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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'SECURING WATER'
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Bauer, Melanie. "Enhanced reservoir operation strategies for securing the water supply in water deficient regions /." Hannover : Inst. für Siedlungswasserwirtschaft und Abfalltechnik, 2006. http://bvbr.bib-bvb.de:8991/F?func=service&doc_library=BVB01&doc_number=015033167&line_number=0001&func_code=DB_RECORDS&service_type=MEDIA.
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Bellavita, Carvajal Pamela. "Food grows where water flows : securing water for agricultural production in a drought-stricken California." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/111366.
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Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2017.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 137-141).
The state of California carries a large percentage of the national food security as it is responsible for a considerable amount of the agricultural production consumed in the United States. As climate change causes further challenges for agriculture, it seems wise to work on developing resilience strategies for this industry. Most research on these topics has been focused on generating high-tech systems that require considerable amounts of energy and financial resources. However, the reality is that countries facing the biggest hurdles when it comes to these matters, do not have the necessary means to create sophisticated projects at large scales. The best option right now is to learn how to use drought management strategies and spatial patterns to allow for a better usage of water resources. This thesis explores how the spatial distribution and interaction of hydrological resources, geological features, climate patterns, topography and water infrastructure impact agricultural production in the Central Valley in California. Rather than developing one final solution, this thesis presents options, for further exploration, based on the specific conditions of California. This will allow readers to better understand how to improve water use and access for agriculture in a scenario of drought. The intention is for this approach to be replicable and adaptable so it can improve agricultural production and food security in other regions or countries facing similar conditions due to climate change.
by Pamela Bellavita Carvajal.
M.C.P.
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Olivier, Tomás, and Tomás Olivier. "Institutional Design and Adaptation in Regional-Scale Common-Pool Resource Institutions: Securing Access to High-Quality Drinking Water in Boston, New York, Portland, and San Francisco." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/625646.
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This dissertation develops and assesses hypotheses regarding the design and adaptation of institutions for maintaining the quality of a shared natural resource at regional scales. The analysis is centered on arrangements created by governmental actors for deciding how to jointly govern a resource producing high-quality drinking water. The cases studied are Boston (Massachusetts), New York City (New York), Portland (Oregon), and San Francisco (California). Drinking water in each of these cities is provided unfiltered, and it is sourced from lands located in other jurisdictions. To maintain water quality, both providers and landowners in the watersheds have reached agreements defining how to jointly govern the resource. This dissertation studies the design of these arrangements. Studying these dynamics, particularly in a federal regime, highlights the limits that governmental actors face in making decisions with other governments at different levels.
The dissertation contains three empirical papers addressing aspects of design in these arrangements. The empirical chapters are structured as separate papers that follow a common theme. Throughout the dissertation, insights from various research traditions are brought in to complement the analysis of institutional design. The studies in this dissertation combine arguments from the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework, Common-Pool Resource Theory, Transaction Cost Economics, social network analysis, Adaptive Governance, and theories of information processing stemming from the Punctuated Equilibrium literature in public policy.
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Chen, Yunnan. "The water margin : security and securitization in China's water crisis." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/44415.
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It is increasingly apparent that China’s freshwater availability and supply are becoming a serious constraint upon its developmental and human needs – to the point of internal crisis, as supply is set to peak by 2030. This has been a running trend alongside other environmental problems caused by the economic boom. Whilst China has made significant inroads in tackling water and environmental issues, this paper argues that water has been treated as a security issue in rhetoric and action. This paper employs the Copenhagen School framework to analyse how the government has securitized water resources, and also attempts to analyse the rationale and interests behind its response, using the lens of fragmented authoritarianism to explain the diverse emergent responses to water shortage within the state. The supply-side strategies the Chinese state has espoused as part of the securitization of water are also shown to be detrimental to its other environmental goals and political interests.
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Dios, Falk Carina. "The End of Water Scarcity? : Environmental Determinism and Water Security." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Kulturgeografiska institutionen, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-378708.
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Is there no development without water? Are arid and dry regions destined to face water scarcity? This essay argues that with globalisation and technological advancements in the water sector are making time and place less relevant for hydro securing societies. Instead, relevant for water insecure countries is the asymmetrical access to technologies and management. For instance, landscapes that are preconditioned to be dry are no longer determined to face water scarcity because of desalination industries such as in the case of Saudi Arabia. This paper will address the three following questions: a) What factors can explain water scarcity conditions in which they are not geographically preconditioned? b) In what ways have technological interventions created water security for societies living in geographically pre-conditioned physically water-scarce regions? c) Why is Saudi Arabia, a country who lack access to physical water sources such as rivers, lakes or groundwater not determined to become underdeveloped? The result from this qualitative research suggests that technological advancements does compress time and space and makes some societies living in dry and arid regions able to access fresh water from far distances. The example taken with the virtual water trading and the polar ice towing illustrates that with the capacity to invest in technologies may overcome environmental deterministic factors.
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Dalton, James B. "Transnational water resource management and environmental security /." Diss., ON-CAMPUS Access For University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Click on "Connect to Digital Dissertations", 2001. http://www.lib.umn.edu/articles/proquest.phtml.
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DANG, THUY PHUOC-VINH. "Water Security Remote Sensor Data Telemetry System." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1213206918.
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Iskandarani, Maria. "Economics of household water security in Jordan /." Frankfurt am Main ; New York : P. Lang, 2002. http://bvbr.bib-bvb.de:8991/F?func=service&doc_library=BVB01&doc_number=009613010&line_number=0001&func_code=DB_RECORDS&service_type=MEDIA.
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Osei-Asare, Yaw. "Household Water Security and Water Demand in the Volta Basin of Ghana /." Frankfurt am Main [u.a.] : Lang, 2005. http://www.gbv.de/dms/zbw/491615132.pdf.
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Zhao, Ke. "Australian water security and Asian food security: complexity and macroeconomics of sustainability." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/12771.
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The thesis focuses on the macroeconomics of sustainable development and the extension to energy, water and food security, using a system dynamics approach, i.e. the methods of differential equations systems with initial values. The work is divided into three related parts that build a narrative concerning the interaction between economics, policy, natural resources and society. First, after reviewing the concepts of complexity in environmental security, a simple system comprising three coupled differential equations is used to explain the effects of macroeconomic business cycles on the exploitation of ecological resources, and from this is inferred an implied importance of averting business cycles. The concept of entropy production is used to represent the exploitation of ecological resources. The second part establishes a system methodology inspired by Post Keynesian economics to develop the Murray-Darling Basin Economy Simulation Model that links food production/water users and food consumers at the micro scale, to the macroeconomic system dynamics. The goal of this study is to integrate and analyze the ecological-economic system in the Murray-Darling basin. The concepts of entropy production, useful work and income distribution are used as a bridge between the micro and macro subsystems. The system parameters are estimated using an ecological-economic data set for the Murray-Darling basin and for Australia (where data of the Basin are unavailable) from 1978-2005, and the model is validated using data from 2006-2012. The results reveal important structural linkages between the two subsystems and are used to predict the consequences of business cycles and government intervention for the coordination of growth and sustainability. The third, and final, part presents the development of an ``Asian Food Security Risk Engine'' that predicts the threat of civil unrest from food insecurity in Asian developing countries. A basal characteristics index for each developing country in Asia is defined and evaluated. Based on these measures, and introducing the concept of flow of anger, we use a differential equation system to integrate the threat of food security, the trigger for food riots, and food policy. The system parameters are estimated using a data set tracking indexes for threat, trigger and policy for Asian developing countries from 2006-2008, and the model is validated using data from 2009-2012. The results show the possible alternative approaches to simulating threat severity from food insecurity and are used to predict the threat of social unrest due to food security for a given country one month ahead.
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Van, Rensburg Francois. "Urban water security in the city of Windhoek." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50671.
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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2006.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Urbanisation is a complex phenomenon and is a trend witnessed across the globe. Africa particularly has been experiencing the world’s most rapid rate of urbanization and cities are faced with the resulting pressure on natural resources. Water is one of the resources under pressure and the provision thereof is complicated by the deteriorating quality and quantity thereof. This study takes a brief look at the water situation in a water scarce region in Africa and concentrates on the urban water supply sector. It takes an in depth look at the measures used to secure water supply to a city in this very dry part of the world. The area under study is Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, situated in the southwestern corner of Africa. Namibia is the driest country in Sub-Saharan Africa and is characterised by a semi-arid nature, which results in a very hot and dry climate with erratic rainfall patterns. Windhoek has a low average rainfall associated with very high evaporation rates. No permanent water bodies exist near the city and the bulk of Windhoek’s water supply comes from storage dams quite a distance from the capital. Most of these sources of supply have been developed and are nearing the limit of their potential. A desperate need therefore exists to develop reliable additional water resources to secure the water supply especially during periods of prolonged drought. The case study gives examples of the initiatives taken by water authorities to improve the security of supply and keep up with the growing demand in the city. These initiatives include a dual pipe system for the distribution of semi-purified sewage for irrigation, reclamation of domestic sewerage, aquifer recharge and the implementation of Water Demand Management principles. An analysis of the most efficient and cost-effective means of supply augmentation namely aquifer recharge, have been balanced against the potential water savings of Water Demand Management in the city. The study also takes a brief look at the principles of Integrated Water Resource Management and how it is incorporated in the strategies used to augment supply to the city. The research found aquifer recharge as the most efficient and cost-effective means to augment supply to the city and together with Water Demand Management creates an approach complying with the goals of Integrated Water Resource management. The study concludes by identifying gaps in demand management in the city. It also suggests relevant recommendations on how to increase the effectiveness of Water Demand management.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Verstedeliking is ‘n komplekse verskynsel en ‘n tendens wat regoor die wêreld voorkom. Die hoogste voorkoms van verstedeliking vind in Afrika plaas wat groot druk plaas op die natuurlike hulpbronne van stede. Water is een van die hulpbronne onder druk en die voorsiening daarvan word bemoeilik deur die verswakking van die kwaliteit en die beskikbaarheid daarvan. Hierdie studie konsentreer op die watersituasie in ‘n waterskaars streek in Afrika en die stedelike watervoorsieningssektor. Dit behels ‘n in diepte ondersoek na metodes wat gebruik word om die watervoorraad van die stad te verseker in hierdie droogte gesteisterd deel van die wêreld. Die gebied onder bespreking is Windhoek, die hoofstad van Namibië, wat geleë is in die Suidwestelike deel van Afrika. Namibië is die droogste land in die Sub-Saharastreek en word gekenmerk deur gereelde droogtes met ‘n gepaardgaande warm droë klimaat en onreëlmatige reënvalpatrone. Windhoek word gekenmerk deur ‘n lae gemiddelde reënval met ‘n baie hoë verdampingstempo. Geen permanente waterbronne kom in die nabyheid van die stad voor nie en die watervoorraad word gestoor in opgaardamme wat redelik ver van die hoofstad geleë is. Hierdie voorsieningsbronne is voortdurend in gebruik en die voorraad is beperk. Daar onstaan dus ‘n dringende behoefte aan betroubare bykomende waterbronne om voortdurende voorsiening aan die stad te verseker veral gedurende aanhoudende droogtes. Die gevallestudie konsentreer op voorbeelde en inisiatiewe wat deur die Water Owerhede geneem word om die voorsiening van water, aan die immergroeiende behoeftes van die stad te verbeter en te verseker. Hierdie pogings sluit in,‘n dubbele pyplynsisteem vir die verspreiding van halfgesuiwerde rioolwater vir besproeiingsdoeleindes, herwinning van huishoudelike rioolwater, herlaai van ondergrondse watervoorraad en die implimentering van wateraanvraag bestuursmaatreëls. Die geskiktste en mees koste-effektiewe metode van verhoogde watervoorsiening naamlik die herlaai van ondergrondse waterbronne, is ontleed, en die voordele opgeweeg teen die potensiële waterbesparing deur die Bestuur van Wateraanvraag in die stad. Daar is ook kortliks gekyk na die beginsels van Geintigreerde Water Bronne Bestuur en hoe dit by bestaande strategieë ingelyf is om uitbreiding van voorsiening aan die stad te verseker. Die navorsing het bevind dat die herlaai van ondergrondse waterbronne as die geskikste en mees koste-effektiewe metode beskou kan word om die verhoogde aanvraag van die stad die hoof te bied. Die studie word afgesluit deur die tekortkominge in die Water Aanvraagbestuur van die stad te identifiseer. Relevante aanbevelings word gemaak van hoe om die effektiwiteit van hierdie betrokke strategie te verbeter.
