Decision support for integrated river basin management—Scientific research challenges

Integrated River Basin Management(IRBM)has been a long discussed way to sustainably manage water and land resources;yet,very few examples of effective IRBM are found because there is a lack of sufficient scientific support,as well as institutional accommodation,to successfully implement it.This paper overviews the major challenges with IRBM,the promising scientific approaches for the implementation of IRBM,and the areas of needed research,with considerable issues and experiences from China.It is expected that novel research will draw together disparate disciplines into an integrated scientific framework,upon which better modeling tools,stakeholder involvement,and decision-making support can be built.Cutting-edge new technologies will bring ideas of IRBM forward to theory and finally to practice.The paper will prompt scientists to undertake research to fill in the gaps in the current IRBM knowledge base and provide practitioners guidance on how to incorporate scientifically based information within the IRBM decision process.

Integrated river basin management in rapidly urbanizing areas:a case of Shenzhen,China

The rapid urbanization of China is causing a burden on their water resources and hindering their sustainable development.This paper analyzes effective methods to integrated river basin management(IRBM)using Longgang River basin of Shenzhen as an example,which is the city with the fastest rate of urbanization in China and even the whole world.Over the past 20 years,China has undergone a population boom due to the increase of immigrant workers and rapid development of laborintensive industries,which led to the sharp increase of water consumption and sewage discharge.However,the construction of the water infrastructure is still lagging far behind the environmental and social development,with only 32.7%of sewage in the district being treated.Currently,every water quality indicator of the Longgang River basin was unable to meet the required corresponding environmental standards,which further aggravated the water shortages of the region.Thus,an analytical framework is proposed to address the IRBM of the study area.The problems with the current management system include the lack of decentralization in decision-making,lack of enforcement with redundant plans,weak management capacity,financial inadequacy,and a poor system of stakeholder participation.In light of the principles of IRBM and the situation of the region,corresponding measures are put forward,including an increase of power given to sub-district offices,fewer but more feasible plans,capacity building among stakeholders,a combination of planning and marketing for overcoming financial inadequacy,and profound reform in the public participation system.The framework and institutional suggestions could inform similar processes in other representative river basins.

SWOT Analysis and Challenges of Nile Basin Initiative:An Integrated Water Resource Management Perspective

River Nile is one of the longest transboundery rivers and it is shared and used by Burundi,Democratic Republic of Congo,Egypt,Ethiopia,Eritrea,Kenya,Rwanda,Sudan,Tanzania and Uganda.As of today,the Nile is a crucial resource for the economic development of the Nile Basin countries and a vital source of livelihood for 160 million inhabitants as well as 300 million people living in the 10 riparian countries.The Nile Basin Initiative(NBI) is one of the international cooperative river basin management program and regional partnership where all the Nile Basin countries except Eritrea unite to pursue long-term sustainable development,improved land use practices and management.This review therefore focused on the challenges not faced on NBI in terms of integrated use of the river and conducted analysis of strengths,weaknesses,opportunities and threats(SWOT) based on secondary data.The result of the review revealed that for decades,the Nile Basin people have been facing many complex environmental,social,economic and political challenges that have made it difficult for the proper management and sustainability of Nile water.The initiative provides training to develop skills in government ministries,non-governmental organizations and local communities in each country.It is also working to raise awareness of critical environmental issues by strengthening networks of environmental education practitioners;developing curriculum in the education sector.The challenges of NBI include the involvement and funding of World Bank,lack of sufficient staff,procedural and policies conflicts,lack of coordination and linkage with other regional institutions and lack of recognition as river basin organization.Considering the complex nature of the project,it is recommended that the NBI should come up with a strong multi-disciplinary monitoring and evaluation team to follow up all implemented projects.The NBI should carry out participatory land use planning in communities along the river basin.Moreover,livelihood analysis should be carried out especially in communities along the Nile to come up with poverty eradication projects which are socially acceptable,applicable,economically viable and affordable.

The coordination of regional interest in developing river basin

River basin is a special region with the characteristics of entireO, and relation, regionality and dlversity, gradation and network, openness and dissipation etc. It is an important unit that organizes and governs national economy as well as a natural re, on. In river basin, all natural essential factors relate closely each other, and there is remarkable influence between inter-regions. In the process of developing river basin, the multiplex main interest body, the diverse interest demand and the multi-ways of interest realization constitute a complicated interest network, and result in various contradictions and conflicts. Therefore, egective regional interest coordination mechanism should be estabfished to coordinate various regional interest relations. They are the public interest realization mechanism, the fair interest assignment mechanism, the effective interest integration mechanism, the expedited interest expression mechanism and the reasonable interest compensative mechanism.

Application of WEAP Simulation Model to Hengshui City Water Planning

Like many river basins in China, water resources in the Fudong Pai River are almost fully allocated. This paper seeks to assess and evaluate water resource problems using water evaluation and planning (WEAP) model via its application to Hengshui Basin of Fudong Pai River. This model allows the simulation and analysis of various water allocation scenarios and, above all, scenarios of users' behavior. Water demand management is one of the options discussed in detail. Simulations are proposed for diverse climatic situations from dry years to normal years and results are discussed. Within the limits of data availability, it appears that most water users are not able to meet all their requirements from the river, and that even the ecological reserve will not be fully met during certain years. But the adoption of water demand management procedures offers opportunities for remedying this situation during normal hydrological years. However, it appears that demand management alone will not suffice during dry years. Nevertheless, the ease of use of the model and its user-friendly interfaces make it particularly useful for discussions and dialogue on water resources management among stakeholders.

A comparison of the water management systems in France and China

This paper compares legal systems for water management in France and China, with a focus on integrated water resources management and regarding in particular the formulation of policies and their implemen- tation. The research shows that China has committed itself to the efficient management of water resources through the development of various policy tools during the current period. This commitment, however, has often been interrupted and distorted by politics, resulting in the neglect of socioeconomic and environmental priorities. France has developed a legislative framework and practical instruments to apply integrated water resources manage- ment at the river basin level since the 1960s. This experience and the current implementation of the European Water Framework Directive brings elements that can contribute to Chinese society meeting its water challenges.

Forecasting the effects of EU policy measures on the nitrate pollution of groundwater and surface waters

We used the interdisciplinary model network REGFLUD to predict the actual mean nitrate concentration in percolation water at the scale of the Weser river basin （Germany） using an area differentiated （100 m × 100 m） approach. REGFLUD combines the agro-economic model RAUMIS for estimating nitrogen surpluses and the hydrological models GROWA/DENUZ for assessing the nitrate leaching from the soil. For areas showing predicted nitrate concentrations in percolation water above the European Union （EU） groundwater quality standard of 50 mg NO3-N/L, effective agri-environmental reduction measures need to be derived and implemented to improve groundwater and surface water quality by 2015. The effects of already implemented agricultural policy are quantified by a baseline scenario projecting the N-surpluses from agricultural sector to 2015. The REGFLUD model is used to estimate the effects of this scenario concerning groundwater and surface water pollution by nitrate. From the results of the model analysis the needs for additional measures can be derived in terms of required additional N-surplus reduction and in terms of regional prioritization of measures. Research work will therefore directly support the implementation of the Water Framework Directive of the European Union in the Weser basin.