20th
INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE
13-18 October 2008, Lahore, Pakistan
Conference Secretariat, 506-WAPDA House, Lahore, Pakistan. Tel : +92 42
9202538, Fax : +92 42 9202154, E-mail : icid@icid2008.org,
Website : http://www.icid2008.org.
[Lahore Declaration] [N.D. Gulhati Memorial Lecture for International Cooperation In Irrigation and Drainage]
| Question 54 | Plenary
Report - Sustainable Integrated Water Resources Management General Reporter: Dr. Hussam Fahmy (Egypt) |
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Sustainability of
integrated agriculture is typically threatened by water scarcity and soil
degradation. Climate change, emerging world wide food crisis and bio-fuel
production will probably add to the viciousness of these threats. As recognized
by the participants of the ICID 20th Congress at Lahore, Pakistan, IWRM
paradigm provides hope that may be the only, to achieve sustainability
for irrigated agriculture. However, IWRM is a concept that does not, at
least easily, render itself for implementation. Management of water
resources system is a complex process that requires extensive data and
information. Such requirement is magnified and diversed when integrated
paradigm is adopted. In most of the developing countries reliable data
information, or estimates on the different components of water resources
system, not to mention related socio-economic and ecological systems,
are not available. Also, research results dissemination and field uptake
seem to be very weak. Support and capacity building are need in these
areas is indispensable step towards IWRM implementation in the developing
and least developed countries. Under the serious
threats to irrigated agriculture and magnifying factors, utilization agriculture
of marginal water and soils has become a fact. Therefore, planning, design,
and operation of land reclamation projects and irrigation systems, have
to take into account this new fact. Simultaneous planning and design of
irrigation and land drainage systems, is one of the most important factors
to achieve the widely accepted approach of Integrated Water Resources
Management (IWRM). If limited water supply
or the vulnerable cultivated soils are term of irrigated agriculture equation,
drainage role in IWRM becomes more significant. However, introduction
of the drainage typically takes place after encountering salinity or water
logging problem. Capacity of the drainage sinks in terms of quantity and
quality could be the main determinate of the reclaimed land area, cropping
pattern, water management scheme, and agricultural practice. Simultaneous
design and planning could help very much phasing the drainage infrastructures
according to the different phases of land reclamation and progress in
the cultivated area. It is obvious; from
the thesis made by the papers that reuse of drainage and marginal water
is inevitable. However, the focus of most of the papers was on salt as
a sole or main soil and water pollutant, which is not a valid concept
anymore. Results on the short term impacts are not enough and long term
has to be studied and investigated thoroughly. Therefore, costly environmental
monitoring programs need to be launched. By default single
purpose reservoirs or hydraulic structures does not suit the IWRM concept.
Moreover, conjunctive use and operation of the water resources system
elements is primary step for integration. More surface capacity and optimized
reservoir management are crucial for IWRM successful implementation. |
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| Question 55 | Plenary
Report- Roles of Public and Private Sector in Water Management General Reporter: Dr. Gao Zhanyi (China) |
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In many countries
institutional reforms in irrigation and drainage system management towards
stakeholder-controlled management are on-going. Transfers of systems,
or of responsibilities are especially taking place in the Asia, Central
and South America, Central and Eastern European Countries. In the countries
with a transition economy, specific problems concern: (i) such as the
layout of the systems, which is mostly based on the former large-scale
type of agricultural production, (ii) the transfer of irrigation system
management from the traditional government agencies towards water management
agencies and water users associations, (iii) the funding of modernization
and resulting operation and maintenance, (iv) lack of good governance,
(b) unaffordable pumping systems and (vi) environmental degradation. In light of the above
considerations and issues, papers for Q55 were invited on the following
sub-topics: 55.1 Performance of irrigation and drainage systems after
modernization/privatization; 55.2 Socio-economic aspects of agriculture
production in developing countries; and 55.3 Technical, technological,
economic and legal aspects of management and use of water resources of
trans-boundary (interstate) rivers. The number of papers
accepted for Q55.1, Q55.2 and Q55.3 were 19, 3 and 4, respectively. The papers under Q55.1
could be classified into 7 categories: 6 papers for institutional reform,
2 papers for management model study and application, 2 papers for monitoring
and management of irrigation system, 2 papers for design of irrigation
and drainage system, one paper for testing of new drain envelopes materials,
2 papers for evaluation and benchmarking of irrigation system operation,
3 papers for experience and progress of modernization and rehabilitation
of irrigation systems. The four papers were
presented for Q55.3. The paper from India stressed the need of rethinking
the rationale to identify important factors/parameters of water like utility-based
classification, economic value of its productive use, exchange of other
natural resources, sharing of environmental impacts, etc. that can improve
the acceptability of any agreement among entities for sharing the valuable
resource of water. The paper from the Netherlands described the need to
build a strong trust relationship among the various entities sharing a
trans-boundary river. The level of trust determines the validity and usefulness
of any agreement among the entities. The level of trust also determines
how effective water resources are managed in an international context.