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Delbourg, Esther. "Achieving water security through cooperation and food trade." Thesis, Université Paris-Saclay (ComUE), 2016. http://www.theses.fr/2016SACLX077/document.
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Cette thèse de doctorat en économie s’inscrit dans le grand débat sur la rareté des ressources en eau et des impacts potentiels sur nos économies et notre sécurité alimentaire. Avec l’usage d’outils quantitatifs et économétriques, elle étudie les mécanismes de répartition de l’eau d’abord lorsqu’elle doit être partagée par plusieurs pays et ensuite lorsqu’elle est utilisée par l’agriculture et expédiée à travers les aliments sous forme virtuelle par le commerce international alimentaire.Le premier chapitre, co-écrit avec Prof. Eric Strobl, étudie les conflits de l’eau entre pays Africains situés en amont-aval d’un fleuve et contraints de partager la ressource. Entre 1949 et 2007 nous trouvons peu de traces de conflits, même si la paix est souvent contingente à une situation égalitaire en termes d’accès à l’eau. En effet, c’est l’asymétrie de l’approvisionnement qui est en jeu mais le pays en aval, défavorisé par sa position, arrive souvent à contrecarrer ce désavantage en exerçant une pression économique sur ses voisins (comme dans le cas de l’Egypte, à l’aval, face à l’Ethiopie). Nos analyses montrent également que l’absence de coopération ne présage en rien des coopérations futures, un résultat encourageant pour les bassins transfrontaliers où l’entente est encore difficile.Le deuxième chapitre, co-écrit avec Prof. Shlomi Dinar, s’intéresse à la question des avantages comparatifs liés à l’eau dans le commerce international alimentaire. En étudiant les flux commerciaux entre 1994 et 2007, on comprend que les pays les plus pauvres en eau sont bien obligés d’importer les produits qu’ils ne peuvent eux-mêmes produire sur place, faute d’eau. Il y a un bien un avantage comparatif à la ressource. En revanche, nous montrons qu’en termes de productivité-eau (la quantité produite par litre d’eau utilisé), les pays s’échangent des biens pour lesquels ils n’ont pas nécessairement d’avantage, voire bien le contraire. L’eau est donc négligée dans l’équation lorsqu’il s’agit des stratégies de production et d’exports.La thèse se penche ensuite sur ces pays pauvres en eau et pourtant souvent dépendants du secteur agricole. En particulier, le troisième chapitre s’inspire des théories qui suggèrent que le développement économique va de pair avec la diversification de la production et des exportations. Or un manque d’eau contraint nécessairement les pays dans leur stratégie de diversification. Nous montrons que les pays avec eau rare et une productivité-eau faible ne peuvent se développer par l’agriculture, à moins de se concentrer sur un petit nombre de produits. Investir dans des technologies de l’eau pour un nombre restreint de produits permet d’intensifier la production et d’avoir des externalités positives sur d’autres cultures potentielles. La concentration est donc souhaitable avant la diversification. Une meilleure gestion de l’eau (dans sa quantité et sa productivité) peut ainsi, à terme, être bénéfique pour le développement économiqueThis thesis contributes to the ongoing debate about whether water scarcity will lead to growing water conflicts and potential threats to food security. Using quantitative and econometric tools, it addresses the empirical allocation of water resources in the context of shared water and international trade of agriculture.Chapter 1, co-authored with Prof. Eric Strobl, studies transboundary water management between upstream and downstream African countries (1949-2007). We find very little evidence for water conflicts over the years, even though cooperation is likelier when there is little economic and water asymmetries between countries. We also show that wealthy downstream nations mostly take the lead in cooperation, allowing geographical asymmetries to be offset by economics. Results indicate that cooperation is independent from the past, meaning that transboundary basins with a history of tensions over water may likely cooperate in the near future.Chapter 2, co-authored with Prof. Shlomi Dinar, investigates whether countries produce and trade food according to their comparative advantage in water. Using panel data of bilateral trade at a global level (1994-2007), we find that the driest countries use trade as a means to alleviate water scarcity. Relative water productivity and food trade display an inverted u-shape, suggesting a threshold effect in demand and a disregard for water resources relative to the lack of other inputs (such as capital, technology or qualified labor) in water-scarce countries. Countries do not take water endowments enough into consideration when deciding about production and food is traded in the wrong direction, from less to relatively more water productive nations.Because agricultural-dependence is water-dependence, we end by asking whether water scarcity can be a threat to development. Chapter 3 shows that exports concentrate with growth but diversify with water availability. The interaction effect is positive, suggesting that countries, as they develop, concentrate on fewer products for which they have comparative advantage in water. As water intensive goods display lower subsistence in time in water-scarce countries, we argue that inefficient management of water prevents countries from developing and exiting the state of water/agriculture dependency and slow growth. We recommend that water-scarce countries focus on improving the water footprint of a small number of goods in order to trigger positive spillovers
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Hagar, Jennifer Linn. "An ORISE Fellowship with the U.S. EPA: Advanced Water Quality Modeling for Water Security." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1314299119.
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Shahi, Afshin, and M. Vachkova. "Water security and the rise of sectarian conflict in Yemen." The CRC Press, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/17557.
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Antonelli, Marta. "Water resources, food security and virtual water 'trade' in the Middle East and North African region." Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2015. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/water-resources-food-security-and-virtual-water-trade-in-the-middle-east-and-north-african-region(faf0ee78-56aa-46cf-9ab9-4e4c77f21fd4).html.
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The main purpose of this study is to analyse the relationship between water, food security and trade in the MENA region. Water and food security are inextricably linked because of the poor water endowments of the region and the high volumes of water needed to produce food commodities, which account for 90% of the water needed by societies. The concepts of virtual water and water footprints are deployed critically in the study. Estimates of water requirements to produce a targeted diet are related to total water resources locally available for food production. The purpose is to assess the capacity of MENA economies to meet their food needs. This element of the study is original in that it accounts not only for blue (surface and ground) but also green (soil) water resources. The MENA is not rich in green water resources but they do provide a substantial proportion of the water used in food production. The study also investigates the extent to which the region's economies have relied on virtual water 'imports' to meet their food needs over the past two and a half decades. It shows that the region’s economies have all become net virtual water 'importers’ and are dependent on global natural resources. Food, especially crops, account for the largest share (95%) of virtual water ‘imports’. The study shows that virtual water ‘imports’ mainly originate from outside the region, whereas 'exports' are regionalised. The study shows that the largest share of ‘imports’ is green and originates from Brazil, the USA and Russia. Finally, the study argues that water security is less dependent on water endowments than it is on the socioeconomic strength and diversification of the MENA economies. These capacities determine the level and effectiveness of water use of water and, most importantly, the capacity to ‘import’ virtual water.
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O'Boyle, Peter Cornelius. "Rethinking securitization : water scarcity and energy security in China." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/57780.
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This thesis explores the seriousness of the impact of water resource scarcity on China’s energy security. It starts from the premise that water resources are necessary for coal-fired energy production, which is itself crucial for maintaining China’s required power generation, and shows how increasing coal-energy demands and diminishing water resources have combined to threaten China’s energy security. To assess the seriousness of the threat it employs the securitization analysis frameworks proposed by the Copenhagen School and Mely Caballero-Anthony and Ralf Emmers, arguing that water resources were securitized in relation to energy in China’s ‘Three Red Lines’ Number One Document in 2011. Subsequently it analyses whether and to what degree securitization resulted in policy action and policy success with respect to two important topic areas: (i) geographical distribution of water resources vis-a-vis coal-fired energy production; and, (ii) efficiency of water resource use. It argues that consideration of such factors makes for a better understanding of the empirical situation and finds that securitization resulted in significant and degrees of policy action in both topic areas, and moderate and insignificant degrees of policy success in geographical distribution of water resources vis-a-vis coal-fired energy production and efficiency of water resource use respectively. In light of this, it argues that China is very concerned about the impact of water resource scarcity on its energy security. Moreover, in order to explain the discrepancies between securitization and degrees of policy success, it introduces new additions to the aforementioned securitization frameworks - potential constraints, structural feasibility issues, timeframes, and uncertainty - which the paper argues helps explain such discrepancies as well as improve understanding of the empirical landscape. As a result of this, it argues that these additions to the theoretical frameworks should be used in future studies of securitization.Arts, Faculty of
Political Science, Department of
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Ramirez, Christina M. "Water security and its importance in protecting public health." Scholarly Commons, 2012. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/820.
