Your search found 22 records
1 International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 2015. Thinking inside the basin: scale in transboundary water management. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 8p. (IWMI Water Policy Brief 39) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2015.222]
International waters ; Water management ; Water law ; Water governance ; River basins ; Tributaries ; Institutions ; Cooperation ; Catchment areas ; Infrastructure ; Treaties ; Case studies / Central Asia / southern Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047363)
(847 KB)
2 Wegerich, K.; Soliev, I.; Akramova, Indira. 2016. Dynamics of water reallocation and cost implications in the transboundary setting of Ferghana Province. Central Asian Survey, 35(1):38-60. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02634937.2016.1138739]
Water allocation ; Water resources ; International waters ; Water costs ; Water supply ; Water rights ; Irrigation systems ; Bureaucracy ; Pumps ; Tributaries ; Rivers ; Irrigated sites ; Irrigated farming ; Agriculture ; Benefits ; Riparian zones ; Upstream ; Case studies / Central Asia / Uzbekistan / Ferghana Province
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047581)
(2.61 MB)
While in the international literature water sharing in the Syr Darya Basin per past agreements is widely portrayed as most benefiting Uzbekistan, here the dynamics of water allocation within small transboundary tributaries in Ferghana Province show Uzbekistan as benefiting least. The case study highlights that water allocation for Uzbekistan within the tributaries has decreased over the years. Uzbekistan’s approach to compensate for the reduced allocations by means of other water sources has had large long-term cost implications for irrigated agriculture as well as the irrigation bureaucracy. This article contributes to the international debate on benefit sharing in transboundary rivers. The article highlights that costs should be incorporated into the benefitsharing approach, and therefore the focus on benefit sharing alone is misguiding riparian states. Furthermore, the article raises the need to reevaluate benefits, since perceptions of potential benefits change over time.
3 Natarajan, Rajmohan; Amarasinghe, Upali A. 2016. Groundwater quality issues and management in Ramganga Sub-Basin. Environmental Earth Sciences, 75(12):1-14. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5833-9]
Groundwater management ; Water quality ; River basins ; Tributaries ; Drinking water ; Arsenic ; Nitrates ; Iron ; Salinity ; Fluorides ; Sulphates ; Contamination ; Aquifers ; Manual pumps ; Sanitation ; Sewage ; Wastewater / India / Uttar Pradesh / Uttarakhand / Ramganga Sub-Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047597)
Groundwater quality receives increasing attention in water management in India. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the emerging issues of groundwater quality in the Ramganga Sub-Basin (RSB), a tributary joining the Ganga River from the northern plains, which extends over 30,839 Sq. km and covers 15 districts in both Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. The groundwater in most of the districts of the RSB has high concentration of nitrate, iron, salinity and fluoride, which exceed the standards prescribed for drinking water by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and World Health Organization (WHO). Arsenic contamination in groundwater is an emerging issue in few groundwater development blocks. Moreover, groundwater with substantial hardness, high sulfate, and high manganese is emerging issue in some districts. Additionally, shallow aquifers have high concentration of ions. In the RSB, the quality of groundwater, especially in the shallow aquifers, is influenced by the contamination of poor quality surface water, due mainly to poor sanitation, improper disposable of domestic sewage water, manures and irrigation return flows. To reduce deterioration of water quality further, the RSB requires proper sanitation facilities, efficient usage of agrochemicals, as well as an awareness program of water-related disease.
