|
|
P. Aggarwal, Boussaha A. Promotion of knowledge about the Nubian aquifer. Taken from: P. Aggarwal, Boussaha A. Water known how. IAEA Bulletin 47 / 1 September 2005.
The Nubian aquifer, shared by Chad, Egypt, Libya and Sudan, is important as a source of drinking water and irrigation. The ancient waters of the Nubian aquifer extends approximately two million square kilometers under the surface of these four countries in northeast Africa. The aquifer is a major source of drinking water and irrigation, and is the only source of fresh water in the western desert of Egypt, which covers about 67% of the total land area of the country.
Since 2003, the IAEA has been assisting the countries sharing the Nubian Aquifer using isotope techniques in the mapping of water resources. So far we know that current climatic conditions, the groundwater aquifer recharge Nubia as a result of poorly infiltration of the Nile waters in some areas, precipitation in some mountain regions and the groundwater flow system Blue Nile / Main Nile in the Rift Valley. The IAEA project aims to expand and consolidate knowledge scientists and database on the Nubian Aquifer and develop a management plan based on a groundwater monitoring network of the aquifer. The establishment management structure of the aquifer will be an important contribution to the development of the region and over time will result in sustainable production of drinking water and in increasing agricultural production.
In 2003 the IAEA established a partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to develop a framework for sustainable management of the Nubian Aquifer using isotope hydrology. The IAEA’s work aimed at providing assistance to countries sharing the Nubian Aquifer in the study and management of shared groundwater supplies, recently received GEF, based in Washington D. C., a matching grant in the amount of a
million dollars, through the United Nations Program for Development. GEF funding will expand the scope of the cooperation program supported by the IAEA and allow countries that use the aquifer to develop an effective plan for managing groundwater.
Through these and other means, the science and applications of isotope hydrology are promoting the understanding of aquifer systems in the world. If you have the right information, you can make the right decisions to protect and preserve groundwater resources for the benefit of future generations.
Pradeep Aggarwal is Head of the Isotope Hydrology Section
Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications
IAEA. E-mail: P.aggarwal@iaea.org
Boussaha Ali is Head of the Africa Section of the Department
Technical Cooperation. E-mail: A.boussaha@iaea.org
Fayanas E. E. Brazil and the contradictions of the water
nuevatribuna.es (www.nuevatribuna.es).| 28/07/ 2011.
Brazil is the greatest world water reserve with 13% of the planet. This is unevenly distributed in its territory and 70% is in the Amazon region, 15% in the Midwest, 6% in the south and 3% in the Northeast. Despite this abundance, are forty-five million Brazilians who have no access to potable water, that is more than 25% of its population. It is the most polluting and polluted country in South America, being mainly this pollution chemical and industrial with large quantities in the waters of mercury from gold mining. Only part of Eastern Europe and China exceed Brazil’s levels of water pollution.
There are more than two thousand dams in the country, which are exploited hydroelectric about six hundred twenty-five. Hundred thirty-nine producing over 30 MW, other two hundred and thirty have an average power between 1 / 30 MW and one hundred fifty-three under 1 MW. However, about of 1,530 small dams are abandoned. Lula’s Brazilian government introduced a new water plan on the horizon since 2015. It plans to build more than 494 new large dams. The Ministry of Mines supports the construction of fifty large reservoirs and in the coming years, others seventy. The Brazilian government never define how many people are affected by these projects, but it is estimated that more than one hundred thousand families who must leave their homes in the event that take place all these projects. The existing dams have displaced over a million people, many of them not receiving any compensation. About 34,000 km2 of farmland have been inundated by them. The 79% of Brazil’s electricity comes from hydroelectric sources, one of the largest exporters of this energy in the world. This abundance of cheap energy is used for the production of aluminum, iron, paper, cellulose and other products that use energy-intensive to be produced, and that cause heavy pollution. It is understood the interest of China for this country, because it guarantees much of the raw materials that it need for its development.
The Amazon basin is the largest water reserve and the most important area of biodiversity on Earth, is the lung of the world. The Amazon has been reduced by 9% in the eighty decade with a total of 21 million hectares, being the decade of more deforest. In the nineties have been about eleven million hectares deforested. We describe the situation very worrying, hoping that this trend to the destruction will be slow because put in crisis the world.
