Displaying 857 publications
Earth observation data to strengthen flood resilience: a recent experience from the Irrawaddy RiverAuthor(s): Ghosh, Surajit; Mukherjee, J.
Published year: 2023.
Journal: Natural Hazards Pages: 115(3):2749-2754
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DOI The improvement of Earth Observation (EO) sensors and modern computational efficiency in the form of cloud analytics platform has made monitoring and interpretation of floods much more efficient. In this study, we present the recently occurred floods in the north-central section of the Irrawaddy River, inundating the adjoining farmlands on the active floodplains along a stretch of 228 km. The amount of rainfall was observed to have gradually risen from early June 2022 captured through GPM data. Similarly, the water levels in the study stretch were observed to have increased from 98.08 m to 104.08 m (from Sentinel-3 altimetry) due to torrential rains on the northern hilly tracts of Myanmar. High-resolution Sentinel-1 SAR datasets have been used to estimate flood progression in the GEE platform. The total inundated area had risen from 196 to 989 sq. km. throughout June till the first week of July. Thus, EO data associated with accessible computing on cloud platforms help monitor flood progression, warn the community well in advance and support the development of crop insurance strategies, anticipatory actions and many more to strengthen evidence-based flood policy.
Rain / Rivers / Resilience / Floods / Earth observation satellites
Record No:H051500
From waste to relief: unlocking the potential for food rescue in low- and middle-income countriesAuthor(s): Bodach, Susanne; Athukorala, Aruni Narmada; Wickramaarachchi, Hasintha
Published year: 2023.
Pages: 4
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Food rescue has emerged as a promising approach to address the interrelated issues of food insecurity and food waste. According to the food waste hierarchy, the next best strategy after food waste prevention is to donate surplus food for human consumption. However, while some countries have well-established networks of charities and government support to promote surplus food donation and food rescue in most developing countries is often less structured and smaller in scale. To gain insights into the current landscape of food rescue, this study thoroughly examined existing food rescue operations and systems, mainly from the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, India, and the Philippines. The study also analysed several countriesapos; food rescue policy environments to understand how an enabling environment can be created. A particular focus was set on food safety being a critical consideration when rescuing and donating surplus food. Simplified food safety guidelines, staff training, and adequate storage and transportation facilities are crucial to food safety. Effective partnerships between food rescue organizations, food businesses, government agencies, and other stakeholders are also critical to the success of food rescue efforts. The study found a need to develop such partnerships in developing countries, where they may be less established than in the Global North. To facilitate the development of an enabling environment for food rescue in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the study developed a set of templates, including relevant food safety guidelines, partnership contracts, and policy templates. These resources can serve as valuable tools for stakeholders in LMICs to promote and enhance food rescue efforts that can help address food insecurity and reduce food waste.
Developing countries / Stakeholders / Transport / Regulations / Guidelines / Food safety / Policies / Food insecurity / Partnerships / Food security / Circular economy / Waste reduction / Food waste / Food surplus
Record No:H052325
Migration and its two-way relationship with rural change: lessons from China, Ethiopia, Moldova, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco and Thailand. [Policy Brief of the Migration Governance and Agricultural and Rural Change (AGRUMIG) Project]Author(s): Sugden, F.; Aderghal, M.; Fengbo, C.; Jian, C.; Crivellaro, F.; Dessalegn, Mengistu; Kharel, A.; Gupta, S.; Kuznetsova, I.; Naruchaikusol, S.; Masotti, M.; Amzil, L.; Murzakulova, A.; Mogilevskii, R.; Mollinga, P.; Nigussie, Likimyelesh; Pagogna, R.; Stratan, A.; Vittuari, M.
Published year: 2023.
Publisher(s): London, UK: SOAS University of London
Pages: 12
Series: AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series 23More... |
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The AGRUMIG project was a comparative analysis of experiences from Europe, Asia and Africa, and explored the impact of migration on the trajectory of agricultural change in rural areas. This brief reviews the findings of our seven-country study. The research focused on 19 remittance-dependent communities in seven countries: China, Ethiopia, Moldova, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco and Thailand.
Women / Gender / Agriculture / Policies / Remittances / Investment / Farmers / Communities / Households / Livelihoods / Rural development / Labour / Governance / Migration
Record No:H052213
Public-private partnerships for the circular bio-economy in the Global South: lessons learnedAuthor(s): Taron, Avinandan; Majumder, A.; Bodach, Susanne; Agbefu, Dzifa
Published year: 2023.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 50
Series: Resource Recovery and Reuse Series 22More... |
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Processing biomass from different waste streams into marketable products such as organic fertilizer and bio-energy is increasingly realized through public-private partnerships (PPPs). In developing countries, the private sector can be expected to contribute technical skills, organizational capabilities and marketing expertise, and leverage capital inflow. In contrast, the public sector will provide the regulatory framework and help its enforcement, plan public investment, involve and educate stakeholders, and ensure waste supply.
This report reviews case studies that implemented PPPs in resource recovery and reuse (RRR) from waste streams with a particular focus on Asia and Africa, including those PPPs facilitated by the authors. Critical factors behind the success and failure of these cases are analyzed. The review indicates three key barriers to success: (i) waste-related bottlenecks, (ii) limited awareness about RRR products and their market(ing), and (iii) lack of proper institutional frameworks. Common shortfalls concern failure to meet commitments related to the quality and quantity of waste, missing understanding of the reuse market, etc. The report points out mitigation measures addressing possible challenges around appropriate technologies, finance and revenue streams, legal issues, as well as social and environmental concerns. It is required to establish close monitoring, appropriate procurement mechanisms and due diligence during the project preparation and pre-bid. If possible, such a PPP project should consider risk and commercial viability assessment as well as financial strategy planning (scaling).
Successful involvement of the private sector in the RRR market is critical to close the resource loop and safeguard human and environmental health, which is the overarching objective of sustainable waste management.
Awareness / Communities / Soil quality / Faecal sludge / Agricultural wastes / Climate change mitigation / Carbon credits / Sustainability / Contracts / Procurement planning / Municipal authorities / Stakeholders / Small and medium enterprises / Marketing / Investment / Infrastructure / Social analysis / Environmental assessment / Costs / Project design / Feasibility studies / Economic viability / Legal frameworks / Regulations / Policies / Risk management / Financial analysis / Innovation / Appropriate technology / Scaling up / Markets / Business models / Briquettes / Biogas / Bioenergy / Organic fertilizers / Organic wastes / Composting / Recycling / Solid wastes / Waste management / Case studies / Developing countries / Public-private partnerships / Bioeconomy / Circular economy / Reuse / Resource management / Resource recovery
Record No:H052155
How should we enhance the pre-departure and post-migration training program for Thai overseas migrant workers? [Policy Brief of the Migration Governance and Agricultural and Rural Change (AGRUMIG) Project]Author(s): Naruchaikusol, S.
Published year: 2023.
Publisher(s): London, UK: SOAS University of London
Pages: 8
Series: AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series 13More... |
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This brief focuses on international labor migration through a bilateral agreement and pre-departure training program in four major destination countries.
Migration has been a common strategy for rural households to cope with fluctuations in agricultural production and prices, land pressure, and income diversification. Internal labor migration between rural and urban areas is most often for work in construction, manufacturing and services in industrial estate areas in cities including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phitsanulok, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Ayutthaya, Chonburi, and Rayong. Many people leave Thailand to find work abroad, where there are better income and job prospects.
Government / Remittances / Agreements / Employment / Foreign workers / Training programmes / Migrant labour / Migration
Record No:H052041
Migration governance and agrarian and rural development: comparative lessons from China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and Thailand [Policy Brief of the Migration Governance and Agricultural and Rural Change (AGRUMIG) Project]Author(s): Lamba, A.; Sugden, F.; Aderghal, M.; Fengbo, C.; Pagogna, R.; Masotti, M.; Dessalegn, Mengistu; Murzakulova, A.; Kharel, A.; Amzil, L.; Stirba, V.; Kuznetsova, I.; Vittuari, M.; Jian, C.; Crivellaro, F.; Naruchaikusol, S.; Lucasenco, E.; Mogilevskii, R.; Mollinga, P.; Phalkey, N.; Bhattarai, S.
Published year: 2023.
Publisher(s): London, UK: SOAS University of London
Pages: 12
Series: AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series 25More... |
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The purpose of this policy brief is to draw together key comparative lessons on different types of migration governance interventions in the AGRUMIG project research regions and examine how they support positive feedback loops between migration and agrarian and rural development. This exploration offers stories of success and omission. Moving beyond the elusive triple-win situation on the benefits of migration for destination and origin countries, migrants themselves and the highly politicized domain of the migration-development nexus, our point of departure is that there are vital prospects for augmenting the positive impacts of migration for societies globally. This brief focuses on how migration governance interventions are potentially useful in maximizing the gains between migration and agrarian development in the sending communities in China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and Thailand.
Communities / Political aspects / Financing / Monitoring and evaluation / Impact assessment / Training / Employment / Policies / Rural development / Agrarian structure / Migrant labour / Governance / Migration
Record No:H052005
Making sense of diversity in agrarian and rural change outcomes of labor out-migration through comparative analysis: first lessons from China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and Thailand. [Policy Brief of the Migration Governance and Agricultural and Rural Change (AGRUMIG) Project]Author(s): Mollinga, P.; Lamba, A.; Aderghal, M.; Amzil, L.; Dessalegn, Mengistu; Masotti, M.; Murzakulova, A.; Kharel, A.; Sugden, F.; Pagogna, R.; Fengbo, C.; Jian, C.
Published year: 2023.
Publisher(s): London, UK: SOAS University of London
Pages: 8
Series: AGRUMIG Policy Brief Series 24More... |
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Comparative analysis / Environmental factors / Land concentration / Livelihoods / Agriculture / Households / Remittances / Policies / Rural development / Agrarian structure / Diversity / Governance / Migrants / Migration / Labour
Record No:H052014
The spatial politics of land policy reform in Myanmar and LaosAuthor(s): Kenney-Lazar, M.; Suhardiman, Diana; Hunt, G.
