Your search found 24 records
1 Whittington, D.; Hanemann, W. M.; Sadoff, C.; Jeuland, M.. 2009. The challenge of improving water and sanitation services in less developed countries. Hanover, MA, USA: Now Publishers. 142p.
Water supply ; Sanitation ; Networks ; Infrastructure ; Costs ; Cost benefit analysis ; Simulation models ; Filters ; Filtration ; Water purification ; Dams ; Rural areas / Africa / South Asia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 363.61 G000 WHI Record No: H042734)
(0.06 MB)
2 Rango, T.; Kravchenko, J.; Atlaw, B.; McCornick, Peter G.; Jeuland, M.; Merola, B.; Vengosh, A. 2012. Groundwater quality and its health impact: an assessment of dental fluorosis in rural inhabitants of the Main Ethiopian Rift. Environment International, 43:37-47. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2012.03.002]
Groundwater ; Water quality ; Health hazards ; Assessment ; Dental health ; Fluorides ; River basins ; Drinking water ; Milk composition / Ethiopia / Main Ethiopian Rift
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044821)
(1.83 MB)
This study aims to assess the link between fluoride content in groundwater and its impact on dental health in rural communities of the Ethiopian Rift. A total of 148 water samples were collected from two drainage basins within the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER). In the Ziway–Shala basin in particular, wells had high fluoride levels (mean: 9.4±10.5 mg/L; range: 1.1 to 68 mg/L), with 48 of 50 exceeding the WHO drinking water guideline limit of 1.5 mg/L. Total average daily intake of fluoride from drinking groundwater (calculated per weight unit) was also found to be six times higher than the No-Observed-Adverse-Effects-Level (NOAEL) value of 0.06 mg/kg/day. The highest fluoride levels were found in highly-alkaline (pH of 7 to 8.9) groundwater characterized by high salinity; high concentrations of sodium (Na+), bicarbonate (HCO3 -), and silica (SiO2); and low concentrations of calcium (Ca2+). A progressive Ca2+ decrease along the groundwater flow path is associated with an increase of fluoride in the groundwater. The groundwater quality problem is also coupled with the presence of other toxic elements, such as arsenic (As) and uranium (U). The health impact of fluoride was evaluated based on clinical examination of dental fluorosis (DF) among local residents using the Thylstrup and Fejerskov index (TFI). In total, 200 rural inhabitants between the ages of 7 and 40 years old using water from 12 wells of fluoride range of 7.8–18 mg/L were examined. Signs of DF (TF score of =1) were observed in all individuals. Most of the teeth (52%) recorded TF scores of 5 and 6, followed by TF scores of 3 and 4 (30%), and 8.4% had TF scores of 7 or higher. Sixty percent of the teeth exhibited loss of the outermost enamel. Within the range of fluoride contents, we did not find any correlation between fluoride content and DF. Finally, preliminary data suggest that milk intake has contributed to reducing the severity of DF. The study highlights the apparent positive role of milk on DF, and emphasizes the importance of nutrition in management efforts to mitigate DF in the MER and other parts of the world.
3 Lacombe, Guillaume; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Baker, J.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Bartlett, R.; Phongpachith, C.; Jeuland, M.. 2013. Hydropower and irrigation development: implications for water resources in the Nam Ngum River of the Mekong Basin. [Abstract only]. In German Aerospace Center (DLR); Germany. Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Mekong Environmental Symposium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 5-7 March 2013. Abstract volume, Topic, 10 - Impacts of urbanization and industrialisation on agriculture and water resources. Wessling, Germany: German Aerospace Center (DLR); Bonn, Germany: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). pp.176.
