforo total e matéria orgânica. Pôde ser observada uma produção acumulada de 116 kg, 241 kg, 149 kg e 491 kg nas parcelas 1, 2, 3 e 4, respectivamente. A parcela 4 apresentou as maiores produções quantitativas e também qualitativas. As produções acumuladas de nitrogênio total para o período estudado foram de aproximadamente 1,5 kg, 2 kg, 7 kg e 25 kg, respectivamente para as parcelas 1, 2, 3 e 4. Embora menos expressiva, houve uma produção de fósforo total nas 4 parcelas: 6 g (P1), 6 g (P2), 12 g (P3) e 92 g (P4). Tal diferença de produção de sedimento nas parcelas pode ser atribuída à declividade (P1 - 5%; P2 - 5%; P3 - 6%; P4 - 7%). / Dirt roads have an important role for the transportation of products, services and people. However they suffer from accelerated erosion, being important contributors of sediment to rivers, streams and reservoirs. The cultivation of sugar cane, which is in a new phase of major expansion, contains earth roads on their sugar plantations - roads surrounding and crossing the planting fields - which are part of the roads that serve the sugarcane agroindustry, being responsible for the transportation of all cane production from the field to the industrial plants. In this study quantitative and qualitative production of sediments in the cane earth roads was analyzed on the basis of the occurrence of natural rainfall. The location of the observational study was a sugarcane farm situated in the basin of the Ribeirão do Feijão (SP). Four observational plots were installed in different internal earth roads having been retracted samples from 30 rainy events at each plot. In addition to the waste of sediment, particle size, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and organic matter were also determined. A cumulative production of 116 kg 241 kg, 149 kg, 491 kg in was found in the plots 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Plot 4 presented the largest productions both quantitative and qualitative. Accumulated total nitrogen production for the period studied were 1,5 kg, 2 kg, 7 kg and 25 kg, respectively for plots 1, 2, 3 and 4. Although less expressive, there was a production of total phosphorus at the 4 installments: 6 g (P1), 6 g (P2), 12 g (P3) and 92 g (P4). This difference in production of sediment on the plots can be attributed to the slope (P1 - 5%; P2 - 5%; P3 - 6%; P4 - 7%).

Ao longo do século XXI, a cultura de solidariedade dentro de uma bacia hidrográfica é baseada em aspectos legais. No caso brasileiro, isto é legitimado pela Constituição Federal de 1988, artigo 225, caput, \"Todos têm direito ao meio ambiente ecologicamente equilibrado, bem de uso comum do povo e essencial à sadia qualidade de vida, impondo-se ao Poder Público e à coletividade o dever de defendê-lo e preservá-lo para as presentes e futuras gerações\", e no artigo 3º que trata dos objetivos fundamentais da República Federativa do Brasil, entre eles, o inciso I que diz \"construir uma sociedade livre, justa e solidária\". Ainda neste contexto, o Código Civil Brasileiro, no artigo 265 menciona \"...a solidariedade não se presume; isto é, resulta da lei ou a vontade das partes...\". Também, visando uma gestão compartilhada, a Lei Federal 9.433/1997 cita no artigo 1º \"... a bacia hidrográfica é uma unidade territorial para políticas recursos hídricos... (V)\", e \"... a gestão dos recursos hídricos deve ser descentralizada e contar com a participação do Poder Público, dos usuários e das comunidades \"(VI). Desta forma, emerge o princípio de hidrossolidariedade destes contextos pré-mencionados nos cenários de discussão nacional e internacional. Esta pesquisa avaliou as limitações e os alcances do conceito de hidrossolidariedade, por meio da participação da comunidade nos problemas de drenagem urbana, com foco na gestão de risco de inundações. Embora a hidrossolidariedade seja um conceito pouco conhecido no Brasil, esta pesquisa estudou a viabilidade deste conceito com os atores sociais interessados em diferentes escalas espaciais da drenagem urbana: tanto na escala de lote domiciliar como na escala da bacia hidrográfica. A metodologia avaliou incentivos para os usuários da comunidade que aceitaram as ferramentas de hidrossolidariedade frente a problemas ambientais na gestão de inundações urbanas. Essas atitudes buscaram estimular a solidariedade e a responsabilidade cidadã na dimensão espaço-temporal. Em uma bacia estudada, os usuários participaram da criação de uma associação legalmente constituída por meio da metodologia explicada nesta pesquisa: \"Associação Amigos da Bacia do Tijuco Preto.