Another landmark river for brazilians is the San Francisco, it born in the State of Minas Gerais where it picks up 75% of its flow, through the Planat and go to the Bay by the northeast, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean, between the states of Alaguas and Sergipe. During hundreds of years, millions of brazilians living in the arid lands of Northeast Brazil have watched as the river San Francisco, was his salvation by the contribution of its waters. This is a major river which was named “river of national integration” because it crosses several regions. Unify states as the richest in the southeast, with the poorer north. Crosses areas of different cultures: from industrial districts, population, mostly white and middle class, indigenous areas, african descent and farmers. San Francisco River has a length of 2,800 km, is seen as the only way to put end to the drought and the exodus of many people who have made this region one of the poorest in the country. The San Francisco, called “the Nile of Brazil” is surrounded by a vast expanse of sand and low forest, occupy a special place in the hearts of Brazilians. The drought affecting the region since the nineteenth century have forced millions of peasants to migrate to the southern cities such as Sao Paulo in search of work and a better future. The Brazilian government want to finish with this situation. It has authorized a budget of 1700 million dollars to build two canals of hundred kilometres long that transfer water from this river basin, the second largest in the country, to the drier parts of the interior. This is the first phase of a much larger project, which eventually bring back to this area, water providing of the Amazon basin in order to fix and stabilize its population and not have to emigrate. The purpose of this transfer of the river San Francisco is to carry the water to a semi-arid area like the Northeast, whose population suffers from shortages during the increasingly long periods of drought. According to the Brazilian government these works will benefit twelve million people in 391 municipalities in four states ,Pernambuco, Paraiba, Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará.
Opponents of this water project are environmental groups and even business interests, arguing that it is unnecessary and too expensive a project of this kind. They are in favor of building more reservoirs, cisterns, wells and aqueducts, which in their opinion are more effective and cheaper, due to the pollution and deforestation that generates the transfer. The problem of the Brazilian Northeast is not a watershortage, as well as how to manage it, because they do not finish water projects that are started. This project of the Brazilian government as most similar projects, only serves to exacerbate already existing conflicts over control of land and water in this area, where landlords make and unmake at his pleasure and will they be the big beneficiaries. The Brazilian government’s argument for its realization, is that in this way helps the poor. However, opponents of the project deny such aid, they argue that much or almost all the water actually will go to irrigation of farms producing fruit inside the region and shrimp farmers, two of export activities fastest growing in the area, but also too for incresing surface for growing plants for the production of agro fuels.
Mata Machado, chairman of the San Francisco River Basin states that the transfer will not solve the problem of drought. Instead, concentrate the water where there is, Casthao reservoir in the State of Ceará, where will be transferred the 85% of the water. The project does not carry water to the population dispersed or small towns. The transfer is a project of the elite of Ceará, for economic development.The most serious accusation is that this project aims to use public money to favor contractors, the agriculture business, privatize and concentrated in few hands the waters of the Northeast through the large reservoirs. It ensures that 71% of the water that will transfer away from the areas most in need and that 87% of these waters will be used for economic activities highly water-consuming: the irrigated fruit sector, plants for the production agro-fuels, shrimp and steel, all production for export.
Another example of unsustainable water development is that the construction plan of Paquicamba dam on the Xingu River, major tributary of the Amazon. This reservoir is one of the more larger in the world. Its purpose is to produce enough energy to build a number of steel mills, for supplying the Chinese market, making Brazil a supplier of raw materials that China lacks, not only minerals, as well as developed product. The steel company has a joint venture Brazilian / Chinese. These two projects cause the destruction of an important part of the jungle where the indigenous inhabitants of this area will suffer the consequences, because it changes their lives without receiving anything in return. It is a clear example of environmental destruction without a benefit to its inhabitants, and unbridled economic development and conservation outside the logic in an area vital to the ecological balance of the earth.