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Magsig, Bjørn-Oliver. "International water law and the quest for common security." Thesis, University of Dundee, 2013. https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/c08da455-ef7b-4879-95f7-9674df88c3ca.
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The world’s freshwater supplies are squeezed by rapidly increasing demand, the impacts of global climate change and unsustainable management. Given the fact that water is the gossamer linking various other security issues – e.g., energy, food and environment – it seems obvious that ‘business as usual’ in transboundary water management will threaten future global stability and endanger the very foundation of international security. Yet, the much needed radical new approach is missing. This is mainly due to the fact that addressing water insecurity is a highly complex task where multilevel and polycentric forces must be balanced and coordinated. The absence of law in much of this emerging debate highlights the necessity for further understanding and elucidation, especially from the legal perspective. This PhD thesis aims to add to the discourse by providing a fresh conceptualisation of water security and developing an operational methodology for identifying the four core elements of water security – availability, access, adaptability and ambit – which must be addressed by international law. The analysis of the legal framework of transboundary freshwater management based on this contemporary understanding of water security reveals the challenges and shortcomings of the current legal regime. In order to address these shortcomings, the present mindset of prevailing rigidity and state-centrism is challenged by examining how international legal instruments could be crafted to advance a more flexible and common approach towards transboundary water interaction. Here, the concept of considering water security as a matter of ‘regional common concern’ is introduced to help international law play a more prominent role in addressing the challenges of global water insecurity. Ways for implementing such an approach are proposed and analysed by looking at international hydropolitics in Himalayan Asia. At a time when international environmental law is said to be losing relevance, the growing complexity and interdependence between states demands a break with the prevalence of thinking in silos and within national borders. This PhD thesis analyses transboundary water interaction – the fault line of international conflict in the 21st century – as a ‘case study’ for advancing public international law in order to fulfil its responsibility of promoting international peace and security.
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Richards, A. C. "Knowledge-based framework for water security in crisis scenarios." Thesis, Coventry University, 2016. http://curve.coventry.ac.uk/open/items/b99add2a-17be-4398-85d6-5393647e3d53/1.
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This research addresses the need for efficient and effective management of water during any part of a crisis lifecycle, which is paramount if the negative impact on human health and quality of life is to be minimised. The unique contribution to knowledge is expressed through the creation of a framework for application of four key elements: Crisis Management, Knowledge Management, Public Health and Human Security within the realms of water resource utilisation during humanitarian crises. Through secondary data collection, the four key elements were identified. Primary data was subsequently gathered from subject experts in the form of semi-structure interviews that utilised a questionnaire to guide participants through the identified problem domain. This resulted in the creation of a draft framework that was critiqued by domain experts through both questionnaire and interview. A final framework was then constructed that took into consideration the needs expressed by all participants. The final framework was then tested against the historic crisis of Hurricane Katrina, for which a plethora of data and information was readily available, to ascertain its validity and applicability. Further work was identified as being the creation of an interactive toolbox of resources, which could be utilised in times of crisis based on need and applicability.
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Lee, Young Suk. "Water security : the need for physical and economic assessment." Thesis, Imperial College London, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/31547.
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Globally, availability of water of acceptable quality is under stress and only less than half of the predicted demand is likely to be addressed by improvements in water productivity and new water supply systems. In addition, climate change is having a significant impact on water resources and could cause catastrophic water related disasters. Water security is thus becoming a major pressing issue within the emerging global resource crisis. However, significant inconsistencies with the definition of water security have halted its use in practice, impeding the formation of a consensus on many water related issues. Water Security as a concept needs to contain and highlight several features including economic and other related risks. This thesis investigated the dual (economic-physical) nature of water security and introduced Economic Water Availability (EWA) as a term to complement its definition. Findings indicated that EWA dominates water withdrawal under conditions of severe physical water scarcity. They also demonstrated that there is a range where strong relationships between water related disasters and two selected economic factors, GNI per capita and GINI index, exist. These selected indices, which have been commonly accepted and well established, are advantageous in achieving social consensus on water security issues as well as providing adaptation solutions. Several desirable features of water security indices were also proposed including consideration of catastrophic events which are aggravated by climate change, simplicity ensuring effective communication, physical and economic variability, economic considerations and inequality. A simplified framework for water security assessment has been developed by adopting all those desirable features. The proposed framework is practical, simple and as it is based on research trend and requirements for interpreting current issues, it aims to allow policy makers to communicate these effectively to the general public. The findings of this study will also help many countries uncover critical areas in terms of water security and change their political priority.
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Taffarello, Denise. "Water security and ecosystem-based adaptation in the headwaters of Cantareira Water Supply System, Brazil." Universidade de São Paulo, 2016. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/18/18138/tde-05042017-091421/.
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Water quantity, availability and, particularly, quality of Brazilian freshwater is under progessive degradation due to Anthropocene\'s environmental changing conditions. Strategies of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) are essential to mitigate these impacts. This Ph.D. thesis proposes a new model of water resources management, thereby integrating selfpurification and ecohydrologic processes to evaluate ecosystem services from watershed under change. In Chapter 2, this thesis examinates the payment for hydrologic cosystem services (Water-PES) in Brazilian Atlantic Forest and points ecohydrologic variables useful for assessing and further valuing hydrologic services. In Chapter 3, this thesis discusses proposals for freshwater monitoring plan which integrate quali-quantitative aspects for EbA and Water-PES projects. Therefore, in Chapter 4 experimental quali-quantative freshwater data from in-situ field observations are investigated according land-use/land-cover (LULC) in headwaters of water supply systems. In Chapter 5, through simulated impacts on freshwater yield from scenarios of LULC change, the grey water footprint (greyWF) is assessed, as well as environmental sustainability of sub-basins is depicted from a new ecohydrologic index for assessing hydrologic services. The methodology is performed using through field sampling and lab-analysing of physico-chemical, biologic and hydraulic variables in nested sub-basins draining to the Cantareira Water Supply System, in Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais states, Brazil. These areas participate in the Water-PES projects Water Producer/PCJ and Water Conservator at headwaters of Piracicaba watershed, during recent severe drought conditions between years 2013-15. The greyWF is estimated from outputs of time series simulated through ecohydrologic model Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Under assumption of continuity of Water-PES projects, and using the same series of hydrometorological records for a common period (2008-2014), freshwater quali-quantitative impacts are performed through three LULC scenarios: past situation \"S1\" (year 1990), current situation \"S2\" (year 2010) and future situation \"S2+EbA\" (year 2035). From these scenarios, flow and load duration curves, mean water yields, greyWF and seasonal variabilities, were simulated. Through this research, continuous-monitoring Data Collecting Stations were installed in public-private partnership encompassing EESC/USP, ANA, CPRM, CEMADEN, SMA, TNC, WWF and local mayors. This continuous monitoring is addressed to increase the system resilience, based on better decision-making for water security, in strategic headwaters not only for water supply, but also for environmental conservation. This doctoral thesis brings contributions to a better comprehension of anthropic impacts on water resources and for strategies of EbA in front of progressive rates of losses of ecosystem services. This PhD. thesis was part of three research initiatives which partly granted activities: (1) Thematic Project FAPESP 2008/58161-1 \"Assessment of Impacts and Vulnerability to Climate Change in Brazil and Strategies for Adaptation Options\"; (2) \"INCLINE - INterdisciplinary CLimate INvEstigation Center\" (NapMC/USP Núcleo de Apoio às Pesquisas em Mudanças Climáticas) and (3) \"Água Brasil\" Project, Banco do Brasil Foundation, WWF Brazil, ANA & FIPAI/EESC-USP.A quantidade, a disponibilidade e, em particular, a qualidade da água doce está em degradação progressiva devido às mudanças ambientais no Antropoceno. Estratégias de adaptação baseadas em ecossistemas (EbA) são essenciais para reduzir estes impactos. Propõe-se um novo modelo de gerenciamento de recursos hídricos que integre a pegada hídrica cinza e processos ecohidrológicos para avaliação dos serviços hidrológicos em bacias hidrográficas sob mudanças. As etapas da pesquisa são: Capítulo 2 – análise dos projetos de pagamentos por serviços ambientais de proteção às bacias hidrográficas na Mata Atlântica brasileira e, no contexto de EbA, indicação de variáveis ecohidrológicas úteis na quantificação e futura valoração dos serviços hidrológicos; Capítulo 3 – desenvolvimento de plano de monitoramento ecohidrológico que integra aspectos qualitativos e quantitativos dos recursos hídricos para projetos de EbA; Capítulo 4 – provisão de dados experimentais de qualidade e quantidade da água, além de observações in-situ, para investigação das influências das mudanças de uso e ocupação do solo nas cabeceiras de mananciais, estratégicos para o abastecimento público e a conservação ambiental; Capítulo 5 – estimativas da pegada hídrica cinza para nitrato, fósforo total e sedimentos a partir do monitoramento de variáveis quali-quantitativas em bacias com diferentes condições de uso e ocupação de solo. Foi realizada a instalação de três Plataformas de Coleta de Dados, por meio de parceria entre EESC, ANA, CPRM, CEMADEN, SMA, TNC e WWF, visando aumentar a resiliência do sistema, decorrente de futuro aprimoramento da gestão, para a segurança hídrica. A metodologia incluiu coletas em seis diferentes períodos, durante dois anos, e análises das variáveis condutividade elétrica, cor, DQO, DBO5,20, nitrato, nitrito, nitrogênio amoniacal, fosfato, pH, turbidez, sólidos totais, coliformes termotolerantes, Escherichia coli, medidas de vazões e velocidades médias em seções transversais. O método foi aplicado em microbacias participantes dos projetos Produtor de Água/PCJ e Conservador das Águas, dentre outras, com áreas de drenagem entre 7 e 1.000 km2, que contribuem para a bacia do rio Piracicaba (12.530 km2). Dados primários, medidos em recente período de severa estiagem no Sistema Cantareira (2013-14), foram integrados aos bancos de dados de órgãos gestores federais e estaduais. A produção de água foi maior em sub-bacias menos florestadas. Foi possível aprimorar a regionalização de cargas poluidoras por área de drenagem na região do Cantareira. A pegada hídrica cinza (WF) foi estimada a partir de simulações no modelo ecohidrológico Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Curvas de permanência de vazões e carga poluidora por área de drenagem foram elaboradas. Supondo-se a continuidade dos projetos \"Produtor de Água/PCJ\" e \"Conservador das Águas\", foram investigados os impactos de cenário futuro de uso do solo. Finalmente, foi desenvolvido novo índice ecohidrológico para quantificação dos serviços hidrológicos e avaliação a sustentabilidade das sub-bacias, a partir da pegada hídrica cinza composta. Assim, usando ferramentas de vanguarda tecnológica (SWAT e WF), a tese fornece subsídios para uma melhor compreensão dos impactos antropogênicos sobre os recursos hídricos e novas estratégias de adaptação baseada em ecossistemas, frente às progressivas taxas de perda de serviços ambientais. Esta tese esteve vinculada a três projetos de pesquisa, dos quais obteve apoio financeiro: (1) Projeto Temático FAPESP 2008/58161-1 \"Assessment of Impacts and Vulnerability to Climate Change in Brazil & Strategies for Adaptation Options\"; (2) \"INCLINE - INterdisciplinary CLimate INvEstigation Center\" (NapMC/USP) e (3) Projeto \"Água Brasil\", Fundação Banco do Brasil, WWF Brasil, ANA e FIPAI/EESC-USP.