Published year: 2023.
Journal: Journal of Peasant Studies Pages: 50(4):1529-1548
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DOI Land policy reform has dominated the development agenda across the Global South over the past two decades. In contrast with earlier distributive land reforms, contemporary policies reflect an amalgamation of neoliberal, state territorial, and social justice agendas. This paper demonstrates how land policy changes reflect the spatially extensive and multi-scalar politics of land contestation and control, employing the cases of Myanmar and Laos. Myanmar’s short-lived democratic transition enabled civil society actors to exert uneven influence on policy reform. In contrast, communist party and state dominance in Laos has constrained, although not wholly obstructed, policy intervention by non-governmental groups.
Social aspects / Farmers / Civil society / Donors / Non-governmental organizations / Government / Customary land rights / Land use / Land tenure / Land titling / Political parties / Land law / Land reform / Land policies
Record No:H051094
COVID-19 and household water insecurities in vulnerable communities in the Mekong RegionAuthor(s): Lebel, L.; Navy, H.; Siharath, P.; Long, C. T. M.; Aung, N.; Lebel, P.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Lebel, B.
Published year: 2023.
Journal: Environment, Development and Sustainability Pages: 25(4):3503-3522
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Access to sufficient clean water is important for reducing the risks from COVID-19. It is unclear, however, what influence COVID-19 has had on water insecurities. The objective of this study was to assess the associations between COVID-19 control measures and household water insecurities. A survey of 1559 individuals living in vulnerable communities in five countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam) showed that increased needs for clean water to wash hands or facemasks made it more likely a person was water insecure along those dimensions. Water insecurities with respect to handwashing and drinking, in turn, made adoption of the corresponding good practices less likely, whereas in the case of washing facemasks there was no association. Water system infrastructure, environmental conditions such as foods and droughts, as well as gender norms and knowledge, were also important for water insecurities and the adoption of good practices. As domestic water insecurities and COVID-19 control measures are associated with each other, efforts should therefore be directed at identifying and assisting the water insecure at high risk when COVID-19 reaches their communities.
Socioeconomic environment / Risk reduction / Women / Gender / Water systems / Water quality / Drinking water / Good practices / Hand washing / Water, sanitation and hygiene / Goal 6 Clean water and sanitation / Sustainable Development Goals / Communities / Vulnerability / Households / COVID-19 / Water insecurity
Record No:H050959
Silent transitions: commercialization and changing customary land tenure systems in upland LaosAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Phayouphorn, A.-M.; Gueguen, A.; Rigg, J.
Published year: 2023.
Journal: Land Use Policy Pages: 126:106541
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DOI What happens to local institutional arrangements regarding access and use of communal land under the forces of agricultural commercialization? Taking Khwaykham village in Phongsaly province, Laos as a case study, this paper sheds light on this question as farm households in the settlement have progressively transitioned to commercial farming, specifically tea cultivation. Traditionally, farm households’ access and rights to use the land were embedded in their swidden agriculture practices. The adoption of tea has increasingly fixed land use rights, making land sticky at the household rather than communal level. How, why and with what effects this occurs are the focus of the paper. We argue that while this transition to tea cultivation has benefited – in income terms – most farm households in the village, it has also created an agrarian context for increased inequity between those households who rapidly took the opportunity from the tea boom and others who have missed out on it.
Case studies / Villages / Strategies / Households / Institutions / Agrarian reform / Farmers / Equity / Land use / Shifting cultivation / Tea industry / Land rights / Land access / Commercialization / Customary tenure / Land tenure systems
Record No:H051670
Water stresses and responses in Myanmar’s Central Dry ZoneAuthor(s): Drury, L.; Johnston, R.; Schmitter, Petra
Published year: 2023.
Pages: pp.37-60
Series: Palgrave Studies in Climate Resilient SocietiesMore... |
DOI The Central Dry Zone (CDZ) of Myanmar is the heartland of the Burmese culture, and in many ways, it is socially and culturally coherent with the other rice-centred cultures of mainland Southeast Asia. In climatic terms, it is a semi-arid outlier in a mostly wet-tropical region. Climate change is exacerbating weather variability and water insecurity, and the CDZ thus epitomises the challenges posed by climate change for much of the region. This chapter describes two examples of interventions aimed at addressing water insecurity in the CDZ: pumped irrigation at Pyawt Ywar; and artesian groundwater in the Pale Subbasin. Both address the interconnections between social and physical drivers of vulnerability. They demonstrate the challenges and importance of working across institutional scales. These examples demonstrate that progress is possible at local levels despite a lack of (or inappropriate) national policy and regulations, which limit the scale, and possibly the long-term sustainability of such gains.
Aquifers / Tube wells / Groundwater management / Groundwater irrigation / Climate change / Surface irrigation / Surface water / Water scarcity / Arid zones / Water stress
Record No:H051669
(Un)making the upland: resettlement, rubber and land use planning in Namai village, LaosAuthor(s): Kramp, J.; Suhardiman, Diana; Keovilignavong, Oulavanh
Published year: 2022.
Journal: Journal of Peasant Studies Pages: 49(1):78-100
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This paper highlights how farmers in a northern Lao village transformed their customary land rights – in the face of incoherent overlapping state territorialization attempts – into a territorial strategy to secure their land tenure. By planting rubber, some villagers have engaged in a crop boom to lay claim to land which has recently been zoned for upland rice cultivation (and conservation) as part of a state-led land use planning initiative. We show how internal resettlement, ethnic division and the influx of commercial agriculture in the Lao uplands intersect in a novel land use planning process and predetermine the plan’s actual significance.
Households / Cash crops / Strategies / Farmers / Social structure / Villages / Ethnic groups / Communities / Institutions / State intervention / Land governance / Concession (land) / Customary land rights / Highlands / Resettlement / Rubber industry / Land use planning
Record No:H049808
The role of global data sets for riverine flood risk management at national scalesAuthor(s): Bernhofen, M. V.; Cooper, S.; Trigg, M.; Mdee, A.; Carr, A.; Bhave, A.; Solano-Correa, Y. T.; Pencue-Fierro, E. L.; Teferi, E.; Haile, Alemseged Tamiru; Yusop, Z.; Alias, N. E.; Saapos;adi, Z.; Ramzan, M. A. B.; Dhanya, C. T.; Shukla, P.
Published year: 2022.
Journal: Water Resources Research Pages: 58(4):e2021WR031555
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Over the last two decades, several data sets have been developed to assess flood risk at the global scale. In recent years, some of these data sets have become detailed enough to be informative at national scales. The use of these data sets nationally could have enormous benefits in areas lacking existing flood risk information and allow better flood management decisions and disaster response. In this study, we evaluate the usefulness of global data for assessing flood risk in five countries: Colombia, England, Ethiopia, India, and Malaysia. National flood risk assessments are carried out for each of the five countries using six data sets of global flood hazard, seven data sets of global population, and three different methods for calculating vulnerability. We also conduct interviews with key water experts in each country to explore what capacity there is to use these global data sets nationally. We find that the data sets differ substantially at the national level, and this is reflected in the national flood risk estimates. While some global data sets could be of significant value for national flood risk management, others are either not detailed enough, or too outdated to be relevant at this scale. For the relevant global data sets to be used most effectively for national flood risk management, a country needs a functioning, institutional framework with capability to support their use and implementation.
Governance / Vulnerability / Rivers / Datasets / Disaster risk management / Flooding
Record No:H051573
Participation and politics in transboundary hydropower development: the case of the Pak Beng Dam in LaosAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Geheb, K.
Published year: 2022.
Journal: Environmental Policy and Governance Pages: 32(4):320-330. (Special Issue: Transboundary Environmental Governance: Emerging themes and lessons from Southeast Asia)
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Hydropower development in the lower Mekong Basin is being rapidly developed. Taking the Pak Beng hydropower project in Laos as a case study, this paper looks at participation and politics in transboundary hydropower development, how the latter is revealed by multiple, parallel institutional architectures in hydropower decision-making across scales, and its implications for transboundary environmental governance. We look at the institutional disjuncture in hydropower decision-making, how it is (re)produced by powerful, albeit conflicting narratives at respectively national and transboundary levels, power relations shaping these narratives, and how these translate into local communityapos;s limited ability to convey their voices and represent their development needs. Conceptually, the paper sheds light on the underlying politics in transboundary environmental governance by bringing to light the structural factors that prevent participation, including how these factors are justified, sustained and to a certain extent reproduced as an integral part of legal, policy, and institutional landscapes that govern hydropower decision-making across scales (e.g., local to transboundary).
Governance / Participation / International waters / Hydropower
Record No:H050849
Evaluation of managed aquifer recharge in the Central Highlands of VietnamAuthor(s): Pavelic, Paul; Hoanh, Chu Thai; D’haeze, D.; Vinh, B. N.; Viossanges, Mathieu; Chung, D. T.; Dat, L. Q.; Ross, A.
Published year: 2022.
Journal: Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies Pages: 44:101257
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Study region: Dak Lak province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam
Study focus: Intensification of agriculture has resulted in unsustainably high levels of groundwater use in the Central Highlands. High monsoonal rainfall provides opportunities to boost groundwater storage through managed aquifer recharge (MAR), yet experience with MAR in the region is absent. In response, five farm-scale pilots were implemented in collaboration with local farmers whereby runoff from roofs and fields was recharged into shallow dug wells. The pilots were closely monitored over three years.
