WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT MODELS (TOPIC 3:2) GE: 340

WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT MODELS

•      Integrated water resource management

•      Models for local government engagement in iwrm

 

Integrated water resource management

Is the practice of making the decisions and taking actions while considering multiple view points of how matter should be managed?

These decisions and actions relate to situations such as;

·        Basin planning

·        Planning of new capital facilities

·        Controlling reservoir releases

·        Regulating flood plains and

 Developing new laws and regulations

The decision for making process that uses IWRM is normally very long and involves many participants.

The need for multiple viewpoints is caused by competition for water and complex institutional constraints

 

THE COMPONENTS AND VIEWPOINTS OF IWRM

·        Water resources management

·        Purpose and service

·        stakeholders groups

·        Government and interest groups.

·        Disciplines of knowledge.

Integrated WRM begins with the term “Water resources management” which aim to manage/ control both natural and man-made water resources for beneficial uses.

Human-made systems and elements of natural water systems work together in water resources systems to achieve the water management purpose.

Human-made systems are of two types

1.     Structural components

2.     Nonstructural components

•      Structural components/water-control facilities  

Control water flow and quality. They include conveyance systems (channels, canals, and pipes), diversion structures, dams and storage facilities, treatment plants, pumping stations, HE plants, and wells. 

•      Non structural measures  (which do not require constructed facilities)

Are; pricing schedules, zoning, incentives, public relations, regulatory programs, and insurance

Elements of natural water resources systems include;

The atmosphere, watersheds (drainage basins), stream channels, wetlands, floodplains, aquifers, lakes, estuaries, seas, and the ocean.

IWRM consider the view points of water management agents with specific purposes, governmental and interest groups, stakeholders who are coming from different geographic regions, and disciplines of knowledge. 

IWRM considers three aspects of water (water surface, ground water, quality and quantity) which are

•      Interactions of water land and environment

•      Social interrelationships and

•      Economic development

INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (IWRM)

-Meaning of IWRM

-Components/view points of IWRM

•      Meaning of IWRM= the process of managing water while all the different uses of water resources are considered together.

•      Components of IWRM= WRM, governments& interest groups, stakeholders, different disciplines& different geographical regions & the purpose 

CHALLENGES OF INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

   Answer for qn. 11

‘’Discuss the Challenges to Water resources Management Integration’’.

§  -governments& interest groups,

§  -different geographical regions &

§  -different disciplines&

Governmental and interest group

 

Accommodating the views of the government and  interest groups is a challenge in IWRM because of their different perspectives.

Governmental groups themselves

 Inter government agencies at the same level include regional inter relations; state to state relations etc.

The relationships btn the levels of the government at the national level and the local government. It is very difficult to integrate  ideas from all these groups.

Interest groups

These range from those favoring development of resources to those favoring preservation. In many

Cases, conflicts arise between the same types of interest groups, as, for example, between fly fishers and rafters (by boat) on a stream.

Geographic Regions

 

The views of stakeholders in different locations must be balanced in introducing a geographic dimension of integration.

 Example issues between upstream and downstream stakeholders and views of stakeholders in a basin of origin versus those in a receiving basin. All these should be balanced

Interdisciplinary Perspectives

 The complexity of integrated water resources management requires knowledge and wisdom from different areas of knowledge, or disciplines. Blending knowledge from engineering, law, finance, economics, politics, history, sociology, psychology, life science, mathematics, and other fields can bring valuable knowledge about the possibilities and consequences of decisions and actions.

It becomes very difficult to accommodate all their different views together.

For example, engineering knowledge might focus on physical infrastructure systems, whereas sociology or psychology might focus on human impacts.

Local government engagement in water resources management

 

The whole idea of this model is to direct how the local government can be incorporated in the process of managing the water resources.

It can be engaged by the following ways

 1. Engaging with new integrated water resources management institutions

2. Implementing integrated water resource management principles through local actions

These two ways are also called models for local government engagement in IWRM.

  

Engaging with new integrated water resources management institutions/ full”, or institutional-based, IWRM

This model argues that planners should involve the local gvt leaders in the planning of the new policies, in the revision of the water laws and in the board of the new established institution.

-This calls for developing governance structures in which all groups are represented and linked, and for local government to engage within these institutions.

Implementing IWRM principles through local actions/ “light” or principle-based IWRM.

 This principle is calling for adopting, following and implementing the underlying WRM principles  in the day to day water usage in which  local gvt is engaged.

The idea behind the principle-based approach, is that if all sub-sector and all stakeholders in water management try to apply good WRM practice at their own level, in their own work, this will in turn lead to the emergence of better local level water resource management.

These two approaches are not mutually exclusive. In fact, in most situations it will make sense for local governments to follow both approaches simultaneously (Moriarty et al.,2004). Engaging with new IWRM institutions and Implementing IWRM principles through local actions).

QUESTION:

  Discuss the contention that ‘’Engaging with new IWRM institutions and Implementing IWRM principles through local actions approaches’’ are not 


 

3:3 COST AND BENEFIT ANALYSIS/CBA OF WATER PROJECTS

 COST AND BENEFIT ANALYSIS/CBA OF WATER PROJECTS

Ø Meaning CBA

Ø Relationship between CBA and water project

Ø Environmental valuation

Ø Costs are disadvantages or loss

Ø Benefits are the advantages or gains

3:3=Disadvantages and advantages assessment of water project.

 

The coast and the benefits are defined according to the satisfactions of the wants.

 If something meets the wants then it is the benefit but if it detracts/goes away from wants it is the cost.

Anything is a benefit if it improves human well being and anything is a cost if it reduces human well being

 

Relationship between CBA and Project

CBA is an economic tool for evaluating all relevant costs and benefits of an investment, reflecting the total impact of a project on society as a whole.

The project should only be accepted only if summation of (Benefit – the cost) is greater than zero.    ∑     B - C> 0

As a social decision rule for accepting the implementation of the project we need to know what everyone prefers.

If everyone prefers the project then we have no problem.

 If many prefer the project we also have no problem.

If half of the people prefer and half not you need to prepare the individual gain and costs (losses).

A cost benefit analysis is a straight forward when all costs and benefits are measured in monetary terms.

Much of the environmental resources including water are non market goods and services, making it difficult to assign money values to these environmental goods.

There is need to have an idea of economic value of environmental assets.

•      Environmental Valuation

 

Is the process of putting monetary values on environmental goods and services, many of which have no easily observed market prices, Example putting the monetary values for things likes enjoying the good weather, visiting the national park, swimming in the river etc. 

Importance /role of environmental valuation

•      Determine the people’s preferences. People differ in preferences. Example how much people are willing to pay for the existence of wood land in their environment?

•       Provide the means of quantifying the benefits that people receive and the costs that the people are likely to incur if a particular resource is going to be degraded or loss.

•      It answer the following questions

o   How much the environment is worth and to whom it is worth.

o   How can we efficiently and equitably finance its conservation?

o   How does degradation and loss lead to cost to different stakeholders?

o   How would you ensure that the people take into account the benefits and cost of the loss of that particular resource when they are doing the economic activities?

o   How do we influence policy planning and decision making with regard to natural resources.

QUESTION:

Explain the role of environmental valuation in water resources management.