The paper from China demonstrated the need for properly managing water
resources of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) to improve power production
and international trade among the various riparian countries of the Mekong
River. The activities behind the GMS Cross-Border Transport Agreement
and the Inter-governmental Agreement on Regional Power Trade and the effect
these activities have on International Water Law are the main focus of
this paper. The paper from Pakistan discussed the idea that through properly
addressing the technical, technological, economic and legal aspects of
managing trans-boundary water resources, the sharing nations/states would
be able to ensure proper conservation, development/management and protection
of the trans-boundary waters. The legal and protected agreements would
thus be the most effective tool for promoting the optimal and sustainable
utilization of the water resources for the present and future generations. Participatory Integrated
Water Management was considered essential to the sustainable development
of irrigation. Government, management agents, WUA, farmers and other stakeholders
need to join together to achieve the common objectives: increasing sustainability,
efficiency, productivity and profitability of the irrigation systems.
The major roles of
Government included: providing leadership, working out policy and legal
arrangement, making institutional arrangement, enhancing capacity building,
providing financial support. The major roles of management agents include:
Modernization of irrigation system, operation and maintenance of main
structures and canals system; linkage between government and WUA and farmers;
technical support to WUA and farmers; supervising and Monitoring of system;
collection of water fees from WUA. The major roles of
WUA included: Rehabilitation of on farm canals and structures; Operation
and maintenance of on-farm structures and canals system; Collection of
water fees from farmers. There are a number
of opportunities and challenges to implement modernization and institutional
reforms in the irrigation sector. The opportunities included: Food security
is an increasing world problem; Food price is rising; Bio-fuel development
is speeding up; Climate change highlight the importance of Irrigation
and drainage. There is huge scope for modernization and institutional
reforms in irrigation and drainage sector. The challenges include poor
and aged infrastructure, mismatch of institutions, shortage in investment,
low productivity and profitability, complexity of integrated water management,
especially trans-boundary water resource management. Transfer didn't mean
to transfer all responsibility of whole system to WUA and farmers. The experiences have
shown that the government itself could not maintain the sustainability,
productivity and profitability of the irrigation systems without the active
involvement of stakeholders, especially farmers. Farmers or Water User
Associations may not be in a position to modernize and manage irrigation
systems without the support and leadership from government, especially
for the medium and large irrigation schemes. Transfer meant to transfer
the responsibility and/or ownership of parts of the systems from the government
to WUA and farmers. Government, management agents, WUA, farmers and other
stakeholders needed to join together to achieve the common objectives:
increasing sustainability, efficiency, productivity and profitability
of the irrigation systems. |
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| Special Session |
Report
- Implications of Global Changes on Irrigation and Drainage System Development
and ManagementProf.