New hydrological insights for the region: MAR pilots exhibited large contrasts in performance, with volumes recharged ranging from 5 to 530 m3 per year. Pilot sites with cleaner roof runoff water performed best, whilst those using more turbid water from unpaved roads performed worst. Water quality analyses did not identify parameters of major concern for irrigation. Field data and modelling indicate that the size of the recharge water plumes are small relative to the high groundwater velocities making the recharge water difficult to recover from the recharge well in this setting. Water is however contained locally, providing potential for improved water availability within the local area. Farmer attitudes towards MAR vary in response to the technical performance and a range of socioeconomic factors. These findings may provide insights for researchers or practitioners from other regions where groundwater dependence is high but experience in MAR is lacking.
attitudes / Farmersapos / Pilot projects / Irrigation water / Water storage / Monitoring / Water quality / Runoff / Rain / Groundwater level / Climate resilience / Highlands / Groundwater management / Groundwater recharge / Aquifers
Record No:H051505
Hydrologic characterization of the Upper Ayeyarwaddy River Basin and the impact of climate changeAuthor(s): Gurung, Pabitra; Dhungana, Shashwat; Kyaw Kyaw, Aung; Bharati, Luna
Published year: 2022.
Journal: Journal of Water and Climate Change Pages: 13(7):2577-2596
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This study characterizes the hydrological regime of the Upper Ayeyarwaddy River Basin (UARB) of Myanmar under current and future climate change scenarios by using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The model simulation results show that the annual precipitation, actual evapotranspiration and water yields are 1,578, 524 and 1,010 mm, respectively. These will increase by 13–28%, 11–24% and 42–198% under two representative concentration pathways (RCPs), RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, for the future. There is seasonal variability across the cool, hot and rainy seasons in the agro-ecological regions – mountains, hills and inland plains. As in other Asian regions, the model shows that the wet (rainy) season is becoming wetter and the dry (cool) season is becoming drier in the UARB too.
Plains / Mountains / Agroecological zones / Forecasting / Models / Climatic data / Spatial data / Datasets / Groundwater / Parameters / Evapotranspiration / Water yield / Precipitation / Water balance / Water availability / Climate change / Hydrology / River basins
Record No:H051307
Institutional bricolage (re)shaping the different manifestations of state-citizens relations in Mekong hydropower planningAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Manorom, K.; Rigg, J.
Published year: 2022.
Journal: Geoforum Pages: 134:118-130
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DOI Concerns over hydropower development in the Mekong River Basin and elsewhere include not only the overall impacts of dams on basin ecology and economy but also more site-specific impacts on affected communities. While hydropower development is impacting the livelihoods of local communities living along the river, the latter’s views and concerns are often sidelined by top-down hydropower planning. Nonetheless, local communities create and shape their political spaces of engagements in relation to hydropower decision making across scales, albeit through various means and with different results. Taking the planned Pak Beng hydropower dam as a case study and building on the concept of institutional bricolage, we look at: 1) local communities’ responses in Thailand and Laos, including how these are influenced by social movements; 2) how these responses are translated into collective action (or the lack thereof), including in relation to local communities’ (in)ability to negotiate better compensation for their to be impacted livelihoods; and 3) how local communities strategies are embedded in the wider political context and different manifestations of state-citizens relations. We argue that while affected farm households can pursue their interests to secure proper compensation through individual means, this leads to sub-optimal outcomes for affected communities collectively.
Case studies / Dams / Development projects / Social aspects / Negotiation / Compensation / Livelihoods / Households / Villages / Political power / Water governance / Transboundary waters / Strategies / Collective action / Civil society organizations / Local communities / Institutional development / Decision making / Planning / Hydropower
Record No:H051301
Groundwater for sustainable livelihoods and equitable growthAuthor(s): Re, V.; Manzione, R. L.; Abiye, T. A.; Mukherji, Aditi; MacDonald, A.
Published year: 2022.
Publisher(s): Leiden, Netherlands: CRC Press - Balkema
Pages: 367
Series: IAH - International Contributions to Hydrogeology 30More... |
DOI Groundwater for Sustainable Livelihoods and Equitable Growth explores how groundwater, often invisibly, improves peoples’ lives and livelihoods. This unique collection of 19 studies captures experiences of groundwater making a difference in 16 countries in Africa, South America and Asia. Such studies are rarely documented and this book provides a rich new collection of interdisciplinary analysis. The book is published in colour and includes many original diagrams and photographs.
Spring water, wells or boreholes have provided safe drinking water and reliable water for irrigation or industry for millennia. However, the hidden nature of groundwater often means that it’s important role both historically and in the present is overlooked. This collection helps fill this knowledge gap, providing a diverse set of new studies encompassing different perspectives and geographies. Different interdisciplinary methodologies are described that can help understand linkages between groundwater, livelihoods and growth, and how these links can be threatened by over-use, contamination, and ignorance.
Written for a worldwide audience of practitioners, academics and students with backgrounds in geology, engineering or environmental sciences; Groundwater for Sustainable Livelihoods and Equitable Growth is essential reading for those involved in groundwater and international development.
Case studies / Socioeconomic development / Households / Farmers / Smallholders / Rice / Stubble burning / Coastal areas / Villages / Rural areas / Periurban areas / Landscape conservation / Urban development / Strategies / Adaptation / Resilience / Climate change / Hydrogeology / Alluvial aquifers / Wells / Water springs / Watersheds / River basins / Water harvesting / Water supply / Legal frameworks / Water policies / Water governance / Water scarcity / Surface water / Conjunctive use / Water use / Small scale systems / Groundwater irrigation / Groundwater extraction / Groundwater recharge / Water security / Water resources / Equity / Sustainable livelihoods / Groundwater management
Record No:H051156
Water - energy - food nexus narratives and resource securities: a global south perspectiveAuthor(s): Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe; Senzanje, A.; Modi, A.; Jewitt, G.; Massawe, F.
Published year: 2022.
Publisher(s): Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier
Pages: 332
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Case studies / Modelling / Spatial data / SADC countries / Capacity development / Farmers / Smallholders / Financing / Ecosystems / Environmental health / Public health / Catchment areas / Transboundary waters / Goal 7 Affordable and clean energy / Goal 6 Clean water and sanitation / Goal 2 Zero hunger / Sustainable Development Goals / Nexus / Food security / Energy resources / Water resources
Record No:H051168
Negotiating marginality: towards an understanding of diverse development pathways of ethnic minorities in VietnamAuthor(s): Hiwasaki, L.; Minh, Thai Thi
Published year: 2022.
Journal: Journal of International Development Pages: 34(8):1455-1475
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DOI Existing studies on socio-economic differentiation in Vietnam focus on the inequality between the ethnic majority and minorities while neglecting the disparities among ethnic minorities. Using a framework to analyse marginalisation at different scales, we identified through an extensive literature review the diverse ways in which ethnic groups develop strategies to transform or maintain their marginality. These strategies depend on, at the same time influence, inequalities that manifest in processes of social differentiations and power relations. Elucidating these processes of inequalities enables us to promote livelihood opportunities that support the diverse development pathways of different ethnic groups, thus increasing the relevance of development interventions.
Frameworks / Strategies / Political aspects / Socioeconomic development / Social capital / Cultural capital / Human capital / Natural capital / Assets / Living standards / Transformation / Livelihoods / Social differentiation / Social inequalities / Development policies / Marginalization / Ethnic groups / Ethnic minorities
Record No:H051153
Stakeholder perspectives on COVID-19 and household water access in vulnerable communities in the Mekong RegionAuthor(s): Lebel, L.; Aung, N.; Long, C. T. M.; Siharath, P.; Lebel, P.; Navy, H.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Lebel, B.
Published year: 2022.
Journal: Environmental Management Pages: 69(6):1066-1077
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The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of safe access to sufficient clean water in vulnerable communities, renewing interest in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs and related targets under Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6). The purpose of this study was to better understand the obstacles to water access in vulnerable communities and identify ways they might be addressed in five countries in the Mekong Region (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam). To this end, qualitative interviews with 50 government officials and development or health experts were complimented with a quantitative survey of the experiences and views of individuals in 15 vulnerable communities. There were several key findings. First, difficulties in accessing sufficient clean water for drinking and hygiene persist in certain vulnerable communities, including informal urban settlements, remote minority villages, and migrant worker camps. Second, limited rights, high prices, and remote locations were common obstacles to household access to improved water sources. Third, seasonal differences in the availability of clean water, alongside other disruptions to supply such as restrictions on movement in COVID-19 responses, drove households towards lower quality sources. Fourth, there are multiple threats to water quality from source to consumption that should be addressed by monitoring, treatment, and watershed protection. Fifth, stakeholder groups differ from each other and residents of vulnerable communities regarding the significance of water access, supply and quality difficulties, and how they should be addressed. The paper ends with a set of program suggestions addressing these water-related difficulties.
Villages / Monitoring / Prices / Water rights / Water treatment / Water quality / Water shortage / Water supply / Drinking water / Goal 6 Clean water and sanitation / Sustainable Development Goals / Water, sanitation and hygiene / Vulnerability / Communities / Stakeholders / COVID-19 / Households / Domestic water / Water availability
Record No:H050976
Circular bioeconomy business models - recovering food products to reduce agricultural waste: cases from Burkina Faso, India, Kenya and VietnamAuthor(s): Taron, Avinandan; Gebrezgabher, Solomie; Sanfo, S.; Ouedraogo, R.; Salack, S.; Diarra, K.; Ouedraogo, S.; Ojungobi, K.; Muthuswamy, S.; Malviya, T.; Odero, J.; Liem, D. D.; Tripathi, Mansi
Published year: 2022.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Nature-Positive Solutions
Pages: 41
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Agricultural waste represents untapped resources that can be used to produce large value added products with many potential industrial applications. On-farm food waste comprises of harvest and post-harvest waste amounting to 1.2 billion tons per annum and measures up to USD 370 million. Production of food products and other outputs (like biofuel and compost) help in reduction of on-farm food waste and provide livelihood opportunities for the rural households. This reports highlights some innovative approaches across four countries which lead to reduction to food waste.