Water power ; Dams ; Irrigation development ; Water resources development ; River basins ; Irrigation water ; Water demand / South East Asia / Laos / Mekong River Basin / Nam Ngum River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H045754)
(2.09MB)
To meet rising demands for food and energy, the number of hydropower dams is growing rapidly and irrigation schemes will likely expand, in the Mekong Basin. The cumulative hydrological effect of planned water resources development has previously been assessed at the Mekong Basin scale. This paper analyzes how water control structures modify the balance between water demand and water supply along the Nam Ngum River, a Mekong tributary in Lao PDR. The Nam Ngum Basin, already containing both irrigation schemes and hydropower dams, has the potential for significantly enlarged river-fed irrigation, as well as additional upstream hydropower dams. We analyzed flow data recorded since 1962, in combination with a reservoir system optimization model, to assess changes in monthly river flows induced by existing and planned hydropower dams. Current and potential irrigation water demands were assessed from satellite images, cropping calendars and simple crop water balance. Our results indicate that, by the 2030s, if eight hydropower dams are completed in the Nam Ngum Basin, dry season river flow could increase by more than 200% and wet season flows could decrease by 20%. In the absence of dam storage, current irrigation water demand would compete with minimum environmental flow requirements during dry years. In contrast, full hydropower development allows current irrigation water demand to triple, to reach the potential levels of development, whilst maintaining environmental flows. The contribution of the Nam Ngum Basin to the Mekong River flow at Kratie, a few hundreds kilometers upstream of the Tonle Sap Lake, has changed from 5 to 15% in April, since hydropower dams started developing in the Mekong Basin, suggesting that the effect of water control development in the Nam Ngum Basin impacts water resources further downstream. Beyond the effects on water resources, there are a number of other impacts on fisheries, sediment, biodiversity, ecosystems, and population resettlement that should be considered in order to better understand the environmental and socioeconomic costs and benefits of these hydropower dams.
4 Baker, J.; Bartlett, R.; Jeuland, M.; Lacombe, Guillaume; Douangsavanh, Somphasith. 2013. Analyzing economic tradeoffs of water use in the Nam Ngum River Basin, Lao PDR. [Abstract only]. In German Aerospace Center (DLR); Germany. Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Mekong Environmental Symposium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 5-7 March 2013. Abstract volume, Topic 02 - Hydropower development and impacts on economy. Wessling, Germany: German Aerospace Center (DLR); Bonn, Germany: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). pp.39.
Water resources ; River basins ; Water demand ; Water use ; Water power ; Irrigated farming ; Economic aspects / Laos / Nam Ngum River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H045822)
http://www.mekong-environmental-symposium-2013.org/frontend/file.php?id=3020&dl=1
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H045822.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H045822.pdf
(0.08 MB) (2.09MB)
5 Bartlett, R.; Baker, J.; Lacombe, Guillaume; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Jeuland, M.. 2012. Analyzing economic tradeoffs of water use in the Nam Ngum River Basin, Lao PDR. Durham, NC, USA: Duke University. Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. 37p. (Duke Environmental Economics Working Paper Series)
Water management ; Water use ; River basins ; Economic development ; Energy generation ; Water power ; Dams ; Irrigated sites ; Irrigated farming ; Flood control ; Models ; Data / Laos
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H045852)
http://sites.nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/environmentaleconomics/files/2013/01/WP-EE-12-10.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H045852.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H045852.pdf
(0.68 MB) (703.52KB)
This paper develops a hydro-economic optimization modeling framework to assess the economic consequences and potential trade-offs of various infrastructure development and policy pathways in the Nam Ngum Basin (Lao PDR). We considered whether large shifts in water resource demands in a relatively water abundant basin could induce meaningful economic trade-offs among water uses, including hydropower generation, irrigation expansion, flood control, and transboundary water transfer objectives. We constructed a series of sensitivity scenarios under dry, average, and wet hydrologic conditions with varying levels dam development, irrigated agricultural expansion, agricultural returns, flood control storage restrictions, and water diversions to Northeast Thailand. We also considered how flows into the Mekong would be affected by these collective developments. In general, results indicate that tradeoffs between hydropower production, irrigation, and flood control are modest. Hydropower and agricultural expansion are found to be complimentary under high levels of water availability, even with the most ambitious level of irrigation expansion. Allowing for flood control by maintaining reduced storage levels in the reservoir that is largest and furthest downstream on the Nam Ngum (NN1) has a minimal effect on economic output and decreases total system hydropower by less than 1%. However, economic outcomes are highly dependent on water availability and economic returns to irrigated agriculture. System hydropower was greatly reduced, and inter-basin transfer projects induced large economic costs under dry conditions. These results on seasonal impacts illustrate the importance of accounting for climate variability and potential hydrologic change in cost-benefit analysis of infrastructure projects, even in watersheds that are relatively water abundant.