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Gurung, Thulo Ram. "Influence of Water Efficiency and Diversified Water Supply Schemes on Urban Water Infrastrucrure Planning." Thesis, Griffith University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367485.
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Water security is increasingly becoming a cause of concern in Australia with population growth and climate change set to exacerbate the variability of supply in both rural and urban regions. During recent drought conditions in Queensland there was a strong emphasis on water restrictions to reduce residential consumption, as well as water policy strategies such as modifying building codes to require all new residential and commercial buildings to conserve and/or substitute potable water. Additionally, there was a heightened emphasis on having an Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) approach to water management.
IUWM involves the use of alternative water supplies and demand management practices to ensure a sustainable approach to water management by integrating both the demand and supply-based management approaches. Within Queensland, mandatory regulations required residents to save on household water consumption by using alternative water measures in order to offset mains (potable) demand. The installation of rainwater tanks and the reuse of greywater, connected to toilets, cold water laundry and outdoor use, were some approaches adopted by householders to achieve the water saving targets. In addition, current mandatory regulations require new households to install minimum efficient rated water appliances to contribute to water savings.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Engineering
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
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Mrittika, Basu. "DEVELOPMENT OF A FRAMEWORK TO ATTAIN WATER SECURITY IN INDIAN RURAL AREAS." 京都大学 (Kyoto University), 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2433/215361.
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Torres, Jacob Manuel. "Analyzing risk and uncertainty for improving water distribution system security from malevolent water supply contamination events." [College Station, Tex. : Texas A&M University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2696.
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Ung, Hervé. "Quasi real-time model for security of water distribution network." Thesis, Bordeaux, 2016. http://www.theses.fr/2016BORD0015/document.
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Le but de cette thèse est de modéliser la propagation d’un contaminant au sein d’un réseau d’eau potable muni de capteurs temps réel. Elle comporte les trois axes de développement suivant: la résolution des équations de transport, celle du problème d’identification des sources de contamination et le placement des capteurs.Le transport d’un produit chimique est modélisé dans un réseau d’eau potable par l’équation de transport réaction 1-D avec l’hypothèse de mélange parfait aux noeuds. Il est proposé d’améliorer sa prédiction par l’ajout d’un modèle de mélange imparfait aux jonctions double T et d’un modèle de dispersion prenant en compte un profil de vitesse 3-D et la diffusion radiale. Le premier modèle est créé à l’aide d’un plan d’expériences avec triangulation de Delaunay, de simulations CFD, et de la méthode d’interpolation krigeage. Le second utilise les équations adjointes du problème de transport avec l’ajout de particules évoluant à l’aide d’une marche aléatoire, cette dernière modélisant la diffusion radiale dans la surface droite du tuyau.Le problème d’identification des sources consiste, à l’aide de réponses positives ou négatives à la contamination des noeuds capteurs, à trouver l’origine, le temps d’injection et la durée de la contamination. La résolution de ce problème inverse est faite par la résolution des équations de transport adjointes par formulation backtracking. La méthode donne la liste des sources potentielles ainsi que le classement de celles-ci selon leur probabilité d’être la vraie source de contamination. Elle s’exprime en fonction de combien, en pourcentage, cette source potentielle peut expliquer les réponses positives aux capteurs.Le placement des capteurs est optimisé pour l’identification des sources. L’objectif est la maximisation du potentiel de détection de la véritable source de contamination. Deux résolutions sont testées. La première utilise un algorithme glouton combiné à une méthode de Monte Carlo.La seconde utilise une méthode de recherche locale sur graphe.Finalement les méthodes sont appliquées à un cas test réel avec dans l’ordre : le placement des capteurs, l’identification de la source de contamination et l’estimation de sa propagationThe aim of this thesis is to model the propagation of a contaminant inside a water distribution network equipped with real time sensors. There are three research directions: the solving of the transport equations, the source identification and the sensor placement. Classical model for transport of a chemical product in a water distribution network isusing 1D-advection-reaction equations with the hypothesis of perfect mixing at junctions. It isproposed to improve the predictions by adding a model of imperfect mixing at double T-junctions and by considering dispersion effect in pipes which takes into account a 3-D velocity profile. The first enhancement is created with the help of a design of experiment based on the Delaunay triangulation, CFD simulations and the interpolation method Kriging. The second one uses the adjoint formulation of the transport equations applied with an algorithm of particle backtracking and a random walk, which models the radial diffusion in the cross-section of a pipe.The source identification problem consists in finding the contamination origin, itsinjection time and its duration from positive and negative responses given by the sensors. The solution to this inverse problem is computed by solving the adjoint transport equations with a backtracking formulation. The method gives a list of potential sources and the ranking of thosemore likely to be the real sources of contamination. It is function of how much, in percentage, they can explain the positive responses of the sensors.The sensor placement is chosen in order to maximize the ranking of the real source of contamination among the potential sources. Two solutions are proposed. The first one uses agreedy algorithm combined with a Monte Carlo method. The second one uses a local search method on graphs. Finally the methods are applied to a real test case in the following order: the sensor placement, the source identification and the estimation of the contamination propagation
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Asif, Muhammad. "Climatic Change, Irrigation Water Crisis and Food Security in Pakistan." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för geovetenskaper, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-211663.
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This study describes the effects of climate change on food security in agricultural dependent country,Pakistan. Based on secondary sources of data, the study found out the evidences of climate change and itssevere implications on already inadequate and depleted natural resources of the country. The major effectsof climate change are in terms of rise in temperature, variations in precipitation pattern, increasing glaciermelt,and increasing evaporation and increased irrigation water requirements. In addition, the report focuseson Pakistan’s irrigation structure and existent capacity, irrigation water crisis, trans-boundary waterconflicts (internal and external), food shortage and high inflation rate in food components. This shortage offood is mainly because of low-cropped productivity due to irrigation water crisis. Although the country hasworld’s largest integrated irrigation system, however, the water scarcity has made minds of farmers to shiftcultivation from water intensive crops like rice, wheat, cotton and sugarcane to low water required cropsand vegetables putting pressure on food market. Moreover, the crops yield is also less due to strongevaporation and the severity of temperature during long summer season. The constantly rising temperaturefor over last forty years coupled with variations in rainfall pattern often results into uneven surface wateravailability throughout cropping seasons. Further, extraordinary rise in temperature in mountainous regionof Pakistan, causes extra melting of glaciers along with uneven annual precipitation which frequentlyresults into flash floods with millions of people dislocated and loss of billions of worth in food, standingcrops and infrastructure. Pakistan’s population is increasing with over two percent growth rate; therefore,the chief staple foods like wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, and vegetables have become out of reach of poorpeople and have severe contingent social and economic implications in terms of further enhancing thevulnerability of poor marginalized segments of society.
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Rodrigues, Dulce Buchala Bicca. "Assessment of water security using conceptual, deterministic and stochastic frameworks." Universidade de São Paulo, 2014. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/18/18138/tde-18122014-094354/.