4 Haile, Alemseged Tamiru; Tefera, F. T.; Rientjes, T. 2016. Flood forecasting in Niger-Benue basin using satellite and quantitative precipitation forecast data. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 52:475-484. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2016.06.021]
Weather forecasting ; Weather data ; River basins ; Precipitation ; Satellite observation ; Flooding ; Rainfall-runoff relationships ; Early warning systems ; International waters ; Tributaries ; Calibration ; Models / Nigeria / Cameroon / Makurdi / Niger River / Benue River / Chadda River / Tchadda
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047675)
Availability of reliable, timely and accurate rainfall data is constraining the establishment of flood forecasting and early warning systems in many parts of Africa. We evaluated the potential of satellite and weather forecast data as input to a parsimonious flood forecasting model to provide information for flood early warning in the central part of Nigeria. We calibrated the HEC-HMS rainfall-runoff model using rainfall data from post real time Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi satellite Precipitation Analysis product (TMPA). Real time TMPA satellite rainfall estimates and European Centre for MediumRange Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) rainfall products were tested for flood forecasting. The implication of removing the systematic errors of the satellite rainfall estimates (SREs) was explored. Performance of the rainfall-runoff model was assessed using visual inspection of simulated and observed hydrographs and a set of performance indicators. The forecast skill was assessed for 1–6 days lead time using categorical verification statistics such as Probability Of Detection (POD), Frequency Of Hit (FOH) and Frequency Of Miss (FOM). The model performance satisfactorily reproduced the pattern and volume of the observed stream flow hydrograph of Benue River. Overall, our results show that SREs and rainfall forecasts from weather models have great potential to serve as model inputs for real-time flood forecasting in data scarce areas. For these data to receive application in African transboundary basins, we suggest (i) removing their systematic error to further improve flood forecast skill; (ii) improving rainfall forecasts; and (iii) improving data sharing between riparian countries.
5 Holmatov, Bunyod; Lautze, Jonathan. 2016. Thinking inside the basin: scale in transboundary water management. Natural Resources Forum, 40(3):127-138. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-8947.12099]
International waters ; Water management ; International cooperation ; Water allocation ; International agreements ; Treaties ; Databases ; Water law ; Water quality ; Water power ; River basins ; Tributaries ; Flood control ; Environmental effects ; Infrastructure ; Institutional development
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047708)
(1.02 MB)
While transboundary waters are widely advocated to be best managed at the basin level, practical experience in transboundary waters at the basin vis-à-vis other scales has not been systematically examined. To understand past experiences in transboundary water management at alternate scales, this paper: (i) determines the relative abundance of water treaties at different scales and (ii) elucidates how transboundary water law varies according to the scale to which it applies. The paper developed a scale typology with six groups, and systematically applied it to stratify transboundary water treaties. Treaty contents were then compared across scales according to the following set of parameters: primary issue area, temporal development, and important water management attributes. Results of this work reveal: (i) treaties tend to focus on hydropower and flood control at smaller scales, and organizations and policies at larger scales; (ii) a temporal trend toward treaties concluded at larger scales; and (iii) a higher proportion of treaties is at larger scales in Africa and Asia than in Europe and the Americas. These findings suggest that smaller scale cooperation may constitute a more constructive scale in which to achieve development-oriented cooperation. Further, scope may exist to complement basin scale cooperation with cooperation at smaller scales, in order to optimize transboundary water management. In the context of basin-wide management frameworks, Africa and Asia may benefit from greater emphasis on small-scale transboundary water cooperation.
6 Jain, S. K.; Jeuland, M. A.; Bharati, Luna; Khan, Z. H. 2016. Surface water resources. In Bharati, Luna; Sharma, Bharat R.; Smakhtin, Vladimir (Eds.). The Ganges River Basin: status and challenges in water, environment and livelihoods. Oxon, UK: Routledge - Earthscan. pp.8-23. (Earthscan Series on Major River Basins of the World)
Water resources ; Surface water ; Water storage ; Water use ; River basins ; Tributaries ; Flow discharge ; Hydrometeorology ; Canals ; Dams ; Hydrology ; Models ; Precipitation ; Temperature ; Infrastructure ; Assessment / Nepal / India / Bangladesh / Ganges River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H047810)
7 Jeuland, M. A. 2016. Climate change and the Ganges Basin. In Bharati, Luna; Sharma, Bharat R.; Smakhtin, Vladimir (Eds.). The Ganges River Basin: status and challenges in water, environment and livelihoods. Oxon, UK: Routledge - Earthscan. pp.52-70. (Earthscan Series on Major River Basins of the World)
Climate change adaptation ; Water resources development ; River basins ; Water use ; Irrigation water ; Groundwater ; Surface water ; Water power ; Infrastructure ; Hydrological factors ; Temperature ; Precipitation ; Glaciers ; Meltwater ; Sea level ; Tributaries ; Flow discharge ; Ecosystem services ; Economic situation ; Investment ; Models / Nepal / India / Bangladesh / Ganges River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H047840)