6 Kravchenko, J.; Rango, T.; Akushevich, I.; Atlaw, B.; McCornick, Peter G.; Merola, R. B; Paul, C; Weinthal, E.; Harrison, C.; Vengosh, A.; Jeuland, M.. 2014. The effect of non-fluoride factors on risk of dental fluorosis: evidence from rural populations of the Main Ethiopian Rift. Science of the Total Environment, 488-489:595-606. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.12.087]
Rural population ; Dental caries ; Fluorides ; Fluorosis ; Drinking water ; Groundwater ; Water quality ; Pollutants ; Health hazards ; Household consumption ; Milk consumption / Ethiopia / Main Ethiopian Rift
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046313)
(0.34 MB)
Elevated level of fluoride (F-) in drinking water is a well-recognized risk factor of dental fluorosis (DF). While considering optimization of region-specific standards for F-, it is reasonable, however, to consider how local diet, water sourcing practices, and non-F- elements in water may be related to health outcomes. In this study, we hypothesized that non-F- elements in groundwater and lifestyle and demographic characteristics may be independent predictors or modifiers of the effects of F- on teeth. Dental examinations were conducted among 1094 inhabitants from 399 randomly-selected households of 20 rural communities of the Ziway–Shala lake basin of the Main Ethiopian Rift. DF severity was evaluated using the Thylstrup-Fejerskov Index (TFI). Household surveys were performed and water samples were collected from community water sources. To consider interrelations between the teeth within individual (in terms of DF severity) and between F- and non-F- elements in groundwater, the statistical methods of regression analysis, mixed models, and principal component analysis were used. About 90% of study participants consumed water from wells with F- levels above theWHO recommended standard of 1.5 mg/l. More than 62% of the study population had DF. F- levels were a major factor associated with DF. Age, sex, and milk consumption (both cow's and breastfed)were also statistically significantly (p b 0.05) associated with DF severity; these associations appear both independently and as modifiers of those identified between F- concentration and DF severity. Among 35 examined elements in groundwater, Ca, Al, Cu, and Rb were found to be significantly correlated with dental health outcomes among the residents exposed to waterwith excessive F- concentrations. Quantitative estimates obtained in our study can be used to explore new water treatment strategies, water safety and quality regulations, and lifestyle recommendations which may be more appropriate for this highly populated region.
7 Rango, T.; Vengosh, A.; Jeuland, M.; Tekle-Haimanot, R.; Weinthal, E.; Kravchenko, J.; Paul, C.; McCornick, Peter G. 2014. Fluoride exposure from groundwater as reflected by urinary fluoride and children's dental fluorosis in the Main Ethiopian Rift Valley. Science of the Total Environment, 496:188-197. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.07.048]
Groundwater ; Fluorides ; Health hazards ; Dental caries ; Fluorosis ; Urine ; Drinking water ; Water quality ; Risk assessment / Ethiopia / Main Ethiopian Rift
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046570)
This cross-sectional study explores the relationships between children's F- exposure from drinking groundwater and urinary F- concentrations, combined with dental fluorosis (DF) in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) Valley.We examined the DF prevalence and severity among 491 children (10 to 15 years old) who are life-long residents of 33 rural communities in which groundwater concentrations of F- cover a wide range. A subset of 156 children was selected for urinary F- measurements. Our results showed that the mean F- concentrations in groundwater were 8.5 ± 4.1 mg/L (range: 1.1–18 mg/L), while those in urine were 12.1 ± 7.3 mg/L (range: 1.1–39.8 mg/L). The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe DF in children's teeth was 17%, 29%, and 45%, respectively, and the majority (90%; n = 140) of the children had urinary F- concentrations above 3 mg/L. Below this level most of the teeth showed mild forms of DF. The exposure–response relationship between F- and DF was positive and non-linear, with DF severity tending to level off above a F- threshold of ~6 mg/L, most likely due to the fact that at ~6 mg/L the enamel is damaged as much as it can be clinically observed in most children. We also observed differential prevalence (and severity) of DF and urinary concentration, across children exposed to similar F- concentrations in water, which highlights the importance of individual-specific factors in addition to the F- levels in drinking water. Finally, we investigated urinary F- in children from communities where defluoridation remediation was taking place. The lower F- concentration measured in urine of this population demonstrates the capacity of the urinary F- method as an effective monitoring and evaluation tool for assessing the outcome of successful F- mitigation strategy in relatively short time (months) in areas affected with severe fluorosis.