\" Utilizou-se como ferramenta confirmatória entrevistas pessoais com usuários de duas bacias hidrográficas, Tijuco Preto e Gregório; analisaram-se dúvidas e realimentações de informações para propor e planejar a tomada de decisões no gerenciamento de recursos hídricos. Esta gestão foi caracterizada como participativa, compartilhada, integrada e continuada. Resultados da pesquisa apontaram que as partes possuem interesse e disponibilidade para desenvolver e compartilhar seu conhecimento sobre gestão de risco de inundação, bem como o espírito participativo e de solidariedade, para aplicação em sua comunidade com a finalidade de melhoria ambiental e bem estar do ser humano. / Throughout the XXI century, a culture of solidarity within a river basin is based on legal aspects. In Brazil, it is legitimated by the Federal Constitution of 1988, article 225, caput, \"Everybody is entitled to a ecologically-balanced environment, as well of common using by the people and essential to a healthy life quality, being imposed to the Public Power and the collective society the duty to defend it and to preserve it for the presents and future generations\". In the article 3 states about the fundamental objectives of the Federal Republic of Brazil, where in the item I says \"to build a free, just and solidarity society.\" Still in this context, the Brazilian Civil Code, in the article 265 mentions \"... the solidarity it is not presumed by itself; it is the result by law or by the willingness of the parties....\" Also, seeking a shared management, the Federal Law 9.433/1997 mention in the article 1 \"... the river basin is a territorial unit for water policies... (V)\", and \"... water resources should be decentralized and to count with the participation of the Public Power, of the users and of the communities\" (VI). Thus, the \"hydrosolidarity\" emerged from those fore-mentioned contexts at national and international arena. This research assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the concept of hydrosolidarity, thereby analyzing an application to urban drainage with community participation. Although hydrosolidarity is a concept not well known in Brazil, this research studied the feasibility of this concept with stakeholder and at different scales, either at the domiciliary lot or at the whole river basin scale. The methodology evaluated incentives for the community\'s users that accepted the tools of hydrosolidarity front to environmental problems in the management of urban floods. Those attitudes promoted stimuli toward citizenship solidarity and responsibility at spatiotemporal dimensions. Urban river basin users participated through the statements of the bylaws of a river basin association officially constituted through this research: the \"Association Friends of Tijuco Preto River Basin\". Through personal interviews to uses from two urban river basins, Tijuco Preto and Gregório, some doubts and feedbacks were surveyed in order to propose planning and decisionmaking on water management featured as participative, integrated and continuous. Results of the research depicted that social stakeholders had interests and willingness to develop and share their knowledge on flood risk management as well their participative solidarity to be applied into the community looking forward to achieving a higher environment and human well-being.

This thesis investigates the mechanisms that might be used to determine the rights and obligations of Turkey, Syria and Iraq to govern the Tigris and Euphrates River Basin (TERB) in accordance with the international water law. In particular, it advocates for the protection of Iraq?s equitable rights through the establishment of a legal and institutional framework for joint use of the TERB. As a contribution towards addressing the issues of transboundary water law at the TERB level, this thesis explores the possibilities for potential cooperation between the three riparian States of the TERB through forming a legally binding treaty under the auspices of contemporary international water law. From this perspective, the thesis hypothesises that international law provides a solid basis on which the State of Iraq can rely on for achieving its legal entitlements to the equitable and reasonable use of the TERB. In this context, the thesis first examines international law in order to establish how it applies to the TERB. Next, the thesis considers how the legal positions of the riparian States can be determined under international law. When the aforesaid requirements are met, the thesis makes recommendations on how international water law can strengthen the legal framework for equitable joint use of the TERB. The thesis offers the methodology and analytical framework that deals with different relevant issues covered within the scope of the thesis. Later on, water uses within the TERB are discussed, followed by a literature review of publications on contemporary Middle East transboundary water conflict and cooperation. Afterwords, the thesis examines the applicable international law and international water law to the riparian States of the TERB. Finally, it explores the legal regime of the inter-State relationships in order to foster improved transboundary water management of the TERB.