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A comprehensive assessment of water security incorporates a range of water-related concepts, since water policy issues to specific technical aspects of hydrological conditions and their interactions with societal needs and ecosystem functioning. This doctoral thesis is organized into three chapters that address such range of water security-related topics, aiming to establish a conceptual baseline and propose deterministic and stochastic accounting frameworks for a river basin water security evaluation. Specific assumptions and research questions are defined in each chapter, and are related to the management of \'Cantareira water supply system\' (located in Southeastern Brazil), focusing on different scales and on its political and hydrological aspects as well. The first chapter acts as a conceptual baseline for water security assessment, by examining general aspects of the Brazilian water policy and water allocation system. This study contrasts Brazilian and American water management systems applied to water transfer projects, discussing experiences from the \'Cantareira system\' and Colorado river basin. A deterministic accounting framework is presented in the second chapter, which is based on management of blue and green water kinds (defined in accordance with hydrological processes and storage types), and demonstrates how a quantitative analysis of provisioning and use (abstraction and consumption) of both water kinds can be conducted. An agricultural basin (291 km²) within the Cantareira water supply system (located upstream of the Cachoeira reservoir) was used to illustrate this approach. The impact of blue and green water use on median water resources conditions is accounted by the scarcity indicator, while the vulnerability indicator considers the probability of low availability of water resources. In the third chapter quantifies and discusses the impacts of uncertainties on water security indicators (proposed in the chapter 2), based on a multi-model and resampling framework, that considers several uncertainty sources including those related to: i) observed streamflow data; ii) hydrological model structure; iii) residual analysis; iv) Environmental Flow Requirement methods; v) the definition of critical conditions for water provision; and vi) the critical demand imposed by human activities. Then, the uncertainty is propagated through different methodological arrangements applied to the same study basin of chapter 2. In brief, the first chapter indicates that both Brazilian and American water management system can potentially contribute to each other. In the second chapter, the Blue/Green water-based accounting framework reveal clear spatial and temporal patterns of water scarcity and vulnerability levels within the basin, thereby improving our understanding of how and where water-related threats to human and aquatic ecosystem security can arise (so called hot-spots). The third chapter provide a general method that can form basis for meaningful support to end-users facing water resource challenges by enabling them to incorporate a viable uncertainty analysis into a robust decision making process. Further investigation are proposed in each research step of this doctoral thesis.A avaliação da segurança hídrica pode incorporar vários conceitos relacionados à água, desde aspectos da política de recursos hídricos até questões hidrológicas específicas e suas interações com a sociedade e ecossistemas. Esta tese de doutorado busca estabelecer uma base conceitual e propor esquemas metodológicos com base determinística e estocástica para avaliação da segurança hídrica de bacias hidrográficas. Objetivos específicos são definidos em cada capítulo e relacionam-se à gestão do \'Sistema Cantareira de abastecimento de água\' (localizado no Sudeste do Brasil), com foco em diferentes escalas, bem como aspectos políticos e hidrológicos. O primeiro capítulo é apresentado como baseline conceitual, examinando aspectos gerais da política de recursos hídricos e sistemas alocação de água. Este estudo compara sistemas de gestão aplicados a projetos de transposição de água inter/intra-bacias no Brasil e Estados Unidos, discutindo experiências do Sistema Cantareira e da bacia do rio Colorado. O segundo capítulo, por sua vez, propõe e analisa um esquema metodológico determinístico baseado na gestão das águas azul e verde (definidas de acordo com processos hidrológicos e unidades de armazenamento). Este estudo demonstra como uma análise quantitativa da provisão e utilização de ambos os tipos de água pode ser conduzida, propondo indicadores de escassez e vulnerabilidade hídrica. Esta abordagem foi aplicada em uma bacia agrícola (291 km²), localizada a montante do reservatório Cachoeira, que é integrante do Sistema Cantareira. O terceiro capítulo quantifica e analisa os impactos das incertezas sobre os indicadores de segurança hídrica propostos no capítulo 2, utilizando um esquema metodológico estocástico baseado em múltiplos modelos e reamostragem, que incorpora variadas fontes de incerteza, tais como: i) dados observados de vazão; ii) estrutura do modelo hidrológico; iii) análise de resíduos do modelo hidrológico; iv) estimativa de vazão ambiental; v) definição de condições críticas de provisão e vi) demanda hídrica. Em seguida, as incertezas são propagadas através de diferentes arranjos metodológicos aplicados na mesma bacia estudo do capítulo 2. Em conclusão, o primeiro capítulo sugere uma potencial troca de contribuições provenientes de ambos os sistemas de gestão brasileiro e americano. O segundo capítulo revela padrões espaciais e temporais dos resultados dos indicadores de escassez e vulnerabilidade, melhorando assim a compreensão de como e onde ameaças à segurança hídrica podem surgir. Por sua vez, a análise de incertezas desenvolvida no terceiro capítulo é capaz de gerar suporte a gestores de recursos hídricos e processo de tomada de decisões robustas. Recomendações específicas são geradas em cada capítulo da presente tese de doutorado.
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Yawson, David Oscar. "Climate change and virtual water : implications for UK food security." Thesis, University of Dundee, 2013. https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/8fb46e34-40c1-4b24-83f0-bfe7f8e011ed.
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Demand for both food and water are projected to increase substantially in the next four decades. Water scarcity is also projected to increase in scale and complexity. Climate change is projected to increase temperatures, spatio-temporal variability in rainfall, frequency and severity of droughts and soil water stresses to crops. Due to the crucial role of water in crop growth and yield formation, prolonged or severe soil water deficits in crop producing areas can result in substantial yield penalties. The potential of food trade to help address food insecurity as a result of insufficient water availability for crop production has been rationalized in the virtual water concept. The aim of this thesis was to improve the evidence base for understanding and evaluating the relationships between future water availability for crop production and food trade (or virtual water flows), and the utility of the virtual water concept to inform policy and management decisions on water-food security. The UK and barley were used as a model country and crop, respectively. Three crop growth simulation models (AquaCrop, CropWat and WaSim) were evaluated for their abilities to estimate the water use of 10 barley genotypes. Subsequently, the effect of projected climate change on UK barley yields in the 2030s, 2040s and 2050s was simulated using the high, medium and low emission scenarios data from the UK Climate Projections 2009 (UKCP09). Projections of total UK feed barley supply and demand were performed to quantify potential virtual water flows and to analyse the implications for food security and policy. The results show that the predicted water use of barley differed between the models but not among the genotypes. Predicted seasonal water use of the barley genotypes ranged from 241.4 to 319.2 mm. Based on the root mean square error (RMSE) and the index of agreement (D-Stat) values, CropWat performed poorly while AquaCrop and WaSim performed excellently. Barley yields under projected climate change increased substantially over baseline yields in all UK regions. Projected mean barley yields for the UK ranged from 6.04 tons ha-1 (2030s) to 7.77 tons ha-1 (2050s). In spite of the projected increase in yields, the UK faces the risk of large deficits in feed barley and meat supply from the 2030s to the 2050s due to a combination of population growth, increased per capita meat demand and reductions in land area allocated to barley production. Finally, current water scarcity concepts were found to be incompatible with water availability and consumption in crop producing areas, a situation that diminishes the usefulness of the virtual water concept for policy. To address this deficiency, a framework for making water scarcity compatible with crop production was proposed. In conclusion, the poor performance of CropWat has implications for its wider use in quantifying global virtual water flows associated with crop trade. Even though UK barley yields are projected to increase under projected climate change, the projected deficits in feed barley and meat supply threatens to destabilize future UK food security. The UK can rely on import to offset the large deficits in feed barley and meat supply but can use the proposed framework to reduce the effect of its imports on water scarcity in the exporting countries. The proposed framework improves understanding and evaluation of the role and usefulness of the virtual water concept in water-food security policy and management decisions.
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Lemos, Maria Carmen, David Manuel-Navarrete, Bram Leo Willems, Rolando Diaz Caravantes, and Robert G. Varady. "Advancing metrics: models for understanding adaptive capacity and water security." ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/622827.
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We explore the relationship between water security (WS) and adaptive capacity (AC); the two concepts are connected because achieving the first may be dependent on building the second. We focus on how metrics of WS and AC are operationalized and what implications they may have for short and long-term management. We argue that rather than static conceptualizations of WS and AC, we need to understand what combinations of capacities are needed as a function of how controllable key parameters of WS are and the types of outcomes we seek to achieve. We offer a conceptual model of the relationship between WS and AC to clarify what aspects of human-water interactions each concept emphasizes and suggest a hypothetical example of how decision-makers may use these ideas.
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Schur, Emilie Louise, and Emilie Louise Schur. "Household Water Security within a Transboundary Aquifer Basin: A Comparative Study in the US-Mexico Borderlands." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/624112.
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The US-Mexico border divides the communities of Palomas, Chihuahua and Columbus, New Mexico, but they remain intimately linked. Both communities suffer from inadequate social services, poor public infrastructure, high unemployment and high poverty rates. To confront these challenges, Palomas and Columbus work together, sharing resources like hospitals, firefighters, and even schools. Palomas and Columbus also share another vital resource—groundwater. In the parched Chihuahuan desert, the communities depend on this groundwater as their sole water supply source, yet their aquifer is contaminated with arsenic and fluoride. Local governments acknowledged this contamination as early as the 1970s, but it was not until the 2000s that they received the needed reverse osmosis technology and water/wastewater infrastructure to ameliorate household exposure to water contamination. This thesis compares how Columbus and Palomas have addressed water insecurity over a twenty-year period from 1996-2016, using a 1996 study as the baseline (Tanski et al. 1998). New data include a household survey of 152 households, 60 semi-structured interviews, and participant observations of water practices collected during two months of fieldwork in the summer of 2016. The central research questions of this thesis are Q1) What causes household water insecurity on the US-Mexico border? and Q2) How can water policymakers and providers more equitably provide users with access to clean, reliable, and affordable drinking water?
From a human development perspective, water security is defined as having an adequate supply of reliable and affordable water for a healthy life. This thesis uses a political ecological lens to more critically examine how water security connects to socio-political processes of water governance and power imbalances. Following Jepson (2014), this thesis argues that water (in)security is produced by problems in water access, water quality, and water affect (or water distress) and unfolds within a complex, hydrosocial landscape. Applying Jepson’s (2014) water security typology to Columbus and Palomas revealed that each local water utility adopted a distinct approach to addressing groundwater contamination, predicated on their financial and social resources, and structured by national and bi-national water policies as well as their institutional parameters. The survey found household water security has improved in terms of water access and reliability. But, centralized water filtration technology increased costs and reduced affordability in Columbus, while decentralized water filtration technology inadequately resolved household water supply contamination in Palomas.
Thus, despite the technological improvements, households remain unevenly exposed to water contamination and costs. This raises concern about approaches to water security, which should be more finely attuned to water equity. Water equity means the rights to access clean water are more equitably distributed within the communities, and there is greater recognition/participation of community members in decision making on water management.
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Zeitoun, Mark, Bruce Lankford, Tobias Krueger, Tim Forsyth, Richard Carter, Arjen Y. Hoekstra, Richard Taylor, et al. "Reductionist and integrative research approaches to complex water security policy challenges." ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/621212.
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This article reviews and contrasts two approaches that water security researchers employ to advance understanding of the complexity of water-society policy challenges. A prevailing reductionist approach seeks to represent uncertainty through calculable risk, links national GDP tightly to hydro-climatological causes, and underplays diversity and politics in society. When adopted uncritically, this approach limits policy-makers to interventions that may reproduce inequalities, and that are too rigid to deal with future changes in society and climate. A second, more integrative, approach is found to address a range of uncertainties, explicitly recognise diversity in society and the environment, incorporate water resources that are less-easily controlled, and consider adaptive approaches to move beyond conventional supply-side prescriptions. The resultant policy recommendations are diverse, inclusive, and more likely to reach the marginalised in society, though they often encounter policy-uptake obstacles. The article concludes by defining a route towards more effective water security research and policy, which stresses analysis that matches the state of knowledge possessed, an expanded research agenda, and explicitly addresses inequities.