The Amazon region covers about seven million km2 of dense vegetation. This forest situated to north of South America, is spread over the territories of Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela and a small area of Ecuador. The average annual rainfall in the region ranges from 2.000/3000 mm. The Amazon River, the second longest in the world with 6275 km, rises in the Andes, more specifically on the slopes of Nevado of Mismi to 5,600 meters. It has hundreds of tributaries that run through the basin. The flow rate is between 31 and 141millones liters per second at its mouth, carrying some three million tons of sediment each day. Its estuary is 240 km wide and 320 km offshore can still find remnants of Amazonian freshwater. The Amazon has a major natural reserves, the biodiversity makes it the largest worldwide ecosystem. Its rainy tropical climate is ideal for 60,000 species of trees that can be found in its territory with plants that can exceed one hundred meters high. Its fauna is rich, you can find hundreds of types of mammals, nothing comparable to the 1,500 different fish and birds and two million insect species. There are still a large number of reptiles, amphibians, and microorganisms to be classified.
Integrating water with climate change adaptation plans. Written by: United Kingdom Parliamentary Office. www.scidev.net 01/7/ 2011/. United Kingdom
This policy brief, published by the UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, argues that water resource management should not be overlooked in plans for climate change adaptation in Africa.
 Rainfall variations cause severe floods in parts of Africa and climate change could make things worse. Flick/Peter Casier
Africa is vulnerable to climate change impacts which are, in large part, connected by water. Rainfall is uneven and unpredictable across different parts of the continent and varies dramatically by season. These variations can bring about floods and severe droughts that can last for years.
The impacts of these weather events on economic development are serious. Severe floods affect millions of people and damage infrastructure; and too little rain means that farmers are unable to store water, which lowers food production and leads to hunger and financial loss.
Global warming has raised average annual temperatures, and climate models predict that the level and variability of rainfall in Africa will be affected. Even small changes in rainfall can have a large effect on the availability of water resources.
Water resources are the foundation for achieving the Millennium Development Goals and must be protected, say the authors. But this requires investment in transboundary water management programmes and commitment to the principles of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), which include recognising that water and land management need coordination.
Climate change adaptation initiatives can become part of these established water-resource management frameworks. Measures to adapting water management could include ‘soft’ solutions, such as collecting more data to monitor water resources and understanding rainfall patterns to improve early warning systems, and ‘hard’ solutions such as building dams, reservoirs or other engineering structures to help with water storage.
But climate change should be one of several considerations in water management — population growth, urbanisation, agricultural growth and industrialisation are set to increase the pressure on water resources in Africa.
Pledges for adaptation funds are falling short of the targets agreed at the 2010 UN Conference of the Parties (COP 16) held in Cancun, Mexico. Water management initiatives are key components of climate change adaptation, and experts agree that they should receive the financial support they need.
Link to full policy brief from UK Houses of Parliament
This policy brief was written by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology at the UK Houses of Parliament.
Adapting agricultural water to climate change. Published: Overseas Development Institute. United Kingdom www.scidev.net 15/9/ 2010/. United Kingdom
This policy brief, published by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), examines the relationship between climate change, water and food security and outlines potential adaptation strategies and policy priorities for developing countries.
 More variable rainfall and increased evaporation will impact dry land agriculture and increase demands for irrigation. Flick/IRRI Images.
Agriculture in developing countries is already under pressure from growing populations, industrialisation and environmental degradation. Climate change is expected to exacerbate and add to these problems. For example, estimates predict that for each degree Celsius rise in average temperature, dry land farm profits in Africa will drop by nearly ten per cent. Changes in rainfall variability and increased evaporation will directly impact dry land agriculture and reduce water availability for irrigation and hydropower.
Strategies to reduce rural poverty in the face of climate change will largely depend on improving water management in agriculture. A first step must be to increase our understanding of water use and rural livelihoods in poor countries, says the author, of ODI research fellow Eva Ludi. She outlines a number of strategies that could then be implemented to adapt agricultural production and water to climate change. These include switching to more drought-tolerant crops or livestock breeds, modifying irrigation techniques, adopting practices such as zero-tillage to conserve soil moisture, changing crop calendars or grazing times, and implementing seasonal climate forecasting.