8 Lacombe, Guillaume; Douangsavanh, S.; Baker, J.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Bartlett, R.; Jeuland, M.; Phongpachith, C. 2014. Are hydropower and irrigation development complements or substitutes?: the example of the Nam Ngum River in the Mekong Basin. Water International, 39(5):649-670. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2014.956205]
Water power ; Irrigation development ; River basins ; Water resources ; Irrigated land ; Irrigation water ; Water demand ; Water balance ; Water availability ; Simulation models ; Environmental flows ; Dry season / Lao People s Democratic Republic / Nam Ngum River / Mekong Basin / Vientiane Plain
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046639)
(0.51 MB)
Hydropower and irrigation developments to address rising demand for food and energy are modifying the water balance of the Mekong Basin. Infrastructure investment decisions are also frequently made from a sub-catchment perspective. This paper compares river flows with irrigation development stages in the Nam Ngum sub-basin where the potential for irrigation and hydropower expansion is largely untapped. It shows that full hydropower development in this basin allows irrigation water use to triple, even as it reduces competition with environmental flow requirements. The implications for the wider Mekong are, however, unclear, particularly given uncertainty over parallel transformations elsewhere in the basin.
9 Jeuland, M.; Baker, J.; Bartlett, R.; Lacombe, Guillaume. 2014. The costs of uncoordinated infrastructure management in multi-reservoir river basins. Environmental Research Letters, 9(10):1-10. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/9/10/105006]
River basin management ; Reservoirs ; Costs ; Water resources ; Water power ; Hydrology ; Economic aspects ; Models ; Infrastructure ; Flood control ; Irrigation ; Dams / Lao People s Democratic Republic / Mekong / Nam Ngum River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046648)
http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/9/10/105006/pdf/1748-9326_9_10_105006.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H046648.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H046648.pdf
(1.21 MB) (1.22 MB)
Though there are surprisingly few estimates of the economic benefits of coordinated infrastructure development and operations in international river basins, there is a widespread belief that improved cooperation is beneficial for managing water scarcity and variability. Hydro-economic optimization models are commonly-used for identifying efficient allocation of water across time and space, but such models typically assume full coordination. In the real world, investment and operational decisions for specific projects are often made without full consideration of potential downstream impacts. This paper describes a tractable methodology for evaluating the economic benefits of infrastructure coordination. We demonstrate its application over a range of water availability scenarios in a catchment of the Mekong located in Lao PDR, the Nam Ngum River Basin. Results from this basin suggest that coordination improves system net benefits from irrigation and hydropower by approximately 3–12% (or US$12-53 million/yr) assuming moderate levels of flood control, and that the magnitude of coordination benefits generally increases with the level of water availability and with inflow variability. Similar analyses would be useful for developing a systematic understanding of the factors that increase the costs of non-cooperation in river basin systems worldwide, and would likely help to improve targeting of efforts to stimulate complicated negotiations over water resources.