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Xie, Xiongfei. "Operation Optimization and Water Quality Simulation of Potable Water Distribution System." Scholar Commons, 2014. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5406.
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A potable water distribution system (WDS) consists of pipes, pumps, valves, storage tanks, control and supporting components. Traditionally, it has two basic functions. First, provides end users with potable water at sufficient pressures and good water quality. Second, provides sufficient pressure and flow for fire fighting. Currently, potable water is still the least expensive material for fire fighting. To accomplish these two goals, water utilities have to consider the integrity and security of the water network. As a result, this research selected three research topics that are closely related to the daily operation of water utilities and water quality simulation.
The first study is on optimal sampling design for chlorine decay model calibration. Three questions are investigated: (1) What is the minimum number of chlorine sample locations a water network needs? (2) How many combinations of sampling locations are available? (3) What is the optimal location combination? To answer the first two questions, the mathematical expressions of the chlorine concentrations between any two sampling locations are developed and sampling point relationship matrices are generated, then a mixed integer programming (MIP) algorithm is developed. Once obtained, the solutions to the first two questions are used to calculate the chlorine decay wall reaction coefficients and sensitivity matrix of chlorine concentration wall reaction coefficients; then, sampling location combinations achieved in the second question are sorted using a D-optimality algorithm. The model frame is demonstrated in a case study. The advantage of this method, compared to the traditional iterative sensitivity matrix method, is that a prior knowledge or estimation of wall reaction coefficients is not necessary.
The second study is on optimizing the operation scheduling of automatic flushing device (AFD) in water distribution system. Discharging stagnant water from the pipeline through AFD is a feasible method to maintain water quality. This study presents a simulation-based optimization method to minimize total AFD discharge volume during a 24-hour horizon. EPANET 2.0 is used as hydraulics and water quality simulator. This is formulated as a single objective optimization problem. The decision variables are the AFD operation patterns. The methodology has three phases. In the first phase, AFD discharge capacities are calculated, whether existing AFDs are able to maintain chlorine residuals in the water network is also evaluated. In the second phase, the decision variables are converted to AFD discharge rates. A reduced gradient algorithm is used to quickly explore and narrow down the solution space. At the end of this phase, decision variables are switched back to the AFD operation patterns. In the third phase, simulated annealing is used to search intensively to exploit the global minimum. The method is demonstrated on the water system located at the south end of Pinellas County, Florida where AFD optimal operation patterns are achieved.
The third study is on simulating contaminant intrusion in water distribution system. When contaminant matrix is introduced into water distribution system, it reacts with chlorine in bulk water rapidly and causes fast disinfectant depletion. Due to the difficulties in identifying contaminant types and chemical and biological properties, it is a challenging task to use EPANET-MSX to simulate chlorine decay under contaminant attack. EPANET 2.0 is used in the study to accomplish this goal. However, EPANET 2.0 cannot directly simulate chlorine depletion in the event of contamination attack because it assigns one time-independent bulk reaction coefficient to one specific pipe during the simulation. While under contaminant intrusion, chlorine decay bulk coefficient is not a constant. Instead, it is a temporal and spatial variable. This study presents an innovative approach for simulating contaminant intrusion in water distribution systems using EPANET multiple times. The methodology has six general steps. First, test bulk reaction coefficients of contaminant matrix in chemical lab. The uniqueness of this study is that the contaminant matrix is studied as a whole. The investigations of chemical, biological properties of individual aqueous constituents are not needed. Second, assume the contaminants as nonreactive, using EPANET 2.0 to identify where, when and at what concentrations of the inert contaminants will pass by in the water network. Third, determine the number of chlorine residual simulations based on the results in step two. Fourth, use EPANET to simulate the chlorine residual in the water network without the occurrence of contamination. Fifth, assign contaminated bulk coefficients to contaminated pipes; use EPANET to simulate the chlorine residual in the pipe network. Lastly, the chlorine concentrations of the impacted moments of impacted junctions are replaced with the results calculated in step five. This methodology is demonstrated in the south Pinellas County water distribution system.
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Schal, Stacey L. "WATER QUALITY SENSOR PLACEMENT GUIDANCE FOR SMALL WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS." UKnowledge, 2013. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/ce_etds/13.
Full textAbstract:
Water distribution systems are vulnerable to intentional, along with accidental, contamination of the water supply. Contamination warning systems (CWS) are strategies to lessen the effects of contamination by delivering early indication of an event. Online quality monitoring, a network of sensors that can assess water quality and alert an operator of contamination, is a critical component of CWS, but utilities are faced with the decision of what locations are optimal for deployment of sensors. A sensor placement algorithm was developed and implemented in a commercial network distribution model (i.e. KYPIPE) to aid small utilities in sensor placement. The developed sensor placement tool was then validated using 12 small distribution system models and multiple contamination scenarios for the placement of one and two sensors.
This thesis also addresses the issue that many sensor placement algorithms require calibrated hydraulic/water quality models, but small utilities do not always possess the financial resources or expertise to build calibrated models. Because of such limitations, a simple procedure is proposed to recommend optimal placement of a sensor without the need for a model or complicated algorithm. The procedure uses simple information about the geometry of the system and does not require explicit information about flow dynamics.
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Perez, Huertas Daniel. "Cyber-Security and Safety Analysis of Interconnected Water Tank Control Systems." Thesis, KTH, Reglerteknik, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-55972.
Full textAbstract:
Over the last few years, wireless sensor networks have become an interesting tool for controlling processes. Their use in this field has significantly increased based on recent technological advances which permit higher computational power, smaller size and lower cost. This makes them very suitable for integration in large networks of hundreds of interconnected motes that work together being spread in huge areas. However, the wireless nature of these systems make them susceptible to remote attacks, for example by hackers. That is, the wireless devices can be externally manipulated to disturb the correct behavior of the process. In some critical facilities, such as, power plants, hospitals, factories using dangerous materials it is very important to ensure the resiliency and safety of the control system even if a hacker takes full control of some wireless nodes.
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Wenhold, FAM, M. Faber, Averbeke W. Van, A. Oelofse, Jaarsveld P. Van, van Rensburg WS Jansen, Heereden I. Van, and R. Slabbert. "Linking smallholder agriculture and water to household food security and nutrition." Water SA, 2007. http://encore.tut.ac.za/iii/cpro/DigitalItemViewPage.external?sp=1000820.
Full textAbstract:
Promoting household food security and reducing malnutrition rates of a growing population with the same amount of water
is a challenge facing South African nutritionists and agriculturalists alike. Apart from non-food related effects of agriculture
in general, the crop and livestock production practices of the South African smallholder farmer may have nutritional implications,
primarily when practised on residential land and resulting in home consumption. Yet, few studies have systematically
investigated the impact thereof. It appears that crop diversification, gender issues and nutrition education are among the
important factors that strengthen the link between agriculture and nutrition. Since food production is the most water-intensive
activity in society, nutritional water productivity (i.e. nutrition per volume water) of foods and the nutritional water footprint
of diets should be investigated in order to achieve a sustainable solution. This implies that both the demand for a diet consisting
predominantly of water-productive plant products, as well as the supply thereof, be addressed.
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Rangecroft, Sally. "Rock glaciers, water security and climate change in the Bolivian Andes." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/16886.
Full textAbstract:
Water security in the Bolivian Andes is projected to decrease with population growth and climate change. As one of the poorest countries in the region, Bolivia is particularly vulnerable to such changes due to its limited capacity to adapt. Key gaps exist in our knowledge of the Andean cryosphere, including a lack of information on alternative mountain water sources, such as ‘rock glaciers’. The presence and hydrological importance of these cryospheric features is unknown for the Bolivian Andes. Yet, with current and projected [ice] glacier recession forecasted to negatively impact water availabilty, it is important to gather data and understanding on these cryospheric landforms. Consequently, this PhD has created the first rock glacier inventory for the Bolivian Andes, estimated rock glacier water stores, assessed their hydrological importance in comparison to glaciers and modelled the implications of projected rising temperatures on rock glacier activity and permafrost extent. This information has contributed to scientific knowledge about the Bolivian cryosphere and, more specifically, has increased knowledge of the frozen store of water in rock glaciers in the arid mountains of Bolivia where future water security issues are expected in response to climatic change. The rock glacier inventory for the Bolivian Andes was built through expert photomorphic mapping of freely available, high resolution satellite data (Google Earth), supported by a programme of field work during July - August 2011 and July - August 2012. A total of 94 rock glaciers were found to exist in the Bolivian Andes between 15° and 22° S, of which 54 were classified as active, estimated to contain between 0.05 and 0.14 km3 of water. At the national scale, research demonstrated that Bolivian rock glaciers were not as relatively important as hydrological stores when compared to estimations of glacier water equivalences. At the regional scale, three study regions were identified and analysed: Cordillera Real, Sajama and Western Cordillera. Along the Western Cordillera where glaciers are absent, the hydrological stores of the rock glaciers could be considered important. With current and projected glacier recession, it can be assumed that the relative importance of rock glaciers will increase in the Cordillera Real and Sajama. Climate modelling of the the 0 °C isotherm as a proxy for permafrost extent also highlighted this projected decrease. The projected impact of this warming on permafrost extent is modelled to be a loss of up to 95% by 2050 and 99% by 2080 from present day extent. These results were disseminated back to residents of La Paz through a conference held in the third field season (2014). This research is valued as important as continued climate change and population growth are projected to reduce water security in arid regions of the South American Andes. Due to its elevation and high levels of poverty Bolivia is vulnerable to climate change with limited ability to adapt. Specifically for the city of La Paz, its heavy dependence on the glaciers of mountains for potable water supply leaves it particularly vulnerable, especially during the dry season.
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Ni, Y. "Non-thermal air plasma discharges for food and water security applications." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2017. http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3006532/.