8 Maheswaran, R.; Khosa, R.; Gosain, A. K.; Lahari, S.; Sinha, S. K.; Chahar, B. R.; Dhanya, C. T. 2016. Regional scale groundwater modelling study for Ganga River Basin. Journal of Hydrology, 541(Part B):727-741. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.07.029]
Groundwater extraction ; Models ; Water levels ; Aquifers ; Recharge ; Forecasting ; River basins ; Tributaries ; Boundaries ; Drainage ; Pumping ; Hydrogeology ; Monsoon climate ; Alluvial land ; Land use ; Land cover ; Calibration / India / Ganga River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047896)
(8.44 MB)
Subsurface movement of water within the alluvial formations of Ganga Basin System of North and East India, extending over an area of 1 million km2 , was simulated using Visual MODFLOW based transient numerical model. The study incorporates historical groundwater developments as recorded by various concerned agencies and also accommodates the role of some of the major tributaries of River Ganga as geo-hydrological boundaries. Geo-stratigraphic structures, along with corresponding hydrological parameters, were obtained from Central Groundwater Board, India, and used in the study which was carried out over a time horizon of 4.5 years. The model parameters were fine tuned for calibration using Parameter Estimation (PEST) simulations. Analyses of the stream aquifer interaction using Zone Budget has allowed demarcation of the losing and gaining stretches along the main stem of River Ganga as well as some of its principal tributaries. From a management perspective, and entirely consistent with general understanding, it is seen that unabated long term groundwater extraction within the study basin has induced a sharp decrease in critical dry weather base flow contributions. In view of a surge in demand for dry season irrigation water for agriculture in the area, numerical models can be a useful tool to generate not only an understanding of the underlying groundwater system but also facilitate development of basin-wide detailed impact scenarios as inputs for management and policy action.
9 Khadse, G. K.; Patni, P. M.; Labhasetwar, P. K. 2016. Water quality assessment of Chenab River and its tributaries in Jammu Kashmir (India) based on WQI [Water Quality Index]. Sustainable Water Resources Management, 2(2):121-126. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-016-0046-7]
Water quality ; Water pollution ; Assessment ; Rivers ; Tributaries ; Bacteriological analysis ; Chemicophysical properties ; Faecal coliforms ; pH ; Turbidity ; Dissolved oxygen ; Nitrates ; Total dissolved solids ; Phosphates / India / Jammu and Kashmir / Chenab River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047910)
(1.06 MB)
An assessment of the water quality has been carried out to explore the water quality index (WQI) of Chenab river and its tributaries in Jammu Kashmir (India). Fourteen water samples from Chenab river and its tributaries at various locations were collected and analyzed for physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters. Nine parameters i.e. BOD, DO, fecal coliforms, nitrate, pH, temperature change, TDS, total phosphate and turbidity were considered for calculating the WQI based on National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) information system. The WQI showed good water quality, except Bichleri stream water indicating that water of Chenab river and its tributaries are least polluted and is suitable for drinking after conventional treatment. The WQI rating of Bichleri stream water is medium as it carries wastewater and may not be useful for domestic use without treatment.
10 Adgolign, T. B.; Srinivasa Rao, G. V. R.; Abbulu, Y. 2016. WEAP modeling of surface water resources allocation in Didessa Sub-Basin, West Ethiopia. Sustainable Water Resources Management, 2(1):55-70. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-015-0041-4]
Water resources development ; Surface water ; Water allocation ; Hydrology ; Simulation models ; Water supply ; Irrigation water ; Domestic water ; Water demand ; Water requirements ; Water use ; Water shortage ; Environmental flows ; Stream flow ; Watersheds ; River basins ; Tributaries / Ethiopia / Abbay Basin / Didessa Sub-Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047974)
(3.68 MB)
The extensive water resources development plan that Ethiopia has recently embarked on encompasses all major river basins, including the Abbay Basin where Didessa Sub-basin is situated. The main objective of the study was to assess the impact of water resources development on instream and downstream water availability, and identify intra-sub-basin locations vulnerable to shortage of surface water, in Didessa Sub-basin. The Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) Tool was used to model the surface water resources allocation of the sub-basin, based on the water demand data extracted mainly from the Abbay Basin integrated development master plan. Existing demand sites were collected from irrigation and water supply sectors of the government. To estimate the crop water requirement and instream flows requirement (IFR), respectively CROPWAT 8.0 and Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) programs were used. The shortage of recorded data of streamflow was supplemented by the outputs of SWAT hydrological model. Three development scenarios, viz., current development (2014), medium-term future development (2015–2030) and long-term future development (2031–2050), were built. It was demonstrated that the model sufficiently represented surface water flow of the sub-basin. The results indicated that at the last year of scenarios (2050), there will be a 1.101 billion cubic meters (BCM), i.e., 10.3 %, reduction in the total annual flow of Didessa River. Besides, it was found out that some of the schemes in Anger, Dabena and Upper Didessa watersheds will have unmet demands at the last year of scenarios. Nonetheless, it was shown that IFR of 5.46 BCM will be fully delivered at the outlet of Didessa River; hence, no sub-basin wide absolute scarcity of water would develop.