10 Bekchanov, Maksud; Ringler, C.; Bhaduri, A.; Jeuland, M.. 2016. Optimizing irrigation efficiency improvements in the Aral Sea Basin. Water Resources and Economics, 13:30-45. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wre.2015.08.003]
Irrigation efficiency ; Water availability ; Water allocation ; Water scarcity ; Economic aspects ; Investment ; Environmental flows / Central Asia / Kazakhstan / Kyrgyzstan / Tajikistan / Turkmenistan / Uzbekistan / Aral Sea Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047174)
Water scarcity driven by climate change, growing demand, and inefficient management of water and related infrastructure is a serious threat to livelihoods in the Aral Sea Basin (ASB) of Central Asia. In recent decades, downstream water shortages have become increasingly common and inflows into the Aral Sea have become very limited. Meanwhile, water losses are enormous both at conveyance and field levels because of outdated infrastructure and the dominance of highly inefficient basin and furrow irrigation methods. Intensification and modernization of irrigation systems, while requiring investment of scarce capital resources, could thus substantially reduce non-beneficial water consumption and help in coping with increasing water scarcity. This study applies a hydro-economic model that solves for the investment in improved irrigation efficiency across the various irrigation sites in the ASB that delivers the highest economic gains. Improvement of the efficiency of irrigation canals and implementation of field efficiency investments and practices, such as drip irrigation, and alternate dry or short furrow irrigation (for rice), would substantially improve economic outcomes. Conveyance efficiency investments are particularly worthwhile in downstream regions where sandy soils are common and return flows largely feed saline lakes in tail-end depressions. Meanwhile, field-level efficiency should be fully upgraded in all rice-producing regions through the use of drip and alternate wet and dry irrigation, as well as with drip irrigation in the cotton-producing Ferghana Valley of the Syr Darya Basin. The value of these improvements increases with reduced water availability. Implementation of an optimal set of investments could increase basinwide benefits by 20% (from US$ 3.2 to 3.8 billion) under normal water availability and by 40% (from US$ 2.5 to 3.5 billion) under dry conditions (80% of normal supply).
11 Bekchanov, Maksud; Ringler, C.; Bhaduri, A.; Jeuland, M.. 2015. How would the Rogun Dam affect water and energy scarcity in Central Asia? Water International, 40(5-6):856-876. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2015.1051788]
Water scarcity ; Energy demand ; Energy generation ; Hydrology ; Economic aspects ; Models ; River basin management ; Upstream ; Water allocation ; Water power ; Irrigation water ; Water availability ; Reservoirs / Central Asia / Aral Sea Basin / Amu Darya Basin / Rogun Dam
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047222)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02508060.2015.1051788
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047222.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047222.pdf
(0.00 MB)
The construction of the Rogun Dam in the Amu Darya Basin to increase upstream energy generation creates potential trade-offs with existing downstream irrigation, due to the different timing of energy and irrigation water demands. The present analysis, based on a hydro-economic optimization model, shows that cooperative basin-wide maximization of benefits would lead to large increases in upstream hydropower production and only minor changes in downstream irrigation benefits. However, if upstream stations, including Rogun, are managed unilaterally to maximize energy production, hydropower benefits might more than double while irrigation benefits greatly decrease, thereby substantially reducing overall basin benefits.
12 Bekchanov, Maksud; Sood, Aditya; Jeuland, M.. 2015. Review of hydro-economic models to address river basin management problems: structure, applications and research gaps. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 60p. (IWMI Working Paper 167) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2015.218]
River basin management ; Hydrology ; Economic impact ; Models ; Water demand ; Water power ; Water resources ; Water management ; Water quality ; Water use ; Water supply ; Water allocation ; Water footprint ; Virtual water ; International waters ; Groundwater recharge ; Reservoir storage ; Catchment areas ; Environmental flows ; Ecosystem services ; Indicators ; Climate change ; Dam construction ; Food security ; Institutions
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H047337)
(2 MB)
Across the globe, the prospect of increasing water demands coupled with the potential for reduced water availability is calling for implementation of a range of technological, institutional, and economic instruments to address growing water scarcity. Hydro-economic models (HEMs), which integrate the complex hydrologic and economic interrelationships inherent in most water resources systems, provide an effective means of diagnosing and devising solutions to water-related problems across varied spatial and temporal scales. This study reviews recent advances in hydro-economic modeling and characterizes the types of issues that are typically explored in the hydro-economic modeling literature. Our findings suggest that additional efforts are needed to more realistically account for the range and complexity of interlinkages between water systems and society, particularly with regards to ecology and water quality, and the food and energy sectors. Additionally, the forces that depend on water and operate on the broader economy, for example in interregional trade should be investigated further. Moreover, effects on the distribution of income within countries, and on migration should be considered in basin management modeling studies.