Policy attention is also needed in several key areas, says Ludi. First, developing countries must develop long-term water policies structured around country-specific legal, institutional, economic, social, physical and environmental conditions. These must integrate the different sectors that depend on water — from agriculture, livestock and fisheries to manufacturing, industry and municipal water use. Institutional and governance reforms will be needed to balance demand and supply across these sectors. And enhanced stakeholder participation will be necessary to secure uptake of adaptation strategies. Policymakers will also need to develop their skills and those of end-users to understand the new challenges posed by climate change. They must also promote efficient irrigation and drainage systems to increase water productivity, while also making better use of groundwater storage to enhance water availability.
Link to full policy brief from ODI [393kB]
 Categorías: Water, Water & Irrigation in Africa |  1 February, 2012 | Africa: Major water problems. www.thinkquest.org ORACLE Foundation. Africa’s water resources are scattered throughout the continent. While some areas receive more than enough water, others experience constant drought. In the Horn of Africa and the Namibian Desert, almost no water falls. Meanwhile, the western part of the continent near the equator receives as much as 4,000 millimetres annually.
In the continent falls majority somewhere between these two extremes. Average areas receive anywhere from 200 to 800 millimetres of annual rainfall. Unfortunately for many of the plants and animals in the area, droughts are not uncommon. Droughts lasting up to five years are a common problem on the continent. Three of four Africans use the groundwater as their main water supply. The groundwater is not always available though as it accounts for only 15% of the continent’s water supply. There are also serious concerns about the quality of the groundwater.
Perhaps the greatest cause of Africa’s problem of water shortage is that the continent cannot effectively utilize its resources. Though approximately 4 trillion cubic meters of water is available every year, only about 4% of that is used. The continent and its people lack the technical knowledge and financial resources needed to access their water supplies. Lack of access to water is a larger problem in Africa than anywhere else. Of the 25 nations in the world with the greatest percentage of people lacking access to safe drinking water, 19 are in Africa.
Analyze the management of water resources in Costa Rica
El Pais newspaper. 08/12/2011 San Jose, Costa Rica
Successful management of water resources in Costa Rica, seen and approached as a shared responsibility, was the subject of the recent forum organized by the National Service of Groundwater, Irrigation and Drainage-SENARA with collaboration of the Costa Rica University, UCR and the municipality of Barva, in the auditorium of the nvestigation City.
During the opening ceremony of the meeting the speakers discussed the challenges facing the country in terms of better management of water resources, leading to review existing regulations. In this regard Mr. Bernal Soto, SENARA General Manager, said that the Water Law that governs this field has enabled the country to differentiate itself from other countries, but stressed the need for a governing body that coordinates the efforts of different organizations that manage the water in Costa Rica. Soto also said that we need a water information system that values the climate change with action for adecuate water resources to climate change; as well as hydro-meteorological information in real time that is available to everyone, it must also develop skills in managing water resources and increase the investments in water. Soto acknowledged that the State has made great efforts in the country’s water infrastructure for the water use, but also stressed that you should invest in protecting the water. He finished by urging forum participants to engage with this, wich will throw and provide important evidence for a better management of water resources..
For its part, the Master in Science Rolando Mora, Director of the Central American School of Geology, said that water is essential for socio-economic development of peoples, energy demand will double in 25 years, the climate change will increase the complexity in the water use, for all this “is necessary to ensure flows of water: environmental, surface and underground; planning should be more effective to ensure future supply.” According to Mora, to have a proper green growth the country should consider: the water as a topic on the agenda of national development, the sustainable hydropower projects, the anticipated flood management, strengthen the institutions within the context of watersheds, mitigate pollution water, among other critical variables for a proper management of water resources in the country.
Mr. Marvin Coto, SENARA official, spoke about the project for the integrated management of water resources, which aims to contribute to sustainable human development through the integrated management of water resources and support services. It consists of three key components in the management of water resources: groundwater, irrigation, and drainage. This project promotes research, management and water conservation to ensure sustainability, quality and quantity of hydro resources in the local and regional levels. In addition, Coto said, promotes a comprehensive strategy to address the deficit, aimed at increasing competitiveness, support national food security and provide better socioeconomic conditions to the families of farmers.