O principal papel dos rios no ciclo global biogeoquímico do carbono tem sido considerado como o de exportador fluvial de carbono orgânico total (COT) e carbono inorgânico dissolvido (CID) para os oceanos. Entretanto, estudos recentes mostraram a importância dos fluxos evasivos de CO2 a partir de rios da Amazônia, sugerindo que uma parte significativa do carbono fixado pela floresta retornaria para a atmosfera por esta via. A troca gasosa entre a atmosfera e as águas supersaturadas dos rios é função do gradiente de concentração do gás através da interface ar-água. A pCO2 da água é fortemente determinada pela concentração de carbono inorgânico dissolvido e pH, que, por sua vez, são função de processos físicos, químicos e biológicos. O foco principal deste estudo foi estabelecer a importância dos fluxos evasivos de CO2 nos balanços de C, uma vez que os sistemas aquáticos são uma fonte significativa de C para a atmosfera nos ambientes tropicais úmidos. Ao mesmo tempo, avaliou-se a influência das concentrações de CID e pH na evasão de CO2. A área de estudo foi a bacia do rio Ji-Paraná, Rondônia. Vários rios desta bacia foram amostrados entre maio/99 e maio/03. Concentrações de CID, temperatura e pH foram utilizadas para calcular a pCO2 da água, baseado nas equações de equilíbrio termodinâmico. Para estimar o fluxo evasivo de CO2 utilizou-se o modelo teórico de fluxo difusivo. Os resultados mostraram que rios que drenam áreas de solos mais férteis apresentam as maiores concentrações de CID e um maior potencial de evasão. Apesar da variabilidade sazonal da pCO2, as concentrações de CO2 dissolvido indicam que as trocas de CO2 com a atmosfera são unilaterais (evasão para a atmosfera) ao longo do ano. Durante o período de cheia, mesmo com concentrações de CID menores, a diminuição do pH observado neste período foi suficiente para promover potenciais de evasão maiores; neste período a evasão é cerca de 4 vezes maior que no período de seca. Baseado no modelo de fluxo difusivo, a evasão de CO2 para a atmosfera a partir das águas superficiais dos rios da bacia do Ji-Paraná foi estimada em 128 a 318 Gg C ano-1. A descarga fluvial exporta anualmente cerca de 370 Gg C ano-1. Portanto, a evasão é da mesma ordem de magnitude da descarga fluvial, demonstrando a importância desta via no ciclo do carbono nos sistemas aquáticos da Amazônia. / The major biogeochemical role of river systems in the global carbon cycle is considered to be the fluvial export of total organic carbon (TOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) to the ocean. However, recent studies have shown the importance of CO2 outgassing from rivers of the Amazon, suggesting that a significant part of the carbon fixed by forests returns to the atmosphere through this pathway. Gas exchange between the atmosphere and river waters supersaturated in CO2 is a function of gaseous gradients across the air-water interface. Water pCO2 is strongly influenced by concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and pH, which are, in turn, a function of physical, chemical and biological processes. This study focus on the importance of CO2 outgassing in the carbon cycle of drainage basins, assuming that river systems are significant sources of atmospheric C in tropical environments, and also on the influence of DIC concentrations and the pH on CO2 evasion. The study area was the Ji-Paraná river basin, Rondônia. Several rivers of the basin were sampled between May/99 and May/03. Temperature, pH and DIC concentrations were used do calculate pCO2, based on thermodynamic equilibrium equations. A theoretical diffusive flux model was used to estimate CO2 evasion. The results show that rivers draining areas with more fertile soils present larger concentrations of DIC and of potential CO2 evasion. In spite of the pCO2 seasonality, the concentrations of dissolved CO2 suggest that this CO2 exchange with the atmosphere is unilateral (evasion to the atmosphere) throughtout the year. During high waters, even with lower DIC concentrations, decreases in pH are of a magnitude enough to promote higher potential evasions; in this period evasion is around four times higher than in the falling water. Based on a diffusion model, CO2 evasion to the atmosphere from rivers of Ji-Paraná basin was estimated to be from 128 to 318 Gg C yr-1. Since the annual export in fluvial discharge is 370 Gg C yr-1, this means that evasion is on the same order of magnitude, demonstrating the importance of this pathway in the carbon cycle of riverine systems in the Amazon.