Full textAbstract:
The use of cold atmospheric pressure plasma for applications related to microbial decontamination has grown enormously over the last decade. Non-thermal plasmas generated in ambient air contain a wide variety of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, or RONS. When such species interact with microorganisms they induce a number of biological changes, ultimately resulting in inactivation of the organism. This thesis focuses on the design, development, optimisation and application of air plasma systems for microbial decontamination. The aim of the work is to gain a better understanding of how RONS are produced in air plasma and how they are transported through different phases of matter, including gases and liquids. It is shown that RONS generation is highly dependent on the discharge conditions and two distinct modes of operation are observed. Downstream of the discharge, the transport of RONS to the sample region is of paramount importance as many highly-reactive species are lost. To address this challenge, the structure of the plasma generating electrodes was systematically studied to optimise the plasma generated air flow and therefore the transport of species downstream. Optimised electrode structures were shown to generate flow velocities in excess of 1m/s which is an order of magnitude improvement over transport by diffusion alone. Using the optimised plasma system, the impact of RONS in real decontamination scenarios linked to food and water security were considered. This included investigation of plasma decontamination of liquid samples, solid surfaces and tissues. It was shown that plasma decontamination can be extremely effective but many factors influence the efficacy of the approach. Microorganisms shielded within a liquid layer or by a complex surface morphology were shown to be particularly difficult to inactivate. Overall, this work has demonstrated that plasma can be a highly effective tool for microbial decontamination but careful consideration of both the discharge parameters and the sample properties is required to achieve the highest level of decontamination.
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Jabari, Samah. "Risk-based analysis of urban water security : application to Palestinian cities." Thesis, Lille 1, 2020. http://www.theses.fr/2020LIL1I017.
Full textAbstract:
Cette thèse concerne l'évaluation de la sécurité de l'eau au niveau urbain avec application sur le territoire palestinien. Elle s'appuie sur une approche semi-quantitative du risque. Des indicateurs et une méthodologie ont été établis à partir de la littérature et de l'avis d'experts. Les données ont été collectées auprès de l'Autorité palestinienne de l'eau, du Conseil de réglementation du secteur de l'eau et des villes palestiniennes. La méthode SWARA a été utilisée pour l'analyse des données. Les risques ont été exprimés en scores et niveaux et traduits en index. Le travail de thèse rconfirme que l'approche basée sur le risque combinée à l'indice de sécurité de l'eau constitue une méthode puissante pour traiter les risques liés à l'eau en milieu urbain. Cette approche fournit une bonne compréhension de la sécurité de l'eau et aide à prendre les bonnes décisions.La recherche a révélé que le niveau de sécurité de l'eau dans le territoire palestinien est entre alarmant et médiocre. Les ressources en eau ont le score de risque le plus élevé, suivies par la gouvernance de l'eau et les services de l'eau. Elle a abouti à la mise en place d'un nouveau système de gestion proactive du risque de sécurité de l'eau en milieu urbain en PalestineThis thesis concerns the critical issue of water security assessment at urban level with application on the Palestinian territory. It is based on the risk-based semi-quantitative approach. Indicators and methodology were established from the literature review and experts’ opinions. Data were collected from the Palestinian Water Authority, Water Sector Regulatory Council, and Palestinian cities. The SWARA method was used for data analysis. Risks were expressed in scores and levels and translated to index. The research confirms that the risk-based approach, combined with the water security index, constitutes a powerful method for addressing the urban water risks. It provides a clear understanding of the urban water security and helps in making the right decisions. The research revealed that the level of water security in the Palestinian territory is between alarming and poor. Water resources have the highest risk score, followed by the water governance and water services. It resulted in establishing a new system for proactive management of the urban water security risk in Palestine
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Attala, L. "The role of water in shaping futures in rural Kenya : using a new materialities approach to understand the co-productive correspondences between bodies, culture and water." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/35600.
Full textAbstract:
Using mixed methods and multiple sites, this thesis reflects on how water acts as a connective material through which socio-cultural, ritual, economic, and ecological relationships are formed and played out. By adopting a New Materialities approach the brute physicality of relationships is drawn into the foreground to illustrate the agency of materials and people as they co-produce each other together. By focusing on water's behaviours, this thesis demonstrates that distinctions typically placed between people and other materials are problematic and consequently require reconsideration. Therefore, in rejection of a human exceptionalist focus, this thesis attempts to level the representational 'playing field' between bodies and water so as to bring water into discourse as multi-species ethnographies have done for other entities. My research is geographically situated in both rural Wales and an outlying location in the Eastern Coastal Province of Kenya where creeping desertification is increasingly troubling subsistence for a group of Giriama horticultural-pastoralists. It examines the socio-economic, cultural and material consequences of regular piped water flowing into a community that until 2015 relied exclusively on a climatically governed water supply, alongside a series of phenomenological experiences had with water in Wales. I establish the role water plays in co-constructing Giriama authenticity and social life whilst simultaneously producing what can be loosely called an 'ethnography' of water. In combination, this thesis demonstrates how the material behaviours of water reveal it to be an active agent that co-produces the materiality, and the behaviours, of being human. The Wenner Gren Foundation supported the fieldwork for this research, under the title The Role of 'New' Water in Shaping and Regulating Futures in Rural Kenya.
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Mphaka, Mamofella. "A reservoir urban living room- Increasing water relatedness in Marabastad." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/78520.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation aims to investigate how architecture can improve water literacy and, thus, water conservation and security, by bringing the user closer to the building’s water processes and systems. The programmatic function of the building is an urban living room. Here, the dwellers of the adjacent social housing development – about 3000 people – will be provided amenities for mostly recreational purposes. Furthermore, the tens of thousands of people who travel into Pretoria CBD daily for various government services, will be provided with a place to pause, linger, and perhaps have something to eat. The architectural exploration aims to empower the user through the provision of basic water services and surrounding secondary services, whilst at the same time enhancing the everyday user’s relationship with, and reverence of, water. The two main water resources that will be focused on are rain roof water and storm water.
In an urban context where storm water runoff is currently treated as a destructive force and the water is discarded as quickly as possible from the city, the project will endeavor to harness this resource and utilise it to enhance the architecture. Similarly, roof rainwater will also be collected and utilised. The project will invite water into the building in various ways that enhance the climatic conditions within the building. Unlike in the traditional manner of waterproofing and keeping the water out of the building, these enhancing
processes will be made visible to the users of the building in order
to increase their understanding. This dissertation endeavors to add to the large body of research into the global quest for water security, underpinning itself in the context of the Marabastad, Pretoria.Mini Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2020.
Architecture
MArch (Prof)
Unrestricted
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Shinkovskaia, Anna. "The Role of Water Management in Peacemaking in the MiddleEast: case study of the Good Water Neighbors project." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för geovetenskaper, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-232547.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis seeks to explore the potential role of cooperation over water resources between Israel, Jordan and Palestine in facilitating the peacemaking process in the region. This was done by conducting an analysis of the Good Water Neighbors (GWN) project, an initiative launched by Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) in 2001 to raise awareness of the shared water problems that exist between the three conflicting parties. The primary data for this research was obtained through interviews with three FoEME’s employees, who are involved in the GWN initiative in Israel, Jordan and Palestine. It was concluded that while water cooperation at the NGO level can serve as a starting point for dialogue, it does not generate enough spillover into a wider political peace process in the Middle East at the moment. However, water cooperation at the NGO level has a bigger chance to contribute to peacemaking in the long term by gradually replacing politically defined and historically distrustful identities with a concept of a common environmental community, provided that development of shared perceptions and experiences through the means of the GWN project continues to be fostered. By significantly reducing the animosity and hostility, which have been mutually reinforced by the conflicting parties, the formation of the common identity through water cooperation would give stable ground to the traditional diplomacy, engaged in the region, to be able to continue the peacemaking efforts through conventional means of dialogue, mediation and negotiations in a more efficient and effective way. The success of the transition of the joint water management from simple cooperation at the NGO level to the peacemaking tool largely depends on whether the people in the region choose to harness the positive effects from water cooperation for the peace process in the Middle East.
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Garfin, Gregg, Robert Varady, Robert Merideth, Margaret O. Wilder, and Christopher Scott. "Metrics for assessing adaptive capacity and water security: Common challenges, diverging contexts, emerging consensus." ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/622654.
Full textAbstract:
The rapid pace of climate and environmental changes requires some degree of adaptation, to forestall or avoid severe impacts. Adaptive capacity and water security are concepts used to guide the ways in which resource managers plan for and manage change. Yet the assessment of adaptive capacity and water security remains elusive, due to flaws in guiding concepts, paucity or inadequacy of data, and multiple difficulties in measuring the effectiveness of management prescriptions at scales relevant to decision-making. We draw on conceptual framings and empirical findings of the articles in this special issue and seek to respond to key questions with respect to metrics for the measurement, governance, information accessibility, and robustness of the knowledge produced in conjunction with ideas related to adaptive capacity and water security. Three overarching conclusions from this body of work are (a) systematic cross-comparisons of metrics, using the same models and indicators, are needed to validate the reliability of evaluation instruments for adaptive capacity and water security, (b) the robustness of metrics to applications across multiple scales of analysis can be enhanced by a “metrics plus” approach that combines well-designed quantitative metrics with in-depth qualitative methods that provide rich context and local knowledge, and (c) changes in the governance of science-policy can address deficits in public participation, foster knowledge exchange, and encourage the co-development of adaptive processes and approaches (e.g., risk-based framing) that move beyond development and use of static indicators and metrics.
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Gaupp, Franziska. "Water security, droughts and the quantification of their risks to agriculture : a global picture in light of climatic change." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2017. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:a9a1a456-0f3f-4795-8b9d-149cd804aeb0.