13 Jeuland, M.; Wu, X.; Whittington, D. 2017. Infrastructure development and the economics of cooperation in the eastern Nile. Water International, 42(2):121-141. (Special issue: Transboundary River Cooperation: Actors, Strategies and Impact). [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2017.1278577]
International waters ; International cooperation ; River basins ; Infrastructure ; Water availability ; Water use ; Hydrological factors ; Economic value ; Optimization methods ; Models ; Dams ; Energy generation ; Water power ; Irrigation programs ; Institutional development ; Political aspects ; Riparian zones / Ethiopia / Sudan / Egypt / Eastern Nile Basin / Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048006)
(1.99 MB)
This article employs a hydro-economic optimization model to analyze the effects of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the distribution and magnitude of benefits in the Eastern Nile. Scenarios are considered based on plausible institutional arrangements that span varying levels of cooperation, as well as changes in hydrological conditions (water availability). The results show that the dam can increase Ethiopia’s economic benefits by a factor of 5–6, without significantly affecting or compromising irrigation and hydropower production downstream. However, increasing GERD water storage during a drought could lead to high costs not only for Egypt and Sudan, but also for Ethiopia.
14 Sadoff, C.; Harshadeep, N. R.; Blackmore, D.; Wu, X.; O’Donnell, A.; Jeuland, M.; Lee, S.; Whittington, D. 2013. Ten fundamental questions for water resources development in the Ganges: myths and realities. Water Policy, 15(S1):147-164. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2013.006]
Water resources development ; International waters ; Rivers ; Tributaries ; River basin management ; Integrated management ; Flooding ; Water power ; Water quality ; Water storage ; Reservoir storage ; Flow discharge ; Irrigation water ; Policy making ; Groundwater management ; Sediment ; Climate change ; Ecosystem services ; Economic aspects ; Upstream ; Downstream / South Asia / India / Bangladesh / Nepal / Ganges / Himalayas
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048102)
(0.64 MB)
This paper summarizes the results of the Ganges Strategic Basin Assessment (SBA), a 3-year, multi-disciplinary effort undertaken by a World Bank team in cooperation with several leading regional research institutions in South Asia. It begins to fill a crucial knowledge gap, providing an initial integrated systems perspective on the major water resources planning issues facing the Ganges basin today, including some of the most important infrastructure options that have been proposed for future development. The SBA developed a set of hydrological and economic models for the Ganges system, using modern data sources and modelling techniques to assess the impact of existing and potential new hydraulic structures on flooding, hydropower, low flows, water quality and irrigation supplies at the basin scale. It also involved repeated exchanges with policy makers and opinion makers in the basin, during which perceptions of the basin could be discussed and examined. The study’s findings highlight the scale and complexity of the Ganges basin. In particular, they refute the broadly held view that upstream water storage, such as reservoirs in Nepal, can fully control basinwide flooding. In addition, the findings suggest that such dams could potentially double low flows in the dry months. The value of doing so, however, is surprisingly unclear and similar storage volumes could likely be attained through better groundwater management. Hydropower development and trade are confirmed to hold real promise (subject to rigorous project level assessment with particular attention to sediment and seismic risks) and, in the near to medium term, create few significant tradeoffs among competing water uses. Significant uncertainties – including climate change – persist, and better data would allow the models and their results to be further refined.
15 Wu, X.; Jeuland, M.; Sadoff, C.; Whittington, D. 2013. Interdependence in water resource development in the Ganges: an economic analysis. Water Policy, 15(S1):89-108. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2013.003]
Water resources development ; Economic analysis ; International waters ; River basin management ; Water storage ; Dam construction ; Upstream ; Downstream control ; Tributaries ; Flood control ; Cost benefit analysis ; Riparian zones ; Flow discharge ; Models ; Irrigation water / South Asia / India / Bangladesh / Nepal / Ganges
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048103)
(0.52 MB)
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.