The report cover 6 cases located in Burkina Faso, India, Kenya and Vietnam. The two business models identified in Ouagadougou are – (i) Waka group, that repurpose mango residues in to sweet and bio-vinyl vinegar called MISSIM vinegar, and (ii) SOFAB-SA utilizes oilseeds (such as peanuts, cotton, and soybeans) with blue cheese bran or corn, salt, or any other micro-ingredient to produce feed for livestock. From India, two such case studies are included – (i) Sai Shubhada agro industries is located in Ahmednagar, (Maharashtra, India), and converts bagasse, [a pulpy and fibrous residue of the sugarcane processing] into organic jiggery, and (ii) Arogyasangini Oil Mill, Mill has embarked on the mission to reintroduce oil extracted from the safflower seeds. Nadanya Greens located in Mbale, (Vihiga, Kenya) is exploring the use of farm waste from livestock to produce feeds for fish reared through three fish ponds. Xuan Tien Agricultural Cooperative, located at Yen Chau (Son La province, Vietnam), converts mango which is otherwise wasted post-harvest.
Health hazards / Socioeconomic aspects / Environmental impact / Financial analysis / Technology / Value chains / Markets / Food products / Livestock feed / Composting / Resource recovery / Agricultural wastes / Business models / Bioeconomy / Circular economy
Record No:H051647
Mekong River Delta crop mapping using a machine learning approachAuthor(s): Ghosh, Surajit; Wellington, Michael; Holmatov, Bunyod
Published year: 2022.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Initiative on Low-Emission Food Systems (Mitigate+)
Pages: 11
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Agricultural land use and practices have important implications for climate change mitigation and adaptation. It is, therefore, important to develop methods of monitoring and quantifying the extent of crop types and cropping practices. A machine learning approach using random forest classification was applied to Sentinel-1 and 2 satellite imagery and satellite-derived phenological statistics to map crop types in the Mekong River Delta, enabling levels of rice intensification to be identified. This initial classification differentiated between broad and prevalent crop types, including perennial tree crops, rice, other vegetation, oil palm and other crops. A two-step classification was used to classify rice seasonality, whereby the areas identified as rice in the initial classification were further classified into single, double, or triple-cropped rice in a subsequent classification with the same input data but different training polygons. Both classifications had an overall accuracy of approximately 96% when cross-validated on test data. Radar bands from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 reflectance bands were important predictors of crop type, perhaps due to their capacity to differentiate between periodically flooded rice fields and perennial tree cover, which were the predominant classes in the Delta. On the other hand, the Start of Season (SoS) and End of Season (EoS) dates were the most important predictors of single, double, or triple-cropped rice, demonstrating the efficacy of the phenological predictors. The accuracy and detail are limited by the availability of reliable training data, especially for tree crops in small-scale orchards. A preliminary result is presented here, and, in the future, efficient collection of ground images may enable cost-effective training data collection for similar mapping exercises.
Farmland / Land cover / Land use / Satellite imagery / Machine learning / Deltas / Mapping / Crops
Record No:H051629
A framework to guide research engagement in the policy process, with application to small-scale fisheriesAuthor(s): Ratner, B. D.; Dubois, Mark J.; Morrison, T. H.; Tezzo, X.; Song, A. M.; Mbaru, E.; Chimatiro, S. K.; Cohen, P. J.
Published year: 2022.
Journal: Ecology and Society Pages: 27(4):45
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Research-engaged decision making and policy reform processes are critical to advancing resilience, adaptation, and transformation in social-ecological systems under stress. Here we propose a new conceptual framework to assess opportunities for research engagement in the policy process, building upon existing understandings of power dynamics and the political economy of policy reform. We retrospectively examine three cases of research engagement in small-scale fisheries policy and decision making, at national level (Myanmar) and at regional level (Pacific Islands region and sub-Saharan Africa), to illustrate application of the framework and highlight different modes of research engagement. We conclude with four principles for designing research to constructively and iteratively engage in policy and institutional reform: (a) nurture multi-stakeholder coalitions for change at different points in the policy cycle, (b) engage a range of forms and spaces of power, (c) embed research communications to support and respond to dialogue, and (d) employ evaluation in a cycle of action, learning, and adaptation. The framework and principles can be used to identify entry points for research engagement and to reflect critically upon the choices that researchers make as actors within complex processes of change.
Fish trade / Political aspects / Ecological factors / Social aspects / Stakeholders / Decision making / Frameworks / Partnerships / Governance / Policies / Research / Small-scale fisheries
Record No:H051642
Are water markets a viable proposition in the Lower Mekong Basin?Author(s): Reardon-Smith, K.; McCartney, Matthew; Rebelo, Lisa-Maria
Published year: 2021.
Pages: pp.91-111
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DOI Water markets are a potential approach for reallocating and improving the efficiency of water use in river basins in which water resources are under stress as a consequence of demographic and economic pressures. However, establishing water markets is not easy and to be successful a wide range of context specific criteria, relating to the legal and institutional framework as well as political and economic conditions, must be met. We applied the Water Market Readiness Assessment framework proposed by Wheeler et al. (2017) to investigate whether adequate policy and governance arrangements were in place to enable water markets to effectively operate in the countries of the Lower Mekong River Basin. We identify a number of key gaps and conclude that more conventional regulatory approaches, along with integrated basin planning and management, will likely better serve the communities and environments of the region.
Case studies / Socioeconomic aspects / Infrastructure / Agricultural development / Water quality / Water policies / Water governance / International waters / Water access / Water use efficiency / Water allocation / Frameworks / Integrated management / Water management / Water resources development / River basins / Water market
Record No:H050669
Scalar politics, power struggles and institutional emergence in Daw Lar Lake, MyanmarAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Scurrah, N.; Ayemyaing, N.
Published year: 2021.
Journal: Journal of Rural Studies Pages: 87:32-44
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DOI This paper looks at scalar politics, power struggles, and institutional emergence in Daw Lar Lake in Karen state, Myanmar. It brings to light tensions between centralized and decentralized approaches in the country’s natural resource governance, and how these are manifested in the current legal stalemate with regard to the formal management status of the lake. Building on earlier research on legal pluralism and critical institutionalism, we look at: 1) how the current legal stalemate with regard to the formal management status of the lake is rooted in ongoing bureaucratic struggles between different government agencies; 2) local communities’ strategies to develop and implement their own vision of lake governance through the formation of the Daw Lar Lake Interim Committee; and 3) the extent to which the Interim Committee is able to mediate diverse and often competing local uses and claims to natural resources at (inter) village level, which are based on a mix of customary and ‘official’ legal entitlements and normative orderings. From a policy perspective, we highlight the need to identify pathways for collective action among and across different groups of resource users, as the latter will be crucial in addressing ongoing resource competition, managing cross-sectoral livelihood impacts and ensuring sustainable lake management.
Social aspects / Strategies / Households / Farmers / Livelihoods / Villages / Local communities / Land use / Water scarcity / Fisheries law / Community involvement / Government agencies / Bureaucracy / Legal pluralism / Institutions / Politics / Governance / Natural resources management / Lakes / Water management
Record No:H050609
Scaling up Index-based Flood Insurance (IBFI) for agricultural resilience and flood-proofing livelihoods in developing countriesAuthor(s): Amarnath, Giriraj; Malik, Ravinder Paul Singh; Taron, Avinandan
Published year: 2021.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 68
Series: IWMI Research Report 180More... |
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This research report presents the first comprehensive framework of business models in terms of developing, marketing and scaling Index-based flood insurance (IBFI). The report evaluated ten case studies on agricultural insurance schemes (macro, meso and micro levels), globally, to develop public-private partnership business models for creating value (product development) and capturing value (product marketing). This report highlights four broad groups of interrelated factors that influence the uptake and scaling of agricultural insurance: (i) behavioral factors that influence farmers’ enthusiasm to invest in insurance; (ii) financial factors that stipulate governments’ willingness to provide financial support; (iii) legal and regulatory factors, which set ground rules for fair business and govern their adherence by stakeholders; and (iv) facilitating factors, including product design and development, business models, research and development, data availability, and awareness creation, which help ensure an efficient supply of insurance services. In summary, the report highlights the need for designing innovative IBFI and its potential benefits for uptake, and efforts for implementing IBFI as a potential risk transfer tool for comprehensive climate risk management among small-scale and marginal farmers.
Case studies / Drought / Social aspects / Economic aspects / Legal aspects / Subsidies / Compensation / Crop losses / Flood damage / Rain / Rivers / Satellite observation / Climate change / Awareness raising / Farmers / Smallholders / Microfinance / Financial institutions / State intervention / Stakeholders / Public-private partnerships / Marketing / Product development / Business models / Risk transfer / Disaster risk management / Scaling / Developing countries / Livelihoods / Crop insurance / Agricultural insurance / Resilience / Flooding
Record No:H050608
Institutional bricolage and the (re)shaping of communal land tenure arrangements: two contrasting cases in upland and lowland northeastern LaosAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Scurrah, N.
Published year: 2021.
Journal: World Development Pages: 147:105630
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DOI This article examines the factors shaping communal land tenure and livelihood practices in two villages in Houaphan province, Northeastern Laos. It employs the concept of institutional bricolage to show how local actors combine communal tenure, state intervention, donor programs and local power relations to (re)shape formal rules and day-to-day land tenure and livelihood practices. In particular, it highlights how state territorial strategies in lowland and upland rural spaces have differently shaped state interventions in communal land use and access, producing hybrid forms of communal land management rules and practices. The two cases highlight different processes by which communal tenure is eroded or adapted in the process of state incorporation, raising questions about competing authorities over land and the interests and objectives of different actors in land administration. The village cases illustrate how local communities’ (in)ability to shape, adapt, and reproduce institutional rules and arrangements pertaining to access and use of communal land is closely interlinked with: 1) how farm households perceive communal land tenure in relation to their livelihood options and farming strategies; 2) how power relations among local communities and between local communities and state actors shape decision-making processes and distributional outcomes; and 3) the role of the state in sustaining and advancing its control over land and how this changes over time.