Dennis Wichelns (USA) |
|
The goals of the Special Session were to describe the likely impacts of global climate change on irrigation and drainage system management, and to generate discussion of technological and policy innovations that might encourage wise management of land and water resources, given those expected impacts. The Special Session was conducted as scheduled on Monday, October 13, with about 50 persons attending in the Main Hall of the Conference Center. Prof. Dennis Wichelns, Session Chairman, opened the session with prepared remarks in which he described the importance of managing the world's land, water, and air resources wisely, particularly in light of recent global changes and trends. Dr. Wichelns noted that the world's natural resources represent "natural capital" that can be used wisely or allowed to depreciate, just as financial capital can be invested wisely or squandered over time. Dr. Wichelns described how global climate change can cause rapid depletion of natural capital, such as the loss of biodiversity, depletion of the ozone layer, and the melting of glaciers that feed major rivers in some areas. At the same time, the unwise use of resources can deplete natural capital prematurely, while also influencing the pace of global climate change. For example, our use of fossil fuels depletes a non-renewable resource, while also adding carbon to the atmosphere. Depletion issues also pertain to our use of many minerals and our use of groundwater from fossil aquifers. Each unit of consumption permanently reduces our stock of natural capital. Dr. Wichelns concluded his remarks by suggesting that irrigation and drainage specialists must redouble their efforts to encourage wise management of the world's land and water resources, particularly in this age of global climate change. We must ensure that our natural capital is protected and used wisely to provide food and fiber, and support urban and rural livelihoods throughout the world. Most of humanity has a keen interest in the sustainable management of the world's natural capital. This is especially true for many rural residents of developing countries who depend on natural resources for a large portion of their household income and food security. The five speakers who followed Dr. Wichelns's opening remarks described examples of technological and policy innovations that might be helpful in managing the world's natural capital in sustainable fashion. Dr. Ray-Shuan Wu described the distribution of rainfall in the Taoyuan irrigation area in northern Taiwan, which includes nearly 25,000 hectares of land. Dr. Wu and his co-authors compared the period 1958 to 1999 with the period from 2000 to 2005, noting that both the frequency of continuous rainy days and the frequency of continuous clear days have decreased in recent years. As a result, the authors suggest that the amount and distribution of annual rainfall are changing in the Taoyuan area. Such information should be helpful to planners and managers of irrigation and drainage systems, particularly in Taoyuan, where rice production is the primary agricultural activity. Successful adaptation to global climate change within the agricultural sector will require the appropriate combination of high-quality scientific research, development of new production methods, technological advances, and supportive policy measures. Dr. Felix Reinders described the role of irrigation technology in agricultural production in South Africa, noting particularly how farmers have improved irrigation efficiency. Such gains might become particularly important, as farmers in many regions are required to adapt to changes in water supply conditions as a result of global climate change. Technological advances will be important also in some of the world's largest irrigated areas, such as the Indus Valley of Pakistan. Dr. Abdul Sattar Shakir described canal management along the Upper Chenab Canal, which serves a command area of 620,000 hectares. The warabandi system of irrigation has been used throughout history in the region, where some observers consider the aggregate irrigation efficiency to be less than 50%. Dr. Shakir and his co-author proposed several measures for improving water management along the Upper Chenab Canal, including adoption of improved technologies, the lining of major and minor canals, and promoting changes in cropping patterns. The implications of global climate change will vary among countries and regions. Yet agricultural practitioners and policy makers might benefit by considering several concepts and strategies that acknowledge the general nature of climate change. Dr. Hafied Gany described some of these concepts and strategies, while considering also the notions of mitigating and adapting to climate change. As Dr. Gany suggested, the specific implications of climate change are difficult to predict, and they might require costly and complicated responses. In the near term, while waiting for specific implications to become more evident, policy makers might seek to implement measures that will enhance the ability of the agricultural sector to respond to climate change over time. In the final paper of the Special Session, Dr. Illahi B. Shaikh described current irrigation and drainage practices in Pakistan, and plans for modifying those practices to accommodate global climate change. He focused particularly on the role of higher technology irrigation practices that might be adopted to improve efficiency in a region where global climate change might be reducing water availability, over time. Dr. Shaikh and his co-author presented statistics depicting a decline in annual water availability, particularly during 1999 through 2003. At the same time, the demand for water has increased in Pakistan, causing concern about maintaining a balance between supply and demand as the country's population continues to increase, and as the economy continues to expand. Each of the authors
generated notable discussion among participants at the Special Session.