11 Silva, E. I. L.; Manthrithilake, Herath; Pitigala, D.; Silva, E. N. S. 2014. Environmental flow in Sri Lanka: ancient anicuts versus modern dams. Sri Lanka Journal of Aquatic Sciences, 19:3-14. [doi: https://doi.org/10.4038/sljas.v19i0.7447]
Environmental flows ; River basin development ; Stream flow ; Irrigation systems ; Hydraulic structures ; Traditional technology ; Dams ; Weirs ; Reservoirs ; Water power ; Tributaries ; Diversion ; Modernization ; History / Sri Lanka / Mahaweli River Basin / Walawe River Basin / Kala Oya Basin / Yan Oya Basin / Maduru Oya Basin / Polgolla Dam / Neela Bemma Dam
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048033)
(0.65 MB) (660 KB)
Environmental flow describes the stream flow (quantity and regime) required to sustain upstream and downstream habitats, riparian vegetation, human livelihoods and wildlife. When natural rivers or tributaries are held back by weirs, anicuts, barrages or dams, for a variety of purposes such as diversion for irrigation, hydropower generation or flood control often the downstream flow requirement is ignored or neglected. Although there is no universally accepted definition, convention or law on environmental flow, it has been now recognized that environmental flow is essential for sustainability of riparian ecosystem and their services, which are essential for our own existence, livelihoods and many more. This paper looks at physical structures constructed across rivers and tributaries in Sri Lanka since ancient times to date (including mini-hydro power stations) with a view to understand whether simple ancient wisdoms are more appropriate than modern structures for nature conservation. There are tangible evidence to defend that the ancient anicuts known as “amuna” surged sufficient water in tributaries and rivers, to sustain the environment than modern engineering works which has created dead river beds immediately downstream in many streams and rivers.
12 Tourian, M. J.; Schwatke, C.; Sneeuw, N. 2017. River discharge estimation at daily resolution from satellite altimetry over an entire river basin. Journal of Hydrology, 546:230-247. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.01.009]
River basins ; Flow discharge ; Water levels ; Satellite observation ; Tributaries ; Hydrology ; Linear models ; Time series analysis ; Estimation ; Performance indexes ; Uncertainty ; Deltas / Mali / Guinea / Nigeria / Benin / Niger River Basin / Niger Delta / Benue River / Bani River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048040)
(5.12 MB)
One of the main challenges of hydrological modeling is the poor spatiotemporal coverage of in situ discharge databases which have steadily been declining over the past few decades. It has been demonstrated that water heights over rivers from satellite altimetry can sensibly be used to deal with the growing lack of in situ discharge data. However, the altimetric discharge is often estimated from a single virtual station suffering from coarse temporal resolution, sometimes with data outages, poor modeling and inconsistent sampling. In this study, we propose a method to estimate daily river discharge using altimetric time series of an entire river basin including its tributaries. Here, we implement a linear dynamic model to (1) provide a scheme for data assimilation of multiple altimetric discharge along a river; (2) estimate daily discharge; (3) deal with data outages, and (4) smooth the estimated discharge. The model consists of a stochastic process model that benefits from the cyclostationary behavior of discharge. Our process model comprises the covariance and cross-covariance information of river discharge at different gauges. Combined with altimetric discharge time series, we solve the linear dynamic system using the Kalman filter and smoother providing unbiased discharge with minimum variance. We evaluate our method over the Niger basin, where we generate altimetric discharge using water level time series derived from missions ENVISAT, SARAL/AltiKa, and Jason-2. Validation against in situ discharge shows that our method provides daily river discharge with an average correlation of 0.95, relative RMS error of 12%, relative bias of 10% and NSE coefficient of 0.7. Using a modified NSE-metric, that assesses the non-cyclostationary behavior, we show that our estimated discharge outperforms available legacy mean daily discharge.