Case studies / Local communities / Villages / Rural areas / Strategies / Livelihoods / Households / Farmers / Political aspects / State intervention / Collective action / Land governance / Land access / Land use planning / Lowland / Highlands / Institutional development / Customary tenure / Land tenure systems / Common lands
Record No:H050547
A handbook for establishing water user associations in pump-based irrigation schemes in Myanmar. In BurmeseAuthor(s): de Silva, Sanjiv; Schmitter, Petra; Thiha, Nyan; Suhardiman, Diana
Published year: 2021.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 135p. (Also in English)
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Conflicts / Socioeconomic environment / Living standards / Villages / Training / Capacity building / Empowerment / Awareness raising / Regulations / Legal frameworks / Costs / Infrastructure / Irrigation programs / Development policies / Government agencies / Nongovernmental organizations / Multi-stakeholder processes / Human resources / Governing bodies / Strategies / Organizational development / Equity / Water allocation / Farmers organizations / Gender / Farmer participation / Irrigation management / Participatory management / Models / Guidelines / Handbooks / Pumps / Irrigation schemes / Water user associations
Record No:H050545
(Re)constructing state power and livelihoods through the Laos-China railway projectAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; DiCarlo, J.; Keovilignavong, Oulavanh; Rigg, J.; Nicol, Alan
Published year: 2021.
Journal: Geoforum Pages: 124:79-88
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DOI This paper examines the governance and implementation of land compensation for the Laos-China Railway (LCR). It brings to light the central government’s strategy to use compensation rules and procedures as its means to extend its spatial power across the provinces, districts, and villages that are affected by the railway construction. We examine both the manifestations and effects of state power through the formulation and implementation of land compensation procedures. Taking Naxang village in Chomphet district, Luang Prabang province, in Laos as a case, the paper highlights: 1) how centralized compensation rules and procedures serve as a means for the central government to expand its power; 2) how power relations between central-provincial-district governments (re)shaped the actual project implementation especially pertaining to compensation valuation and payment; and 3) implications for smallholder livelihood options and strategies.
Social aspects / Households / Villages / Government agencies / Procedures / Rules / Political aspects / Large scale systems / Transport infrastructure / Livelihoods / Central government / Strategies / Compensation / Land valuation / Development projects / Railways
Record No:H050490
Fish for whom?: Integrating the management of social complexities into technical investments for inclusive, multi-functional irrigationAuthor(s): Duncan, N.; de Silva, Sanjiv; Conallin, J.; Freed, S.; Akester, M.; Baumgartner, L.; McCartney, Matthew; Dubois, M.; Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali
Published year: 2021.
Journal: World Development Perspectives Pages: 22:100318
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Irrigation represents a long-standing water sector investment in South East Asia. However, despite the undeniable benefits of food production, an irrigation/rice-centric strategy is insufficient in a multi-dimensional conceptualisation of development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) challenge us to re-think traditional ways of achieving food security. Central to this challenge is how we can retain multi-functionality within landscapes. We explore the often negatively correlated relationship between irrigation and inland fisheries through a literature review and interviews with key informants, focusing on examples from Myanmar and Cambodia. We found that whilst technical options exist for minimizing irrigation impacts on fisheries, there is a fundamental disconnect between the technical application of such ‘solutions’, and distribution of benefits to the marginal groups that SDGs 1, 2, 3 and more target. We found that insufficient recognition of the social contexts in which solutions are applied underpins this disconnect. This means that technical infrastructure design needs to be organised around the question, ‘Who do we want to benefit?’, if investments are to go beyond rice/fish production and deliver more on socially inclusive food security and livelihood opportunities. This paper is a call to extend the framing and financing of irrigation investments beyond technical parameters to include investing in the social processes that enable both multi-functionality and inclusive growth, to enhance the role of irrigation in adapting to a changing climate, while maintaining landscape integrity and multi-functionality so necessary for a sustainable future.
Policies / Inclusion / Social aspects / Poverty / Livelihoods / Community fishing / Access and benefit-sharing / Food security / Nutrition security / Sustainable Development Goals / Investment / Irrigation / Ricefield aquaculture / Inland fisheries / Fishery management
Record No:H050440
Aspirations undone: hydropower and the (re) shaping of livelihood pathways in northern LaosAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Rigg, J.
Published year: 2021.
Journal: Agriculture and Human Values Pages: 38(4):963-973
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Download This paper looks at how local livelihoods and to a certain extent their transitions are embedded in, and in thrall to, power relations at higher levels. Placing the (re)shaping of livelihood pathways within the context of top-down hydropower planning, it shows how the latter predetermines farm households’ current farming strategies and future livelihood pathways. Taking two villages along the Mekong River, both of which are to be impacted by the planned Pak Beng hydropower dam in Pak Beng district, Oudomxay province, the paper illustrates how the pathways that rural livelihoods are taking in northern Laos are being shaped by decisions and processes embedded in national and regional exigencies. We argue that top-down approaches in hydropower planning, as manifested in the current institutional vacuum to formally deal with resettlement and compensation issues at the village level result in village authorities’ and potentially affected villagers’ inability to strategically convey and negotiate their views and concerns. Moreover, we reveal how it is the specter of change which drives livelihood adaptation, not change itself, thus illustrating how the defined compensation rules and procedures (re)shape farm households’ farming strategies and future livelihood pathways even prior to the construction of the hydropower dam.
Upland crops / Villages / Households / Rural areas / Institutions / Dam construction / Decision making / Strategies / Farming systems / Procedures / Rules / Compensation / Livelihoods / Resettlement / Planning / Hydropower
Record No:H050311
Special issue on selected papers from 2019 World Water WeekAuthor(s): Harris, G. D.; Barron, J.; Uhlenbrook, Stefan; Hussein, H.; Choi, G.
Published year: 2021.
Journal: Water Pages: (Special issue with contributions by IWMI authors)
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Financing / Enterprises / Water user associations / Refugees / Displacement / Political aspects / Conflicts / Water rights / Water law / International law / Agricultural insurance / Vulnerability / Drought / Flooding / Disaster risk reduction / Climate change / Water scarcity / Wastewater treatment / Water management / Water resources / Integrated management / Rural areas / Water supply / s empowerment / Womenapos / Gender / Hygiene / Goal 6 Clean water and sanitation / Sustainable Development Goals / Water governance / Water policy
Record No:H050271
Global groundwater: source, scarcity, sustainability, security, and solutionsAuthor(s): Mukherjee, A.; Scanlon, B. R.; Aureli, A.; Langan, Simon; Guo, H.; McKenzie, A. A.
Published year: 2021.
Publisher(s): Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier
Pages: 676
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Modelling / Machine learning / Technology / River basins / Deltas / Hydrogeology / Cold zones / Arid zones / Urbanization / Sustainable Development Goals / Livelihoods / Drought / Climate change / Monitoring / Environmental control / Desalination / Freshwater / Brackish water / Surface water / Domestic water / Water use efficiency / International waters / Water storage / Agricultural production / Aquifers / Groundwater recharge / Arsenic / Pollutants / Chemical substances / Contamination / Water quality / Groundwater pollution / Groundwater irrigation / Water governance / Water supply / Water availability / Water security / Sustainability / Water scarcity / Water resources / Groundwater management
Record No:H050267
Farmer’s agency and institutional bricolage in land use plan implementation in upland LaosAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Scurrah, N.
Published year: 2021.
Journal: Land Use Policy Pages: 104:105316
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DOI This paper looks at the (re)shaping of local institutional arrangements within the context of land use planning processes in Laos, bringing to light their dynamic and co-constitutive relationship. Taking Pa Khom village in Houaphan province as a case study, it examines how local tenure institutions are (re)produced, (re)assembled and adapted to mirror farmer’s livelihood strategies to meet households’ food security, while also conforming to the defined land use plan. Drawing on examples of changes in swidden agriculture and village grazing land arrangements introduced as part of land use planning, the paper highlights the important role played by local communities – acting autonomously, collectively and in relation to external agents – in reconfiguring the relationship between natural resources and institutional orders. It illustrates how farmers employ institutional bricolage to creatively assemble and reshape their land use arrangements to comply with the defined land use plan, thus ensuring it meets their locally embedded livelihood priorities, albeit with different distributional outcomes for various farm households. Linking farm households’ strategies with inter-household and village level institutional arrangements, the paper shows how institutional bricolage contributes to synergizing the different rationales behind land use planning processes.
Case studies / Villages / Grazing lands / Livelihoods / Household food security / Local communities / Strategies / Adaptation / Collective action / Land tenure / Common lands / Shifting cultivation / Highlands / Institutional development / Farmers organizations / Land use planning
Record No:H050266
On the coattails of globalization: migration, migrants and COVID-19 in AsiaAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Rigg, J.; Bandur, M.; Marschke, M.; Miller, M. A.; Pheuangsavanh, N.; Sayatham, M.; Taylor, D.
Published year: 2021.
Journal: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies Pages: 47(1):88-109
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DOI Positioning migrants as quintessential globalisation subjects, this paper reveals how the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the ambivalent positioning of migration as a pathway for human development. Drawing on interviews with international and domestic labour migrants from Bangladesh, India, Laos and Myanmar working in Laos, Myanmar, China, Singapore and Thailand, the paper explores the vulnerabilities, challenges and opportunities that have come with migration and how these have been reconfigured as the pandemic has progressed, disproportionately heightening migrants’ exposure to the virus and their socioeconomic precarity. Through their personal stories, the paper provides insights into the evolving livelihood pathways of migrant workers during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, their (changing) views of migration as a route to progress, and tentatively sets out how ruptures caused by the pandemic may lead to a re-thinking of livelihood pathways for such men and women and their families.
Households / Economic aspects / Social aspects / Uncertainty / Remuneration / Unemployment / Working conditions / Globalization / Sustainable livelihoods / Pandemics / COVID-19 / Labour mobility / Migrant labour / Migrants / Migration
Record No:H050115
Revisiting the levels of aerosol optical depth in South-Southeast Asia, Europe and USA amid the COVID-19 pandemic using satellite observationsAuthor(s): Acharya, P.; Barik, G.; Gayen, B. K.; Bar, S.; Maiti, A.; Sarkar, A.; Ghosh, Surajit; De, S. K.; Sreekesh, S.