The apparent enthusiasm for discussing global climate change reflects
the importance of this issue, particularly among irrigation and drainage
specialists. In a small and positive manner, the Special Session has contributed
to enhancing the understanding of some of the complex issues that must
be addressed as we adapt our resource management strategies in response
to global climate change. |
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| International Workshop of the Working Group on Young Irrigation Professionals Forum (WG-YPF) | |
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As per the scheduled plan the international workshop of the Working Group on Young Irrigation Professionals Forum (WG-YPF) was held on 17 October 2008 at Lahore, Pakistan under the chairmanship of Dr. Maurits Ertsen (The Netherlands) with the support of PANCID. The workshop was conducted in two sessions and about 35 participants were present. The following papers were presented during the workshop:
Amongst the various presentations made, the paper presented by Mr. Faisal Nadeem Saher, titled "Selection of Hydraulic Structures for Spate Irrigation System" was selected as the best paper. He was awarded a certificate to recognize his contribution. PANCID also distributed plaques to each presenter. |
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| Strategy Theme | Presentation
on the Strategy Theme (On-Farm) Dr. Saeed Nairizi, Vice President Hon, ICID |
| A. CONGRESS THEME | Participatory
Integrated Water Resources Management - From Concepts to Actions |
Integrated water
resources management is an issue of very high significance as it involves national
and global assets of great socio-cultural, ecological and economic values. The
prevailing system of uncoordinated water resources management cannot sustain
the ever increasing water needs of the various expanding sectors, therefore,
a strategy must be sought to integrate the various sectoral needs against the
available water resources in order to attain both economic and ecological sustainability.
Participatory approach with the stakeholders needs to be established on several
key issues. Capacity building of stakeholders on water natural resources management
policies, water rights and enforcement of laws would be an important input for
a participatory integrated water resources management where roles and responsibilities
have to be ironed out.
CONGRESS QUESTIONS
| QUESTION 54 | Sustainable Integrated Water Resource Management |
Integrated planning and management provides the most rationale basis for optimal development of water resources. There are large temporal and spatial variations in the three main sources of water i.e. the surface water, precipitation and groundwater. Despite large potential for the development of all the three sources of water, there are some constraints in their optimal development. Specific character of integrating mechanism should be especially identified and highlighted. The policy framework for development of integrated water resources management structure should uniquely suit the nature of water resources, institutional setup, socio economic conditions and cultural practices. Equitable and demand based water availability dictates that integrated management of water resources be carried out.
Water is a limited natural resource. Only about 3% of the world's total water resource is fresh (non saline) water, of which roughly one-third is inaccessible. The rest is unevenly distributed. In many areas, the existing water resources are increasingly contaminated with wastes and pollution from industrial, agricultural and domestic sources. Over the years, rising population, growing industrialization, and expanding agriculture have led to a rising demand for water. South Asia is one of the most densely populated regions of the world. It houses roughly one-fifth of the world's population, and this share is likely to increase to one-fourth of the total world population by the year 2025. The economies of the countries in the region are heavily dependent on agriculture. There is a strong and growing need to ensure sustainable integrated water resources management for agriculture, domestic and industrial needs, as well as for preservation of the environment. Contributions are invited in this question under the following sub-topics.