A study of a 250 ft. (76.2 m) stratigraphic interval that includes the Eocene-age Felix coal of the Wasatch Formation was undertaken in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming to establish a depositional model based on the interrelations of coal-seam geometry, coal maceral composition, and spatial distribution of adjoining rocks. Regional cross sections and maps of major rock bodies were prepared from 147 measured stratigraphic sections and 56 geophysical logs. Trends in maceral and chemical properties within the Felix coal were identified from petrographic and geochemical analyses of 72 coal channel samples. The combined data sets indicate that the thickest portions of the coal are underlain by widespread, interconnected, sandstone-dominated fining-upward sequences (< 50 ft. or 15 m thick over a 300 sq. mi. or 777 sq. km area) whereas areas of thin or split coal are underlain by stacked predominantly fine grained, coarsening-upward sequences (< 50 ft. or 15 m thick). Above the coal, fining-upward sequences are concentrated over thin coal areas and widespread (> 20 mi., 32 km wide) coarsening-upward sequences overlie thick coal areas. Megascopic and petrographic description of the coal indicates that the brightest coal contains the greatest amount of huminite. This type coal occurs in the lowest portion of the seam and directly above clay partings in thick coal areas and in split benches · on the margin of the deposit. The central and upper portion of the seam is predominantly dull, and inertinite percentages increase towards the top of the seam. The deposits below the Felix resulted from north-northwest flowing meandering rivers. Thick peat represented by thick portions of the Felix coal accumulated upon this sandstone-dominated, poorly compactible platform that was free of sediment influx. Areas of thin and split Felix coal, underlain by fine-grained, more-compactible sediments, attracted water-borne elastics that interrupted peat accumulation. The base and split portions of the seam are the remains of predominantly coniferous trees that grew within a nutrient-rich environment, and the duller central and upper portions of the seam indicate oxidation associated with a raised peat deposit. Ash falls and fires during late stages of peat accumulation may have contributed to the demise of the swamp. After vegetation died large lakes formed and were subsequently filled by crevasse deposits from streams. The final phase of compaction of the fine-grained lake sediments and the thick underlying peat attracted anastomosed alluvial channels.

Accounts of species’ range shifts in response to climate change, most often as latitudinal shifts towards the poles or upslope shifts to higher elevations, are rapidly accumulating. These range shifts are often attributed to species ‘tracking’ their thermal niches as temperatures in their native ranges increase. Our objective was to estimate the degree to which climate change-driven shifts in water temperature may increase the exposure of West Virginia’s native freshwater fishes to mountaintop removal surface coal mining. Mid-century shifts in habitat suitability for nine non-game West Virginia fishes were projected via Maximum Entropy species distribution modeling, using a combination of physical habitat, historical climate conditions, and future climate data. Modeling projections for a high-emissions scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5) predict that habitat suitability will increase in high elevation streams for eight of nine species, with marginal increases in habitat suitability ranging from 46-418%. We conclude that many West Virginia fishes will be at risk of increased exposure to mountaintop removal surface coal mining if climate change continues at a rapid pace.

This dissertation evaluates the water allocation challenges in the rural river basins of the developing world, where demands are growing and the supply is limited. While many of these basins have yet to reach the state of closure, their water users are already experiencing water shortages. Agricultural crop production in rural river basins of the developing world plays a major role in ensuring food security. However, irrigation as the major water consumer in these basins has low water use efficiency. As water scarcity grows, the need to maximize economic gains by reallocating water to more efficient uses becomes important. Water allocation decisions must be made considering the social economic and environmental conditions of the developing world. The purpose of this dissertation is to identify water allocation strategies that satisfy the above conditions, in the example of the Walawe River basin in Sri Lanka. In this dissertation three manuscripts are presented. The first manuscript takes a broad view of the current water allocation situation. The second manuscript develops a methodology to analyze water allocation under a priority-based approach with the use of network flow simulation techniques. The third manuscript analyzes the water supply-demand situation in the basin under future climatic conditions. The major findings of this study suggest that: (1) while up to 44% of water is still available for use, seasonality of inflows, poor water management, physical infrastructure deficiencies, and other socio-economic factors contribute to the irrigation deficits in the Walawe basin; (2) prioritizing irrigation over hydropower generation increases supply reliability by 21% in the Walawe irrigation system IRR 1. The corresponding annual loss in power output in less than 0.5%. Prioritizing the left bank irrigation area in system IRR 2 increases the economic gains from crop yields by US $1 million annually; (3) an increase of water use efficiency between 30-50% in agriculture can mitigate all water deficits in agriculture, urban water supply and industrial sectors; (4) the predicted 25% increase of rainfall over the Walawe basin in the 2050's allows for 43% increase in hydropower generation (with changes to power generation mode) and 3-16 % reduction in irrigation requirements; (5) network flow simulation techniques can be successfully used to evaluate different demand management strategies and improvements to the priority-based water allocation method.