13 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.
14 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.
15 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.
16 Wescoat, J. L. Jr.; Siddiqi, A.; Muhammad, A. 2018. Socio-hydrology of channel flows in complex river basins: rivers, canals, and distributaries in Punjab, Pakistan. Water Resources Research, 54(1):464-479. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/2017WR021486]
River basins ; Canals ; Tributaries ; Flow discharge ; Flow measurement ; Hydrology ; Social aspects ; Water supply ; Equity ; Irrigation scheduling ; International agreements ; Treaties / Pakistan / Punjab / Indus River basin / Indo-Gangetic Plains / Jhelum River / Chenab River / Hakra Branch Canal
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048589)
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/2017WR021486
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048589.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048589.pdf
(4.44 MB) (4.44 MB)
This paper presents a socio-hydrologic analysis of channel flows in Punjab province of the Indus River basin in Pakistan. The Indus has undergone profound transformations, from large-scale canal irrigation in the mid-nineteenth century to partition and development of the international river basin in the mid-twentieth century, systems modeling in the late-twentieth century, and new technologies for discharge measurement and data analytics in the early twenty-first century. We address these processes through a socio-hydrologic framework that couples historical geographic and analytical methods at three levels of flow in the Punjab. The first level assesses Indus River inflows analysis from its origins in 1922 to the present. The second level shows how river inflows translate into 10-daily canal command deliveries that vary widely in their conformity with canal entitlements. The third level of analysis shows how new flow measurement technologies raise questions about the performance of established methods of water scheduling (warabandi) on local distributaries. We show how near real-time measurement sheds light on the efficiency and transparency of surface water management. These local socio-hydrologic changes have implications in turn for the larger scales of canal and river inflow management in complex river basins.
17 Boving, T. B.; Patil, K. 2017. Riverbank filtration technology at the nexus of water-energy-food. In Salam, P. A.; Shrestha, S.; Pandey, V. P.; Anal, A. K. (Eds.). Water-energy-food nexus: principles and practices. Indianapolis, IN, USA: Wiley, pp.207-219.
Riverbanks ; Filtration ; Water resources ; Food security ; Food production ; Energy resources ; Nexus ; Wastewater treatment ; Surface water ; Solar energy ; Farmers ; Crop yield ; Tributaries ; Renewable energy ; Wells ; Energy resources ; Case studies / Jordan / India / Jordan River / Zarqa River / Sal River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H048749)
18 Hecht, J. S.; Lacombe, Guillaume; Arias, M. E.; Duc Dang, T.; Piman, T. 2019. Hydropower dams of the Mekong river basin: a review of their hydrological impacts. Journal of Hydrology, 568: 285-300. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.10.045]
Hydropower ; Dams ; Reservoir storage ; Water storage ; Water demand ; River basin management ; Hydrological factors ; Ecosystems ; Food security ; Living standards ; Downstream ; Mainstreaming ; Tributaries ; Energy generation ; Renewable energy ; Sedimentation ; Climate change ; Land cover change / China / Myanmar / Lao People's Democratic Republic / Thailand / Cambodia / Vietnam / Mekong River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048985)
Hydropower production is altering the Mekong River basin’s riverine ecosystems, which contain the world’s largest inland fishery and provide food security and livelihoods to millions of people. The basin’s hydropower reservoir storage, which may rise from ~2% of its mean annual flow in 2008 to ~20% in 2025, is attenuating seasonal flow variability downstream of many dams with integral powerhouses and large storage reservoirs. In addition, tributary diversions for off-stream energy production are reducing downstream flows and augmenting them in recipient tributaries. To help manage tradeoffs between dam benefits (hydropower, irrigation, flood control, domestic water supply, and navigation) and their consequences for livelihoods and ecosystems, we review observed and projected impacts on river flows along both the Mekong mainstream and its tributaries. We include the effects of diversions and inter-basin transfers, which prior reviews of flow alteration in the Mekong basin have largely neglected. We also discuss the extent to which concurrent changes in climate, water demand, and land use, may offset or exacerbate hydropower-induced flow alteration. Our major recommendations for assessing hydrological impacts in the Mekong and other basins undergoing rapid hydropower development include synchronizing and integrating observational and modeling studies, improving the accuracy of reservoir water balances, evaluating multi-objective reservoir operating rules, examining hydropeaking-induced flow alteration, conducting multi-dam safety assessments, evaluating flow indicators relevant to local ecosystems and livelihoods, and considering alternative energy sources and reservoir sedimentation in long-term projections. Finally, we strongly recommend that dam impact studies consider hydrological alteration in conjunction with fish passage barriers, geomorphic changes and other contemporaneous stressors.