| 54.1 | Knowledge
base, information management and dissemination of research in developing countries |
River basins constitute highly complex interconnected ecosystem. When a dam or barrage is constructed, the water and sediment cycles are changed dramatically. When water is diverted onto deserts, the water and salt balances seek new equilibrium. In systems so massive and complex (e.g. Indus River basin) the generation and smart use of knowledge are the keys to adaptive management. High quality and consistent data is required for sound planning. There are many agencies and institutions collecting land and water-related data in most of the developing countries. Various organizations carry out research on a vast range of topics, particularly on latest techniques and methodologies for optimal use of irrigation water as part of the conservation strategy for the integrated water resource management. However, the data that is collected is not generally consolidated by any one agency and is often not easily available when needed by planning and implementing agencies, project stakeholders and the public. There is need to improve knowledge base by developing a national planning database which will support an integrated information system in order to plan and develop the water resources on a sustainable basis. Such a system needs to be based on modern lines and efficient procedures for collection, processing, retrieval and dissemination.
| 54.2 | Design and operation of irrigation systems for use of treated and partially treated wastewater, saline water or soils - limitations and opportunities |
There is a desperate shortage of fresh water. More water resources must be reserved for drinking each year while growing populations also boost the demand for agricultural products. In an effort to supply the needs of the populations for water, food and produce; gray water, run-off water and saline water resources are being used for farming. The quality natural water resources have generally been degraded by untreated/ partially treated municipal and industrial wastewater, rising watertable resulting in waterlogging and salinity,and inadequate disposal of drainage effluent. These are the major problems that have been infused into the irrigation system. For sustainability of the irrigated agriculture, it is imperative to design and operate the irrigation system based on use of treated and partially treated wastewater, saline water or soils. Considerable research has been carried out on this subject, which needs to be shared to provide opportunities to the affected land to become productive. This has spurred the search for new crops that tolerate saline, brackish and poor quality water. Attempts are being made to introduce salt tolerant, water saving crops which would require to design and operate the irrigation system in a more sustainable manner.
| 54.3 | Conjunctive operation of storage reservoirs for multi-purposes |
Demand for water is steadily increasing throughout the world with rapid growth in population. Freshwater resources are limited and unevenly distributed. Seasonal variations and climatic irregularities in flow impede the efficient use of river runoff, with flooding and drought causing problems of catastrophic proportions. Dams can make a significant contribution towards efficient management of water resources.
Multi-purpose storage reservoirs play a pivotal role in integrated water resources management by providing water for irrigation, domestic and industrial water supply, hydropower generation, flood control, recreation, inland navigation and fish farming.
| 54.4 | Experiences on impacts of climate changes on water resources |
There is uncertainty with respect to the prediction of climate change at the global level. Although the uncertainties increase greatly at the regional, national, and local levels, it is at the national level that the most important decisions would need to be made. Higher temperatures and decreased precipitation would lead to decreased water-supplies and increased water demands; they might cause deterioration in the quality of freshwater bodies, putting strains on the already fragile balance between supply and demand in many countries. Even where precipitation might increase, there is no guarantee that it would occur at the time of year when it could be used; in addition, there might be a likelihood of increased flooding. Any rise in sea level will often cause the intrusion of salt water into estuaries, small islands and coastal aquifers and the flooding of low-lying coastal areas; this puts low-lying countries at great risk. The most important impacts of climate change would be the effects on the hydrologic cycle and on water management systems and, through these, on socio-economic systems. Increase in incidence of extremes, such as floods and droughts, would cause increased frequency and severity of disasters. What seems likely is that climate change will increase the variability of already highly variable rainfall patterns, requiring greater investments in managing both scarcity and floods.
| 54.5 | Mineral tolerant plants in waterlogged and saline lands |
Waterlogging and salinity are rendering agricultural land useless all over the world at a very rapid pace. According to the projections of Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, 25 per cent of the agriculture land in the world will be rendered useless due to salinity in the next 25 years; and by 2050, it is feared that 50 per cent of the land will turn saline. Since reclamation of land is a costly and time-consuming process, efforts are on to develop genetically-engineered crop varieties.