The SENARA role on the management of water resources in the country was detailed by Mr. Carlos Romero, who said that the criteria issued by the SENARA are binding for the country and seek to solve problems of scarcity, access, quality and water sanitation. According dates to this entity, inadequate management of water resources has negative consequences on health, increased costs of water services and a supply deficit. The SENARA, said Romero,to attend to situations that threaten the country’s water resources such as dumping of hydrocarbons in water sources, the loss of groundwater resource over exploitation or chemical contamination. Moreover, the lack of water affecting urban development should also address cases by limiting development due to conflicts on water use and pollution risks in tourism projects.
During the two day meeting, specialists from various public agencies and members of community water systems, representatives of 1600 community water systems that serving to 30% of the population, discussed issues regarding on the management of water resources in the country, such as hydrogeology and its application as a tool for spatial planning, integrated management of water resources and land use planning, management and protection of public water supply sources, the national inventory of wells and springs, among others.
Water Resources Situation in Central America: Towards an Integrated Management / Global Water Partnership, GWP Central America-CA. Editorial: Virginia G. Reyes – 3 rd. 2006, San Jose, Costa Rica
The Global Water Partnership, Central Chapter (GWP-CA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), through the Alliance Program Bank-Netherlands Water Resources Management (INWAP), are pleased to present you the third version of the document entitled “Status of Water Resources in Central America: Towards an Integrated Management.”
This document since its first release is meant as a tool for synthesizing overview of the context where is the region with respect to water, and try to compile in a single writing, information related to different sectors in which the water resource plays an important role. Since the first version that was published in 2001, to this, experience has determined that it was necessary to include new information on statistics and case studies, which allowed the document to be increasingly valuable and become a query text. Also in this third version can be found a greater number of explanatory maps that illustrate the reality of the seven countries in the region.
Central America stands out as a privileged region between others many parts of the world by the water wealth that which has, however, that wealth is not reflected in the existence of organized information and quality related with the topic. Therefore, for the development of the two before versions and this, one of the biggest challenges was getting the basic information that would lead to a uniformity of content for the countries. This aspect was possible because the countries not has the same information, which led to differences in the analysis presented for each of them. Despite that, this paper aims to present of the clearest possible manner and in a single instrument reading, the best information concerning.
We hope this document that analice to the region as a whole and each individual country, truly response to the needs of professionals and students interested in the subject. Also, it becomes a progress information in Central America, so that new initiatives are approached to supply the region with the most extensive documentation on the water issue, and the region can overcome this gap. We thank all contributors, especially the national representatives of the Technical Advisory Committee for Central America (GWP-CATAC) for their support. Just as the valuable contributions of Yamileth Astorga, Max Campos, of Regional Committee for Water Resources (CRRH); Manuel Jimenez, American Agricultural Council (CAC) and Virginia Reyes, Technical Officer of GWP-CA.
Ingeneer Maureen Ballestero Vargas Coordinator of GWP-CA
Central America: main hydrographical basins and capitals
Categorías: Water, Water Central America Caribe | 18 January, 2012 | Status of water resources in Nicaragua. Castillo H. E., Calderon P. H., Delgado Q. V., Flores M. Y. and Salvatierra S. T. Geological and Mining Journal, Volume 117, No 1, 2006, Nicaragua.
Nicaragua, known as the land of lakes and volcanoes, is abundant in surface and ground water resources. His two great lakes of tectonic origin, Xolotlán of 1,040 km2 and Cocibolca of 8,200 km2, its 21 river basins with a potential 152 596 000 m3, a great number of lakes of volcanic origin and two artificial lakes are part of their wealth. In the Pacific Region has further potential aquifers while in the Atlantic region the abundance of surface water resources has pushed the development of groundwater resources. In the Pacific region has the largest population density is where is developed the largest agricultural and industrial activies in the country which has led, in some cases to the overexploitation of aquifers, and a progressive degradation of water quality, which threatens the future water availability for the life of the population. Efforts have been directed to solving these problems, with an integrated watershed approach, which is now gradually resulting in conservation and restoration of water resources.
Modernization of surface irrigation technology in the banana extra dense crop. Hernandez P. R., Jimenez E., Cun R., Montero L., Sarmiento O.