Published year: 2021.
Journal: Environmental Research Pages: 193:110514
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DOI The countries around the world are dealing with air quality issues for decades due to their mode of production and energy usages. The outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic and consequent global economic shutdown, for the first time, provided a base for the real-time experiment of the effect of reduced emissions across the globe in abetting the air pollution issue. The present study dealt with the changes in Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), a marker of air pollution, because of global economic shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. The study considered the countries in south and south-east Asia (SSEA), Europe and the USA for their extended period of lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic. Daily Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) from Moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) and tropospheric column density of NO2 and SO2 from Ozone monitoring instrument (OMI) sensors, including meteorological data such as wind speed (WS) and relative humidity (RH) were analyzed during the pre-lockdown (2017–2019) and lockdown periods (2020). The average AOD, NO2 and SO2 during the lockdown period were statistically compared with their pre-lockdown average using Wilcoxon-signed-paired-rank test. The accuracy of the MODIS-derived AOD, including the changing pattern of AOD due to lockdown was estimated using AERONET data. The weekly anomaly of AOD, NO2 and SO2 was used for analyzing the space-time variation of aerosol load as restrictions were imposed by the concerned countries at the different points of time. Additionally, a random forest-based regression (RF) model was used to examine the effects of meteorological and emission parameters on the spatial variation of AOD. A significant reduction of AOD (- 20%) was obtained for majority of the areas in SSEA, Europe and USA during the lockdown period. Yet, the clusters of increased AOD (30–60%) was obtained in the south-east part of SSEA, the western part of Europe and US regions. NO2 reductions were measured up to 20–40%, while SO2 emission increased up to 30% for a majority of areas in these regions. A notable space-time variation was observed in weekly anomaly. We found the evidence of the formation of new particles for causing high AOD under high RH and low WS, aided by the downward vertical wind flow. The RF model showed a distinguishable relative importance of emission and meteorological factors among these regions to account for the spatial variability of AOD. Our findings suggest that the continued lockdown might provide a temporary solution to air pollution; however, to combat persistent air quality issues, it needs switching over to the cleaner mode of production and energy. The findings of this study, thus, advocated for alternative energy policy at the global scale.
Moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer / Satellite observation / Humidity / Wind speed / Weather data / Emission / Sulphur dioxide / Nitrogen dioxide / COVID-19 / Aerosols / Air quality / Air pollution
Record No:H050797
The politics of legal pluralism in the shaping of spatial power in Myanmar’s land governanceAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Bright, J.; Palmano, C.
Published year: 2021.
Journal: Journal of Peasant Studies Pages: 48(2):411-435
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DOI Following the National League for Democracy’s landslide victory in the 2015 national election, Myanmar embarked on a series of legal and political transitions. This paper highlights parallel processes alongside such transitions. Linking land governance with the ongoing peace processes, and taking Karen state as a case study, it brings to light how both processes are in fact closely interlinked. Building on legal pluralism research, we argue that in the context of ethnic states, farmers’ strategies to strengthen their land rights resemble the very notion of state transformation.
Case studies / Local communities / Villages / Strategies / Land titling / Customary tenure / Land tenure / Farmers / Legal frameworks / Political institutions / Central government / Land policies / Land rights / Land use / Political power / Legal pluralism / Land governance
Record No:H049411
Examining migration governance: evidence of rising insecurities due to COVID-19 in China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and ThailandAuthor(s): Murzakulova, A.; Dessalegn, Mengistu; Phalkey, N.
Published year: 2021.
Journal: Comparative Migration Studies Pages: 9:44
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The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the context of global migration. From a migration perspective, the pandemic is a source of insecurities that challenge migrants, their livelihoods and migration governance. Meanwhile, curtailment in movement has led to economic decline affecting labour markets. For migrant origin and hosting countries, this poses multidimensional development challenges. Analysis from March to August 2020 of China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and Thailand highlights the varying ways in which they are all severely affected by the disruptions in migration, suggesting a potentially emerging complex situation in migration patterns and pathways. The disruptions in migration and remittances have had a profound impact on migrants and migrant-sending households. The uncertainty of migration returning to pre-pandemic levels and the potential of lasting consequences on migrants and migration patterns and pathways, suggests a future of greater risk and exploitation, and a wider gap between formal and informal migration. This paper calls for greater mobility cooperation between countries and suggests strengthening mobility migration frameworks and policies for safer migration and for the rights of migrants.
Pandemics / COVID-19 / Migrants / Policies / Livelihoods / Governance / Migration
Record No:H050732
Gender dimensions of solid and liquid waste management for reuse in agriculture in Asia and AfricaAuthor(s): Taron, Avinandan; Drechsel, Pay; Gebrezgabher, Solomie
Published year: 2021.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)
Pages: 33
Series: Resource Recovery and Reuse Series 21More... |
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This report examines social equality aspects related to resource recovery through solid waste composting and wastewater irrigation. The report shows that women are represented in greatest numbers at the base of the recycling chain, most often as informal waste pickers and as sorters of recyclables with limited access to resources and upward mobility. Despite a wide gender gap in the solid waste and sanitation sectors, women play a key role in both municipal waste reduction and food safety where irrigation water is unsafe. Analyzing the gender dimension is important for understanding household responses to recycling programs, differences between the formal and informal sectors as well as along the waste-to-resource value chain from collection to treatment and reuse. The report stresses the important role of women in household waste management, including waste segregation, and the power of women-dominated waste picker associations, where the informal sector plays an essential role alongside the formal sector.
Farmers / Entrepreneurs / Social marketing / Community involvement / Sanitation / Health hazards / Sustainable Development Goals / Wastewater irrigation / Composting / Organic wastes / Wastewater treatment / Recycling / Waste collection / Faecal sludge / Household wastes / Urban wastes / s participation / Womenapos / Business models / Circular economy / Agricultural value chains / Liquid wastes / Solid wastes / Waste management / Social equality / Gender equity / Water reuse / Resource management / Resource recovery
Record No:H050720
IWMI Annual report 2020Author(s): International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
Published year: 2021.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 62
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Wetlands / Biodiversity / Environmental health / Water user associations / Inclusion / Youth / s participation / Womenapos / Gender equality / Livelihoods / Poverty reduction / Crop insurance / Resilience / Climate change mitigation / Climate change adaptation / Groundwater / Farmer-led irrigation / Solar energy / Wastewater / Waste management / Water policies / Public health / Nutrition / Food security / Partnerships / Research programmes / Innovation / Sustainable Development Goals / Water security / Water management
Record No:H050677
IWMI Annual report 2019Author(s): International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
Published year: 2020.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 60
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Partnerships / Collaboration / Research programmes / CGIAR / Economic aspects / Agriculture / Crop insurance / Disaster risk management / Farm income / Farmers / Smallholders / Water use / Resource recovery / Irrigation programs / Wastewater / Groundwater management / Water resources / Digital innovation / Women / Inclusion / Gender / Resilience / Climate change adaptation / Ecosystems / Food security / Sustainable Development Goals / Water management
Record No:H049940
Underground Transfer of Floods for Irrigation (UTFI): exploring potential at the global scaleAuthor(s): Alam, Mohammad Faiz; Pavelic, Paul
Published year: 2020.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 58
Series: IWMI Research Report 176More... |
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This report presents a spatial analysis conducted at global scale to identify areas of high suitability for implementing the Underground Transfer of Floods for Irrigation (UTFI) approach. The study used multiple global spatial datasets, and the related data were arranged under three categories – water supply, water demand and water storage – to assess global UTFI suitability. Among the river basins with high suitability, the Awash in Ethiopia, Ramganga in India (one of the major tributaries of the Ganges River Basin) and Chao Phraya in Thailand were selected for the economic analysis in this study. The results from this study are intended to provide a first step towards identifying the broad areas (at the river basin or country scale) where more detailed investigation would be worthwhile to ascertain the technical and economic feasibility of UTFI, with greater confidence.
Models / Rural areas / Urban areas / Socioeconomic environment / Monsoon climate / Rain / Land use / Crop production / Pumps / Wells / Infrastructure / Groundwater irrigation / Stakeholders / Policies / Food security / Water security / Climate change / Water availability / Surface water / Water management / Water resources / Watershed management / Ecosystem services / Mitigation / Disaster risk reduction / Flood control / Benefit-cost ratio / Cost benefit analysis / Economic analysis / Drought / Water demand / Water supply / Water storage / Aquifers / Groundwater recharge / River basins / Flood irrigation
Record No:H050008
The Salween River as a transboundary commons: fragmented collective action, hybrid governance and powerAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Middleton, C.
Published year: 2020.
Journal: Asia Pacific Viewpoint Pages: 61(2):301-314. (Special issue: Governing the Transboundary Commons of Southeast Asia)
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DOI Viewing the Salween River as a transboundary commons, this paper illustrates how diverse state and non-state actors and institutions in hybrid and multi-scaled networks have influenced water governance in general, and large dam decision-making processes in particular. Putting power relations at the centre of this analysis and drawing on the conceptual lenses of hybrid governance and critical institutionalism, we show the complexity of the fragmented processes through which decisions have been arrived at, and their implications. In the context of highly asymmetrical power relations throughout the basin, and the absence of an intergovernmental agreement to date, we argue that hybrid networks of state and non-state actors could be strategically engaged to connect parallel and fragmented decision-making landscapes with a goal of inclusively institutionalising the transboundary commons and maintaining connected local commons throughout the basin, foregrounding a concern for ecological and social justice.
Political aspects / Nongovernmental organizations / Conflicts / International agreements / Development projects / Decision making / Institutions / State intervention / River basins / Dams / Hydropower / Collective action / International waters / Water governance
Record No:H049874
Urbanisation and emerging economies: issues and potential solutions for water and food securityAuthor(s): Kookana, R. S.; Drechsel, Pay; Jamwal, P.; Vanderzalm, J.