One of the methods
is the Bio-Saline Approach which offers better use of saline land and saline
water on a sustained basis through the profitable and integrated use of genetic
resources and improved agricultural practices. The utilization of saline land
and water for agriculture and afforestation is now becoming an important element
for the developing as well as the under developed countries with salinity, sodicity
and waterlogging problems. The approach has recently been adopted in Pakistan
for productive use of degraded lands. This approach involves revegetation of
saline and waterlogged land through growing salinity and waterlogging tolerant
crops, trees, grasses and saltbushes.
| QUESTION 55 | Roles of Public and Private Sectors in Water Resources Development and Management |
In many countries institutional reforms in irrigation and drainage system management towards stakeholder-controlled management are on-going. Transfers of systems, or of responsibilities are especially taking place in the following regions:
These transfers may require quite different approaches. In the emerging developing countries there is generally a farmers population and until recently the main responsibility for operation and maintenance was generally in hands of the Central Government. In such cases the transfers concern the transfer of responsibility and may be of ownership of parts of the systems from the government to the farmers, and /or irrigation or drainage agencies. In the countries with a transition economy, specific problems concern: the layout of the systems, which is mostly based on the former large-scale type of agricultural production, the transfer of irrigation system management from the traditional government agencies towards water management agencies and water users associations, the funding of modernization and resulting operation and maintenance, lack of good governance, unaffordable pumping systems and environmental degradation. In some of the countries there is even not a clear farmers population. These issues make the transfer process quite complicated.
| 55.1 | Performance of irrigation and drainage systems after modernization/privatization |
After modernization/privatization irrigation and drainage systems will be operated and maintained under a different environment. Generally there are different responsibilities at main and filed system levels. Also new legislation will generally be applicable. In several cases changes in cropping patterns are being observed. Experience is being developed in various countries how these developments work out in practice. By the end of the day it will have to be verified if indeed yields have improved and the standard of living in the concerned area has risen. Papers are invited that describes cases where experience with the new developments has been obtained in practice. In addition papers are welcomed that show research results or new methods that deal with the issue at stake.
| 55.2 | Socio-economic aspects of agricultural production in developing countries |
In developing countries agriculture has often been strongly associated with livelihood and one may expect that for the short and medium range future this will remain so. However, one may also observe the development in these countries that agriculture for food production is to a large extent the cause of this. Although in many countries still price regulating mechanisms exist, with the globalization going on, it may be expected that the farmers who are engaged in agricultural production increasingly will have to compete at the world market. This will drive them in the direction of mechanized and larger scale farming, or of specialized high quality crops. Papers are invited that describes the various aspects that are guiding in this topic, or describe cases.
| 55.3 | Technical, technological, economic and legal aspects of development, management and use of water resources of trans-boundary (interstate) rivers |
Integrated water in management is widely supported as a principle. However, in practice there are many issues at stake that often make it very complicated to apply this approach. This is general the more so when the river basin is shared among provinces, states or countries. Items that play a role may be of different nature. They concern especially: Technical, technological, economic and legal aspect. In order to achieve an effective integrated water management these items have to be treated in a balanced way with the support of the stakeholders. Papers are invited for this topic that deals with the specifics of the individual items, as well as with the integration of these items ad the modes to reach agreement. In addition cases dealing with certain river basins are invited.
| B. Special Session | Implication of Global Changes on Irrigation and Drainage System Development and Management |
In the coming decades population growth will particularly take place in the emerging and least developed countries. This implies that these countries will be confronted with the need to increase their food supply by a larger production in their own territory, may be in combination with increased imports. Having in mind the required increase in food production in combination with the need for sustainable rural development a wide range of issues is of importance. From the point of view of food production there is a common feeling that 90% of the required increase will have to be realized on existing cultivated land and 10% on newly reclaimed land. From the point of view of sustainable rural development, socio economic and environmental aspects play crucial roles. Developments in agricultural policies, crop prices, mechanization in agriculture, crop diversification, the developments in relation to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) will all have to a certain extent their influence on agricultural production patterns.