Irrigation and Drainage Research Institute, Agriculture Ministry, 2009, Havana City, Cuba.
The modernization of the water management in the surface irrigation has as objective to improve the irrigation effectiveness and to increase its agricultural productivity, being the result investments in research, develop and agricultural extension. Nevertheless in Cuba, this irrigation method continues being of more technological backwardness, in spite of occupy approximately, the 70% of the total area irrigated.
Results of an integral study of the reference technology in the banana crop, male clone ¾, by means of the extra-dense system, are presented. They were carried out 4 field evaluations of irrigation with continuous flow (CI) and surge irrigation (SI), using lengths of 120m band. The flow of the better behaviour for the CI was 4, 6 l/s/m, with application efficiency of 40, 4 %, storage efficiency of 100 % and distribution 83 %.
The savings of the water cost reached up to $137, 64 yearly. For the SI with 3 cycles, an increase of the application efficiency of 19, 4 % was obtained. The average yield of the plantation was 25, 3 T/ha. The unitary cost ascended at 1244, 75 $/T, and the economic benefit reached $16, 91 for each $ invested in the irrigation.
The virtual water test that the SF allows to decrease the 32, 67 % of the total applied water volume for Ton of produced banana, in relation to the CF. The economic – technician viability of the studied technology and of the banana extra-dense system is demonstrated, which is important in the current world crisis of foods and in the country wish to reach the alimentary self-sufficiency.
Categorías: Water, Water Central America Caribe | 10 January, 2012 | General situation of water resources and water and sanitation in Honduras Posted by Global Water Partnership, Central Chapter (GWP Central America) and the Alliance for Water
From: Experiences of Water and Sanitation with a focus on Integrated Water Resources Management in Honduras, published by Global Water Partnership, Central Chapter (GWP Central America) and the Alliance for Water. Editing: Tegucigalpa, M. D. C., in December 2009, Honduras.
The water resource is abundant in Honduras, it is estimated that there is an availability of 13,776 m3 of water per capita (4), but its distribution is not equitable in space and geography terms. As an example we can mention the flooding in the Atlantic coastal and drought in central and south of the country. Added to this is that the distribution of the population is located in watersheds with less resource availability, such as Tegucigalpa, which accounts for 14% of the country’s population is located in the Choluteca River Basin, which is one of the most degraded. This affects the population access to the water resource and associated services, finding insufficient coverage of safe water and sanitation, particularly in rural areas. This situation is aggravated by the tendency in recent decades to a rapid degradation of all natural resources, including water, a dependence on low-tech agriculture hillside, practice uncontrolled burning, increasing agricultural frontier, over explotation and pollution, lack of awareness and a culture of resource valuation, and generally poor planning at the national and territorial level.
In the last three decades has greatly improved access to safe water and sanitation in Honduras, especially in urban areas. According to the Joint Monitoring Programme of WHO and UNICEF, in 2006 the access to drinking water is 87%, with 95% in urban areas and 81% in rural areas. While access to sanitation is 69%, with 87% in urban areas and 54% in rural areas (5). Despite the increase in coverage, service quality should be improved. In urban areas, in 2006, drinking water was disinfected in 75% of the systems and treatment was only 10% of wastewater collected.
In many communities the water service is rationed, there is no recent data on the continuity of service, but the WHO says that in 2000, 98% of urban water systems in the country worked intermittently for a average of 6 hours a day. In rural areas, it is estimated that in 2004 one third of the systems provide a continuous service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The 80% gave more than ten hours of service. The 57% of users claimed to have rationing during dry season. The 88% of the systems did not have a functional hypochlorinator, and only 12% of supplied water systems was disinfected.
In addition to the above situation, it is important to consider the institutional weaknesses and in implementing the legal framework that must be overcome to achieve the sustainable provision of water services and sanitation. In this sense, the implementation of IWRM principles is necessary to achieve improvement in the provision of potable water and sanitation, local and national level.
(4), GWP-CATAC. Water Situation in Central America, towards integrated management. 2006
(5) Joint Monitoring Programme of WHO / UNICEF (JMP/2006)
Página 1 de 1712345...10...»Última »
|
|
Tags:
Recent Comments