Published year: 2020.
Journal: Science of the Total Environment Pages: 732:139057
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Urbanisation will be one of the 21st centuryapos;s most transformative trends. By 2050, it will increase from 55% to 68%, more than doubling the urban population in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Urbanisation has multifarious (positive as well as negative) impacts on the wellbeing of humans and the environment. The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) form the blueprint to achieve a sustainable future for all. Clean Water and Sanitation is a specific goal (SDG 6) within the suite of 17 interconnected goals. Here we provide an overview of some of the challenges that urbanisation poses in relation to SDG 6, especially in developing economies. Worldwide, several cities are on the verge of water crisis. Water distribution to informal settlements or slums in megacities (e.g. N50% population in the megacities of India) is essentially non-existent and limits access to adequate safe water supply. Besides due to poor sewer connectivity in the emerging economies, there is a heavy reliance on septic tanks, and other on-site sanitation (OSS) system and by 2030, 4.9 billion people are expected to rely on OSS. About 62–93% of the urban population in Vietnam, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Indonesia rely on septic tanks, where septage treatment is rare. Globally, over 80% of wastewater is released to the environment without adequate treatment. About 11% of all irrigated croplands is irrigated with such untreated or poorly treated wastewater. In addition to acute and chronic health effects, this also results in significant pollution of often-limited surface and groundwater resources in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Direct and indirect water reuse plays a key role in global water and food security. Here we offer several suggestions to mitigate water and food insecurity in emerging economies.
Behavioural changes / Sustainable Development Goals / Rural urban relations / Groundwater recharge / Aquifers / Ecosystems / Environmental health / Suburban agriculture / Wastewater irrigation / Water scarcity / Water supply / Indicators / Monitoring / Water quality / Health hazards / Public health / Water reuse / Sanitation / Septic tanks / Costs / Wastewater treatment / Waste treatment / Waste management / Food security / Water security / Economic development / Urbanization
Record No:H049719
Laos’ hydropower development and cross-border power trade in the Lower Mekong Basin: a discourse analysisAuthor(s): Tran, T. A.; Suhardiman, Diana
Published year: 2020.
Journal: Asia Pacific Viewpoint Pages: 61(2):219-235. (Special issue: Governing the Transboundary Commons of Southeast Asia)
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DOI Increasing demands for energy to boost the Mekong economies have attracted the keen interest of riparian countries for hydropower development. This is evidenced by extensive investment in hydropower projects across the region over the last few decades. Drawing on interviews with key stakeholders, including officials from Ministry of Energy and Mines, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, private sector actors, civil society organisations and academics, as well as secondary data from public and policy resources, this paper aims to examine how the government of Laos’ (GoL) decisions in hydropower development are influenced by regional energy dynamics, and how these shape the country’s future energy development. The paper argues that the GoL’s decisions on hydropower development are highly dilemmatic, given the current limited institutional capacity in hydropower governance and the accelerating evolution of alternative energy in neighbouring countries. While uncertainty in power markets is recognised, this places greater pressure on new hydropower projects as to how much power could be sufficiently produced and exported. The paper calls for GoL’s policy considerations on the development and planning of alternative energy to secure the sustainable and equitable use of water resources as stipulated in the 1995 Mekong Agreement.
Environmental effects / Markets / Economic aspects / River basins / Dams / Development projects / Strategies / State intervention / Governance / Energy policies / Trade agreements / International trade / Energy generation / Hydroelectric power generation
Record No:H049593
Demand-led extension: a gender analysis of attendance and key cropsAuthor(s): Williams, F. E.; Taron, Avinandan
Published year: 2020.
Journal: Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension Pages: 26(4):383-400
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Purpose: The need to increase women’s access to extension has been extensively discussed. This paper assesses women’s access to extension services through the Plantwise extension approach as a baseline for future comparison of women’s access through other extension approaches. It also assesses whether crops that men and women farmers seek plant health advice on are similar or not, and attempts to disperse assumptions that continue to be made about what crops women and men grow.
Approach: We analysed data from the Plantwise Online Management System for 13 countries using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Findings: We show that the Plantwise extension approach enables higher levels of women’s access than generally reported for agricultural extension, that the crops that women and men seek extension advice on is not gender dependent, and there are few clear distinctions between their crops of interest.
Practical implications: There is limited literature studying gender inclusiveness in different extension approaches. The findings add to the documentation of assessing women’s access to demand-driven extension.
Theoretical implications: Plantwise is a new extension approach which needs to be assessed from spatial and temporal perspectives to understand whether demand-driven extension enables increased women’s access over time.
Originality/value: Extension service provision is often based on assumptions about what crops are being grown. Small studies have challenged these assumptions, but this large dataset enables us to test these assumptions more thoroughly across 13 countries adding to the weight of evidence against the existence of women’s and men’s crops.
Cropping patterns / Male involvement / Women farmers / Farmer participation / s participation / Womenapos / Extension approaches / Gender analysis / Agricultural extension systems
Record No:H049538
Putting farmers’ strategies in the center of agricultural groundwater use in the Vientiane Plain, LaosAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Pavelic, Paul; Keovilignavong, Oulavanh; Giordano, M.
Published year: 2020.
Journal: International Journal of Water Resources Development Pages: 36(1):149-169
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DOI Groundwater use for agriculture has the potential to improve rural households’ income and reduce poverty, but the linkages are not always straightforward. Taking Laos as a case study, this article illustrates how differential access to water, land, and capital shape farmers’ livelihood strategies in two nearby, yet contrasting villages on the Vientiane Plain. It examines the factors driving farm households’ decisions to invest in groundwater for agriculture. The findings highlight the need to better understand how farmers view groundwater in relation to their farm household characteristics if groundwater is to be successfully used as a means to improve rural livelihoods.
Case studies / Social aspects / Labour / Crop production / Cultivation / Cost benefit analysis / Wells / Living standards / Poverty / Income / Households / Rural areas / Farmers / Water resources development / Water use / Groundwater irrigation
Record No:H049031
Between a rock and a hard place: early experience of migration challenges under the Covid-19 pandemicAuthor(s): Nicol, Alan; Abdoubaetova, A.; Wolters, A.; Kharel, A.; Murzakolova, A.; Gebreyesus, A.; Lucasenco, E.; Chen, F.; Sugden, F.; Sterly, H.; Kuznetsova, I.; Masotti, M.; Vittuari, M.; Dessalegn, Mengistu; Aderghal, M.; Phalkey, N.; Sakdapolrak, P.; Mollinga, P.; Mogilevskii, R.; Naruchaikusol, S.
Published year: 2020.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 22
Series: IWMI Working Paper 195More... |
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This working paper was produced under the European Union Horizon 2020 funded AGRUMIG project and traces the impact of Covid-19 on migration trends in seven project countries – China, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal and Thailand.
The context of global migration has changed dramatically due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both within and between countries there has been a substantial curtailment of movement. As a result of multiple lockdowns, economic activity has severely declined and labor markets have ground to a halt, with mass unemployment in industrialized economies looming on the horizon. For both migrant hosting and origin countries – some are substantially both – this poses a set of complex development challenges.
Partners of the AGRUMIG project undertook a rapid review of impacts across project countries, exploring the impacts on rural households but also identifying the persistent desire to migrate in spite of restrictions.
Uncertainty / Assessment / Policies / Border closures / Travel restrictions / Quarantine / Governance / State intervention / Rural areas / Households / Food supply / Social inequalities / Poverty / Economic activities / Remittances / Income / Health hazards / Livelihoods / Unemployment / Migrant labour / Labour market / Pandemics / COVID-19 / Migration
Record No:H050125
Maintaining diversity of integrated rice and fish production confers adaptability of food systems to global changeAuthor(s): Freed, S.; Barman, B.; Dubois, M.; Flor, R. J.; Funge-Smith, S.; Gregory, R.; Hadi, B. A. R.; Halwart, M.; Haque, M.; Jagadish, S. V. K.; Joffre, O. M.; Karim, M.; Kura, Y.; McCartney, Matthew; Mondal, M.; Nguyen, V. K.; Sinclair, F.; Stuart, A. M.; Tezzo, X.; Yadav, S.; Cohen, P. J.
Published year: 2020.
Journal: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems Pages: 4:576179
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Rice and fish are preferred foods, critical for healthy and nutritious diets, and provide the foundations of local and national economies across Asia. Although transformations, or “revolutions,” in agriculture and aquaculture over the past half-century have primarily relied upon intensified monoculture to increase rice and fish production, agroecological approaches that support biodiversity and utilize natural processes are particularly relevant for achieving a transformation toward food systems with more inclusive, nutrition-sensitive, and ecologically sound outcomes. Rice and fish production are frequently integrated within the same physical, temporal, and social spaces, with substantial variation amongst the types of production practice and their extent. In Cambodia, rice field fisheries that strongly rely upon natural processes persist in up to 80% of rice farmland, whereas more input and infrastructure dependent rice-shrimp culture is expanding within the rice farmland of Vietnam. We demonstrate how a diverse suite of integrated production practices contribute to sustainable and nutrition-sensitive food systems policy, research, and practice. We first develop a typology of integrated production practices illustrating the nature and degree of: (a) fish stocking, (b) water management, (c) use of synthetic inputs, and (d) institutions that control access to fish. Second, we summarize recent research and innovations that have improved the performance of each type of practice. Third, we synthesize data on the prevalence, outcomes, and trajectories of these practices in four South and Southeast Asian countries that rely heavily on fish and rice for food and nutrition security. Focusing on changes since the food systems transformation brought about by the Green Revolution, we illustrate how integrated production practices continue to serve a variety of objectives to varying degrees: food and nutrition security, rural livelihood diversification and income improvement, and biodiversity conservation. Five shifts to support contemporary food system transformations [i.e., disaggregating (1) production practices and (2) objectives, (3) utilizing diverse metrics, (4) valuing emergent, place-based innovation, (5) building adaptive capacity] would accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 2, specifically through ensuring ecosystem maintenance, sustainable food production, and resilient agricultural practices with the capacity to adapt to global change.