19 Shah, Tushaar; Rajan, Abhishek. 2019. Cleaning the Ganga: rethinking irrigation is key. Economic and Political Weekly, 54(39):57-66.
River basin management ; Irrigation canals ; Water management ; Groundwater irrigation ; Irrigation programs ; Tube well irrigation ; Tributaries ; Sustainable development ; Agriculture ; Government ; Villages / India / Ganga Basin / Uttar Pradesh
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049384)
(1.23 MB)
Prioritising aviral dhara (uninterrupted flow) over nirmal dhara (unpolluted flow) can deliver quick outcomes in the Namami Gange Programme. Treating human, municipal and industrial waste released into the Ganga is a long-term project requiring vast resources and political energy, besides behavioural change on a mass scale. But, Ganga’s dry season flows can be quickly improved by basin-scale conjunctive management of the surface water and groundwater. Irrigation in the Ganga basin today depends on tubewells far more than canals. A multipronged protocol is outlined to manage the old canal network and new hydropower storages in order to maximise irrigation benefits and improve dry season river flows.
20 Jaiswal, D.; Pandey, J. 2021. Human-driven changes in sediment-water interactions may increase the degradation of ecosystem functioning in the Ganga River. Journal of Hydrology, 598:126261. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126261]
Rivers ; Sediment ; Water quality ; Degradation ; Metal pollution ; Heavy metals ; Ecosystems ; Biogeochemical cycle ; Dissolved oxygen ; Tributaries / India / Ganga River / Ramganga River / Varuna River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050507)
(7.73 MB)
While it is widely accepted that the magnitude of river water quality degradation depends upon the proportion of human interventions, the overall changes are ultimately the consequence of interconnected biogeochemical processes with poorly understood role of ecosystem feedbacks. Here, we conducted in situ and incubation experiments, considering a 620 km Ganga River main stem, two tributaries and two point source downstream locations for trajectory studies to analyze the human-driven changes in ecosystem feedback associated changes in ecosystem functioning of the Ganga River and its tributaries. The main stem coupled trajectory analyses show that benthic hypoxia/anoxia resulting from intensive human releases generates positive feedbacks (sediment-P and –metal release) to exacerbate the degradation of ecosystem functioning in the Ganga River and tributaries. We found 1.9 to 4.6 times higher rates of sediment-P release and about 1.1 to 3.7 times higher rates of sediment-metal releases at sites with DOsw < 2.0 mg/L. Excess release of phosphorus from sediment enhanced the eutrophy whereas sediment-metal release and bioavailability led to a sharp decline in microbial biomass and FDAase activity. The Carlson’s index, ecological response index, Dodds’s trophic state classification, and risk index support these results because the sites with benthic hypoxic/anoxic condition did show trophic state in eutrophic to hypereutrophic range and metal pollution in very high to extremely polluted and high risk category indicating significant effect of these drivers. The study, for the first time, showed that positive feedbacks exacerbate the degradation of ecosystem functioning in human-impacted large rivers. We suggest the need for increased efforts considering the magnitude and connectivity of positive feedbacks and associated repercussions for improving mechanistic understanding of their contributions to overall structural and functional shifts in the large rivers.
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