With respect to water management related to agricultural production there are broadly speaking three agro-climatologic zones, viz: temperate humid zone, arid and semi-arid zone and humid tropical zone. In addition, in principle, four types of cultivation practices may be distinguished, viz: rainfed cultivation, without or with a drainage system and irrigated cultivation, without or with a drainage system. Dependent on the local conditions, different forms of water management with different levels of service will be appropriate. At present still the largest agricultural area is without any water management system. In the rainfed areas without a water management system, improvements can be achieved by water harvesting and water shed management. Such measures may be help to improve the livelihood of poor farm families. However, it may not be expected that the cultivated area without a water management system will significantly contribute to the required increase in food production. Due to this the share of irrigated and drained areas in food production will have to increase. This can be either achieved by installing irrigation, or drainage systems in the area without a system, improvement, or modernization of existing irrigation and drainage systems, installation of irrigation systems in the rainfed drained areas, or installation of drainage system in irrigated areas. In developing appropriate measures the environmental impacts have to be dully considered and compensatory measured may have to be required, especially in the emerging countries.
For this Special Session papers are being invited to deal with the following issues:
| Symposium | Integrated Water Management in the River Basin Context |
Integrated Water Management in the river basin context means focusing on coordinating conservation, management and development of water, land and related resources across sectors with in a given river basin, in order to maximize the economic and social benefits derived from water resources in an equitable manner. Thus water needs to be managed for food and for sustainable urban and rural development at regional and river basin scale.
Global climatic changes have substantially affected the water resources. Some areas are experiencing higher flows due to increased rainfall and snow melt, while some areas are under the influence of droughts. Because of the large variability in river flows across seasons and years, flood protection works and artificial storage are important elements of river basin systems. The degree of control afforded by reservoirs varies enormously. The extreme flood events which many rivers basins experienced with in the last decades have shown that more than in previous times, technical flood protection measures are to be combined with land use changes which results in effective water retention and water discharge retardation and with other non-structural measures, like flood forecasting and evacuation. Such solutions are to be verified for their efficiency with respects to river basins as well as to floodplains. For the future development of sustainable landscapes, existing concepts will have to be evaluated for their monetary and non-monetary impacts and on their functionalities.
Due to the climate
change, the irrigation sector has to cope with the higher water requirements
and better water use efficiencies, and with the needs for more advanced water
saving technologies. Dryness and drought are increasing and result in crop yield
losses and restrictions in agricultural production. Due to reduced water availability,
economically based decisions have to be taken whether to cultivate crops or
varieties of higher dryness resistance, to extend irrigation if water is available
or to move to other sites suitable for agricultural production. In relation
to the development of irrigation the required increase in storages, either surface
water reservoirs, or groundwater reservoirs, will play an important role, especially
in the emerging countries.
Also in future, drainage will play an important role to allow agricultural production
on sites affected by waterlogging and, under conditions of arid semi-arid climate
conditions, to mitigate irrigation caused salinization of soils. Drainage technologies
have reached a high level today. Future requirements will concentrate on purification
of drain water from nutrients and pollutants as well as on the sustainable integration
of drainage systems into the landscape scale.
To understand today's situation and to plan for future needs, knowledge and analysis of the historic development of land and water management is prerequisite. To reach these targets it is of decisive importance to harmonize land use and water regimes at the landscape scale.For this Symposium papers are being invited to deal with the following issues:
| Seminar | Lessons to Learn from the History of Water Management in Large River Basins and Drought |
Development and management of water in large river basins has steadily progressed albeit slowly. However, many of large irrigation systems could not achieve expected performance due mainly to the problems associated with the management of water. Excessive use of water in upper reach and shortage of water downstream, resulting in water conflicts, waterlogging, salinization, and low productivity. On the other hand, the performance of small and traditional systems is comparatively satisfactory and well managed. In the Seminar, historical wisdom and knowledge accumulated in the experiences of managing small and traditional system will be discussed, and the approach of translating these lessons into the management of water of large systems, particularly during the period of drought or water shortage, will be examined.
Topics to be covered are :
Historical lessons and wisdom related to development and management of water in a large river basin -