Full textAbstract:
As a consequence of climatic change, climate variability is expected to increase and climate extremes to become more frequent. Rising water and food demand are further exacerbating the risks to global water and food security. The variability but also the spatial inter-connectedness in our globalized world make our systems more vulnerable to shocks and disasters. To sustain the global water and food security, more knowledge about risks, especially risks of simultaneous shocks is needed. This thesis maps and quantifies risks to global water and food security from a water-food-climate perspective. It starts on a global scale looking at water security in major river basins and then concentrates on major food producing regions of three important crops. The thesis explores how storage can buffer inter- and intra-regional hydrological variability. A water balance model is developed and used to find hotspots of water shortages and to identify river basins where more investment in infrastructure is needed to improve and sustain water security. Looking at food security, global wheat, maize and soybean breadbaskets are identified and used to estimate risks of simultaneous production shocks. Focusing on wheat, I apply different copula approaches to model joint risks of low yields. It is shown quantitatively that (i) it is important to include spatial dependencies in risks studies and that (ii) inter-regional risk pooling could decrease post-disaster liabilities of governments and international organizations. The last part of the thesis focuses on climate impacts on food production. Relevant climate variables for crop growth in the breadbaskets are identified and joint climate risks are estimated using regular vine copulas. It is shown that so far, only wheat has experienced an increase in simultaneous climate risks. In maize and soybean production regions, positive and negative climate risk changes are offsetting each other on a global scale. Looking at future projections, however, it is shown that under a 1.5 and 2 °C global mean warming, simultaneous climate risks increase for all three crops, especially for maize where the return periods of all five breadbaskets experiencing climate risks decrease from 16 to every second year. The findings of this thesis can inform policy makers, businesses and international organizations about risks to global water and food security resulting from climate variability and extremes. It indicates where policies and infrastructure investments are needed to maintain water security, it can assist in building inter-governmental risk pooling schemes and contribute to current climate policy discussions.
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Harding, William Russell. "The threat to South African water security posed by wastewater-driven eutrophication: a proposal for a new regulatory approach." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25302.
Full textAbstract:
The quality of South Africa's raw potable water resources is severely impacted by eutrophication (nutrient enrichment). As much as two-thirds of the reservoir impounded resource may be affected. Wastewater effluents and/or the integration of wastewater return flows as part of the water balances of many reservoirs constitute the primary source of this nutrient pollution. South Africa's historical awareness and understanding of the eutrophication threat to surface waters is comparable with that of other, similarly-afflicted, countries. In particular, the need to manage phosphorus was recognised as early as 1962 when South Africa promulgated one of the first (global) regulations for phosphorus in wastewater effluents. More recently, eutrophication has been ranked as a high priority by the the National Water Resource Strategy. Despite this background, phosphorus removal from wastewater effluents in South Africa remains virtually unregulated. Additionally, there is no resource-directed protocol for the accounting of all sources of phosphorus (or other pollutants) at a catchment level, rendering problematic, if not impossible, the fair and equitable allocation of levies on wastewater discharges. This dissertation examines how wastewater-originating eutrophication is regulated in the USA and Europe, with phosphorus as a central focus. A comparative assessment of the equivalent situation in South Africa is provided and the shortcomings of the latter highlighted. As a solution, I suggest an equitable and transparent scheme of pollutant accounting by individual source, ideally suited to the allocation of waste discharge levies. Applied against a specific resource requirement, for example an identified need to reduce phosphorus in a particular reservoir, this approach also provides a legally sound scheme for pollutant load regulation and permitting.
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Austin, Ryan Glen. "Detailed Water Quality Modeling of Pressurized Pipe Systems and Its Effect on the Security of Municipal Water Distribution Networks." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/202714.
Full textAbstract:
The current study expands on the body of knowledge associated with water distribution system security. The three main chapters focus on 1) the effectiveness of an incomplete mixing model (AZRED-I) with respect to multi-objective sensor placement decisions; 2) risk assessment as a tool for evaluating vulnerability and making sensor placement decisions; and 3) experimental verification of a combined axial-dispersion and incomplete-mixing water quality model (AZRED-II). The study concludes that water quality models do impact sensor placement decisions, especially in highly interconnected networks; that risk assessment is a valuable evaluation tool for providing information concerning a system's vulnerability to contamination and also information that can affect sensor placement decisions; and that AZRED-II is superior to other water quality models at predicting the spatiotemporal pattern of a pulse through a distribution network with cross junctions under laminar flow. The other sections of the study describe the connection that exists between water distribution security and water quality models.
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Hanna, Ramy W. Lofty. "Water security mercantilism? : transnational state-capital alliances & multi-level hydropolitics of land-water investments in Egypt and the Nile Basin." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2019. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/81219/.
Full textAbstract:
Conventionally, the question of Egyptian water security focused on state-centric transboundary hydropolitics within the larger context of the Nile basin. The presented research explores 'water security' beyond this 'state-centric epistemology', typically focusing on a singular scale of hydropolitical analysis. This dissertation examines the water (hydro) politics of transnational land-water investments (LWI) within Egypt and the larger context of the Nile river basin. Adopting a multi-site case study methodology, it critically examines the changing role of the state and the engagement of non-state actors in the silent appropriation of land-water resources through investments in farmlands abroad. The research methodology contextualizes how land acquisitions take several shapes and forms within Egypt (Old-New Lands and New Lands/Mega Projects), as well as in other Nile basin countries (e.g. Sudan). They also manifest land-water-food nexus interdependencies for both; profit and larger strategic objectives, through the formation of 'State-Capital alliances'. Deploying a case study of an international Emirati investor in Egypt, it shows how land-water investments are rooted in a larger socio-political project as part of the state's vision of horizontal expansion and land reclamation, to address its ecological-demographic narrative of crisis. The research also draws linkages between Egyptian water security and transnational investments in other Nile basin countries with a particular focus on the case of Sudan as part of its larger vision of the 'breadbasket of the Arab World'. However, while these State-Capital alliances are rooted in narratives of state modernization, security, and profit, they entail various tensions and trade-offs amongst different resources nexi and actors, thus masking larger questions of social justice and equity. These tensions often reflect the manufacture of abundance and translate into water grabs transcending multiple hydropolitical scales. The thesis argues that the changing role of the "entrepreneurial state" and the engagement of non-state actors in transnational land-water investments manifest a transition from the hydraulic mission towards water security mercantilism. I argue that "water security mercantilism" denotes water grabbing, which overrides the conventional understanding of the hydraulic mission (water control by the state); towards a broader understanding of the role of non-state actors and international investors in accessing water, thus creating their own private resources security nexus. Hence, drawing on development studies, hydropolitics, and political economy scholarship, this dissertation broadens out the analysis of Egyptian water security beyond singular-scale state-centric hydropolitical debates; towards a multi-level polycentric analysis of water security, central to which are the farmers, the investors, and the state itself. This implies that transnational land-water investments not only influence small farmers through the reproduction of scarcity on the local level, but also influence the hydraulic mission of the state on the national level, and the larger Nile basin transboundary hydropolitics.
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Khalaj-Teimoury, Masoud. "Environmental Impacts on Guam's Water Security and Sustainable Management of the Resource." Thesis, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10787879.
Full textAbstract:
Impacts of climate change on the already severely strained freshwater resources of approximately 1000 inhabited islands in the Pacific Ocean are of great concern. The Western Pacific region is one of the world’s most vulnerable when it comes to risk of disaster particularly for the several of the low-lying coral islands. Impacts have already been felt regarding the security of water resources that would directly impact agriculture, forestry, tourism and other industry-related sectors. The ironic and tragic aspect of the environmental crisis of greenhouse emissions is the fact that those parts of the world least responsible for creating the water security issues are the first to suffer its consequences. Pacific Island Nations are responsible for only 0.03 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, and the average island resident produces only one-quarter of the emissions of the average person worldwide.
Utilizing the historical data, the evidence of change in water quality and access on Guam has been examined. All indicators except for the precipitation support the hypotheses that climate change trends are impacting Guam’s water security. This will eventually weaken Guam’s resilience. As a result of this research and its recommendations, a sustainable freshwater resources management plan, for a water-secured Guam can be produced. Adaptive management provided here is based on a process that can measure the resilience of Guam to the issue of water security.
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Alba, Avril. "Water in Israel and the occupied territories : towards a comprehensive security agenda /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1994. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09AR/09ara325.pdf.
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Cooper, James. "Managing phosphorus in the UK water industry to increase national resource security." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2015. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/5764/.
Full textAbstract:
Phosphorus is an essential, irreplaceable component of the food production system. Most of the phosphorus applied in agriculture comes from phosphate rock, a finite, non-renewable resource. Therefore, there are growing concerns about global phosphorus scarcity and the sustainability of modern agriculture. The aim of this research was to determine if the UK water industry will be required to increase the amount of phosphorus that is recycled from wastewater. This research involved conducting an extensive literature review and gathering data from secondary sources, which was then analysed to address the guiding research questions. This analysis suggests that phosphorus recycling could be increased, but changes to existing legislation and infrastructure will be required. The substance flow analysis revealed that the water industry is a key stakeholder in UK phosphorus management, and the intensifying geopolitical risk to security of supply suggests that increased phosphorus recycling will be required in the near future. Finally, a Phosphorus Recycling Obligation scheme was developed as a means of optimising investments and achieving recycling targets. It is concluded that the UK water industry will be required to increase the amount of phosphorus that is recycled from wastewater in the near future in order to address national resource security.
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Cortés, Calderón Sofía Valeria. "Embracing complexity: Dynamics governing urban drinking water supply security in Mexico City." Thesis, Stockholms universitet, Stockholm Resilience Centre, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-188976.
Full textAbstract:
Drinking water supply insecurity is globally on the rise, and prevalent in most low and middle-income urban areas. Multiple responses have emerged to cope with the lack of a reliable and equitable supply of safe and sufficient drinking water in cities, which presents a wide range of social-ecological implications. Yet, many of the analyses to date are focused on predominantly technological, ecological, and economic perspectives, overlooking broader cultural and political dimensions. What are the elements and the interrelationship between them that sustain the lack of drinking water supply security at an urban scale? The empirical case study is located in Mexico City, the capital city of one of the most drinking water-insecure countries globally and among the world’s five largest metropolitan areas. Qualitative data is elicited from a literature review and semi-structured interviews with key experts and urban stakeholders. The results provide an integrated understanding of the proposed system structure that created and maintain the water supply problem in the long-term. Hindrances include knowledge lock-ins and critical dynamics that inhibit the political support to transition towards a drinking water security scenario. This study shows that drinking water supply crisis in the study area and other cities with similar conditions need to be understood as multi-dimensional and from a system perspective, by challenging underlying assumptions and embracing interconnectedness. Key feedback mechanisms are presented in causal loop diagrams, allowing the exploration of higher-order leverage points to reduce existing path-dependencies as one increasingly important research area, and potentially relevant for decision-makers.