16 Jeuland, M.; Harshadeep, N.; Escurra, J.; Blackmore, D.; Sadoff, C. 2013. Implications of climate change for water resources development in the Ganges basin. Water Policy, 15(S1):26-50. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2013.107]
Water resources development ; Climate change ; Economic aspects ; Optimization ; Hydrological cycle ; Simulation models ; Precipitation ; Tributaries ; Water power ; Water storage ; Water availability ; Water use ; Dams ; Dry season ; Irrigation water ; Temperature / South Asia / India / Bangladesh / Nepal / Ganges Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048105)
(0.84 MB)
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. We 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. We 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.
17 Whittington, D.; Hanemann, M.; Sadoff, C. W.; Jeuland, M.. 2009. Water and sanitation. In Lomborg, B. (Ed.). Global crisis, global solutions. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp.355-429.
Sanitation ; Economic aspects ; Cost benefit analysis ; Households ; Income ; Investment ; Infrastructure ; Urban wastes ; Water supply ; Water storage ; Rural communities ; Manual pumps ; Public health ; Health hazards ; Community management ; Dam construction / Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048107)
18 Whittington, D.; Hanemann, W. M.; Sadoff, C.; Jeuland, M.. 2009. The challenge of improving water and sanitation services in less developed countries. Foundations and Trends in Microeconomics, 4(6-7):469-609.
Developed countries ; Developing Countries ; Sanitation ; Economic aspects ; Cost benefit analysis ; Investment ; Infrastructure ; Water supply ; Water use ; Water availability ; Water requirements ; Rural communities ; Manual pumps ; Household consumption ; Drinking water treatment ; Dams ; Social aspects / Africa / South Asia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048108)
(0.75 MB)
This paper argues that there are many challenges to designing and
implementing water and sanitation interventions that actually deliver economic benefits to the households in developing countries. Perhaps most critical to successful water and sanitation investments is to discover and implement forms of service and payment mechanisms that will render the improvements worthwhile for those who must pay for them. In this paper, we argue that, in many cases, the conventional network technologies of water supply and sanitation will fail this test, and that poor households need alternative, non-network technologies. However, it will not necessarily be the case that specific non-network improved water supply and/or sanitation technologies will always be seen as worthwhile by those who must pay for them. We argue that there is no easy panacea to resolve this situation. For any intervention, the outcome is likely to be context-dependent. An intervention that works well in one locality may fail miserably in another. For any given technology, the outcome will depend on economic and social conditions, including how it is implemented, by whom, and often on the extent to which complementary behavioral, institutional and organizational changes also occur. For this reason, we warn against excessive generalization: one cannot, in our view, say that one intervention yields a rate of return of x% while another yields a return of y%, because the economic returns are likely to vary with local circumstances. More important is to identify the circumstances under which an intervention is more or less likely to succeed. Also for this reason, when we analyze a few selected water and sanitation interventions, we employ a probabilistic rather than a deterministic analysis to emphasize that real world outcomes are likely to vary substantially.
implementing water and sanitation interventions that actually deliver economic benefits to the households in developing countries. Perhaps most critical to successful water and sanitation investments is to discover and implement forms of service and payment mechanisms that will render the improvements worthwhile for those who must pay for them. In this paper, we argue that, in many cases, the conventional network technologies of water supply and sanitation will fail this test, and that poor households need alternative, non-network technologies. However, it will not necessarily be the case that specific non-network improved water supply and/or sanitation technologies will always be seen as worthwhile by those who must pay for them. We argue that there is no easy panacea to resolve this situation. For any intervention, the outcome is likely to be context-dependent. An intervention that works well in one locality may fail miserably in another. For any given technology, the outcome will depend on economic and social conditions, including how it is implemented, by whom, and often on the extent to which complementary behavioral, institutional and organizational changes also occur. For this reason, we warn against excessive generalization: one cannot, in our view, say that one intervention yields a rate of return of x% while another yields a return of y%, because the economic returns are likely to vary with local circumstances. More important is to identify the circumstances under which an intervention is more or less likely to succeed. Also for this reason, when we analyze a few selected water and sanitation interventions, we employ a probabilistic rather than a deterministic analysis to emphasize that real world outcomes are likely to vary substantially.
19 Rango, T.; Jeuland, M.; Manthrithilake, Herath; McCornick, Peter. 2015. Nephrotoxic contaminants in drinking water and urine, and chronic kidney disease in rural Sri Lanka. Science of the Total Environment, 518-519:574-585. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.02.097]
Drinking water ; Nephrotoxicity ; Contamination ; Urine ; Kidney diseases ; Chronic course ; Collective farming ; Communities ; Public health ; Health hazards ; Water quality ; Elements ; Arsenic compounds ; Sampling ; Analytical methods / Sri Lanka
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048177)
Chronic kidney disease of unknown (“u”) cause (CKDu) is a growing public health concern in Sri Lanka. Prior research has hypothesized a link with drinking water quality, but rigorous studies are lacking. This study assesses the relationship between nephrotoxic elements (namely arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and uranium (U)) in drinking water, and urine samples collected from individuals with and/or without CKDu in endemic areas, and from individuals without CKDu in nonendemic areas. All water samples – from a variety of source types (i.e. shallow and deep wells, springs, piped and surface water) – contained extremely low concentrations of nephrotoxic elements, and all were well below drinking water guideline values. Concentrations in individual urine samples were higher than, and uncorrelated with, those measured in drinking water, suggesting potential exposure from other sources. Mean urinary concentrations of these elements for individuals with clinically diagnosed CKDu were consistently lower than individuals without CKDu both in endemic and nonendemic areas. This likely stems from the inability of the kidney to excrete these toxic elements via urine in CKDu patients. Urinary concentrations of individuals were also found to be within the range of reference values measured in urine of healthy unexposed individuals from international biomonitoring studies, though these reference levels may not be safe for the Sri Lankan population. The results suggest that CKDu cannot be clearly linked with the presence of these contaminants in drinking water. There remains a need to investigate potential interactions of low doses of these elements (particularly Cd and As) with other risk factors that appear linked to CKDu, prior to developing public health strategies to address this illness.
20 Pakhtigian, E. L.; Jeuland, M.; Dhaubanjar, Sanita; Pandey, Vishnu Prasad. 2020. Balancing intersectoral demands in basin-scale planning: the case of Nepal’s western river basins. Water Resources and Economics, 30:100152. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wre.2019.100152]
River basins ; Water resources development ; Planning ; Economic development ; Prioritization ; Ecosystems ; Economic value ; Energy generation ; Hydropower ; Irrigation programs ; Agricultural sector ; Infrastructure ; Costs ; Water allocation ; Hydrology ; Models ; Sensitivity analysis ; Environmental effects / Nepal / Karnali-Mohana River Basin / Mahakali River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049415)
(1.98 MB)
Basin-wide planning requires tools and strategies that allow comparison of alternative pathways and priorities at relevant spatial and temporal scales. In this paper, we apply a hydroeconomic model–the Western Nepal Energy Water Model–that better accounts for feedbacks between water and energy markets, to optimize water allocations across energy, agriculture, municipal, and environmental sectors. The model maximizes total economic benefits, accounting for trade-offs both within and across sectors. In Western Nepal, we find that surface water availability is generally sufficient to meet existing and growing demands in energy and agricultural sectors; however, expansion of water storage and irrigation infrastructure may limit environmental flows below levels needed to maintain the full integrity of important aquatic ecosystems. We also find substantial trade-offs between irrigation in Nepal and satisfaction of the institutional requirements implied by international water-use agreements with the downstream riparian India. Similar trade-offs do not exist with hydropower, however. Model results and allocations are sensitive to future domestic and international energy demands and valuations.
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