Case studies / Livelihoods / Agroecology / Green revolution / Sustainable Development Goals / Biodiversity conservation / Shrimp culture / Food policies / Nutrition security / Food security / Community involvement / Diversification / Agricultural practices / Agropisciculture / Fishery production / Food production / Ricefield aquaculture / Inland fisheries / Food systems
Record No:H050055
Linking land tenure security with food security: unpacking farm households’ perceptions and strategies in the rural uplands of LaosAuthor(s): Keovilignavong, Oulavanh; Suhardiman, Diana
Published year: 2020.
Journal: Land Use Policy Pages: 90:104260
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DOI Land tenure, or access and rights to land, is essential to sustain people’s livelihoods. This paper looks at how farm households perceive land tenure (in)security in relation to food (in)security, and how these perceptions evolve throughout different policy periods in Laos. The paper highlights the centrality of farmers’ strategies in configuring the dynamic relationships between tenure (in)security and food (in)security, by demonstrating how farmers’ perceived and de facto land tenure insecurity shapes their decisions to diversify livelihood options to ensure food security. While the paper’s key findings reveal the close interlinkages between land tenure (in) security and food (in)security, we argue that the first does not automatically result in the latter. In contrast, we show how perceived and de-facto land tenure insecurity pushes farmers to explore alternative strategies and avenues to ensure food supply, through farm and non-farm employment. From a policy perspective, the paper highlights the need to put people’s livelihoods at the center of land governance, thus moving beyond the current positioning of land as merely a means for agricultural production or environmental conservation.
Case studies / Rural areas / Villages / Highlands / Land governance / Government policy / Non-farm employment / attitudes / Farmersapos / Strategies / Living standards / Household income / Land policies / Land use planning / Food security / Perception of tenure security / Land tenure
Record No:H049372
A handbook for establishing water user associations in pump-based irrigation schemes in MyanmarAuthor(s): de Silva, Sanjiv; Schmitter, Petra; Thiha, Nyan; Suhardiman, Diana
Published year: 2019.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 71p. (Also in Burmese)
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Conflicts / Socioeconomic environment / Living standards / Villages / Training / Capacity building / Empowerment / Awareness raising / Regulations / Legal frameworks / Costs / Infrastructure / Irrigation programs / Development policies / Government agencies / Nongovernmental organizations / Multi-stakeholder processes / Human resources / Governing bodies / Strategies / Organizational development / Equity / Water allocation / Farmers organizations / Gender / Farmer participation / Irrigation management / Participatory management / Models / Guidelines / Handbooks / Pumps / Irrigation schemes / Water user associations
Record No:H049296
Guidelines and regulations for fecal sludge management from on-site sanitation facilitiesAuthor(s): Jayathilake, Nilanthi; Drechsel, Pay; Keraita, B.; Fernando, Sudarshana; Hanjra, M. A.
Published year: 2019.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)
Pages: 57
Series: Resource Recovery and Reuse Series 14More... |
DOI |
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In low- and middle-income countries, the management of fecal sludge from on-site sanitation systems has received little attention over many decades, resulting in insufficient or missing regulations to guide investments and management options. To address this gap, this report examines existing and emerging guidelines and regulations for fecal sludge management (FSM) along the sanitation service chain (user interface, containment, emptying, transport, treatment, valorization, reuse or disposal). It also draws empirical examples from guidelines across the globe to support policy-makers, planners, and sanitation and health officers, as well as consultants in low- and middle-income countries in the development and design of local and national FSM guidelines and regulations.
European Union / Governmental organizations / Institutions / Stakeholders / Households / Urban areas / Land use / Occupational hazards / Environmental protection / Fuels / Energy generation / Composting / Organic fertilizers / Sewage sludge / Soil conditioners / Microplastics / Heavy metals / Pollutants / Aquaculture / Pathogens / Excreta / Public health / Operating costs / Transport / Septic tanks / Pit latrines / Waste treatment / Waste disposal / Technology / Frameworks / Sustainable Development Goals / Policies / Standards / Regulations / Guidelines / Sanitation / Faecal sludge / Reuse / Resource management / Resource recovery
Record No:H049291
The contested terrain of land governance reform in MyanmarAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Kenney-Lazar, M.; Meinzen-Dick, R.
Published year: 2019.
Journal: Critical Asian Studies Pages: 51(3):368-385
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DOI State control of land plays a critical role in producing land dispossession throughout the Global South. In Myanmar, the state’s approach towards territorial expansion has driven the country’s system of land governance, resulting in widespread and systemic land grabbing. This article investigates ongoing land governance reforms as key terrains for contesting such abuses of power. Employing a relational land governance approach, we view reform processes as shaped by changing power-laden social relations among government, civil society, and international donor actors. Legal and regulatory reforms in Myanmar potentially act as sites of meaningful social change but in practice tend to maintain significant limitations in altering governance dynamics. Civil society organizations and their alliances in Myanmar have played an important role in opening up policy processes to a broader group of political actors. Yet, policies and legal frameworks still are often captured by elite actors, becoming trapped in path dependent power relations.
Social aspects / Land rights / Farmers / Land law / Legal aspects / Political aspects / Donors / Civil society organizations / State intervention / Land grabbing / Land use / Land reform / Land policies / Land governance
Record No:H049252
Expanding rubber plantations in southern China: evidence for hydrological impactsAuthor(s): Ma, X.; Lacombe, Guillaume; Harrison, R.; Xu, J.; van Noordwijk, M.
Published year: 2019.
Journal: Water Pages: 11(4): 1-15
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While there is increasing evidence concerning the detrimental effects of expanding rubber plantations on biodiversity and local water balances, their implications on regional hydrology remain uncertain. We studied a mesoscale watershed (100 km2) in the Xishuangbanna prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. The influence of land-cover change on streamflow recorded since 1992 was isolated from that of rainfall variability using cross-simulation matrices produced with the monthly lumped conceptual water balance model GR2M. Our results indicate a statistically significant reduction in wet and dry season streamflow from 1992 to 2002, followed by an insignificant increase until 2006. Analysis of satellite images from 1992, 2002, 2007, and 2010 shows a gradual increase in the areal percentage of rubber tree plantations at the watershed scale. However, there were marked heterogeneities in land conversions (between forest, farmland, grassland, and rubber tree plantations), and in their distribution across elevations and slopes, among the studied periods. Possible effects of this heterogeneity on hydrological processes, controlled mainly by infiltration and evapotranspiration, are discussed in light of the hydrological changes observed over the study period. We suggest pathways to improve the eco-hydrological functionalities of rubber tree plantations, particularly those enhancing dry-season base flow, and recommend how to monitor them.
Slope / Grasslands / Farmland / Rainfall / Watershed management / Water balance / Land cover change / Impact assessment / Humid tropics / Catchment areas / Agroforestry / Hydrological factors / Rubber industry
Record No:H049180
Youth participation in small-scale fisheries, aquaculture and value chains in Africa and the Asia-PacificAuthor(s): Arulingam, Indika; Nigussie, Likimyelesh; Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali; Debevec, Liza
Published year: 2019.
Publisher(s): Penang, Malaysia: CGIAR Research Program on Fish Agri-Food Systems
Pages: 66
Series: CGIAR Research Program on Fish Agri-Food Systems Program Report: FISH-2019-14More... |
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IWMI, a managing partner of FISH, conducted an assessment of youth participation in SSF, aquaculture and value chains between November 2017 and May 2018. The assessment was conducted in Africa and the Asia-Pacific, with a particular focus on the FISH focal countries of Egypt, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia in Africa and Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar and Solomon Islands in the Asia-Pacific. The objectives of this study were to (i) assess the participation of youth in fisheries and aquaculture, including opportunities and challenges for participation, (ii) understand what WorldFish and key partners (government organizations, nongovernmental organizations [NGOs] and others) are doing in the focal countries in relation to youth participation, and (iii) (based on the former two points) provide potential areas for further research that could support improved youth participation in aquaculture, SSF and value chains. In this report, definitions of SSF and aquaculture are adopted from WorldFish.
Ecosystems / Agricultural sector / Political aspects / Economic aspects / International organizations / Stakeholders / State intervention / Working conditions / Social status / Decision making / Living standards / Technology / Strategies / Policies / Income generation / Financing / Land access / Education / Access to information / s empowerment / Womenapos / Gender / Fishers / Value chains / Aquaculture / Participation / Youth employment / Small-scale fisheries
Record No:H049615
The political ecology of hydropower in the Mekong River BasinAuthor(s): Geheb, K.; Suhardiman, Diana
Published year: 2019.
Journal: Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability Pages: 37:8-13
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DOI Hydropower development in the Mekong River Basin is occurring at a rapid, though controversial pace, pitting a variety of stakeholder groups against each other at both intranational scale and international scale, and affecting state relations across scales. In this paper, we explore the narratives surrounding hydropower development in this basin, while referring to the concept of hydrosocial cycles as the central tool in our analysis. These look at the processes of socio-political construction of nature, viewing water as a medium that conveys power, and thus sources of both collaboration and conflict. While the Mekong hydropower narratives do, indeed, attempt to conflate the massive regulation of hydrological systems with large-scale social and economic ambitions, they are also intended to obscure a widespread and systemic effort to control and alienate the region’s waters via engineering at multiple scales.
Decision making / International waters / Socioeconomic environment / River basins / Ecology / Political aspects / Hydropower
Record No:H049147
The territorial politics of land use planning in LaosAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Keovilignavong, Oulavanh; Kenney-Lazar, M.
Published year: 2019.
Journal: Land Use Policy Pages: 83:346-356
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DOI This paper examines land use planning processes in Laos, particularly how they are shaped and reshaped by key actors’ interests and strategies across scales and how they are closely interlinked with state logics of territorialization. It critiques dominant perspectives that view land use planning as a tool for bridging policy and institutional divides to generate holistic land governance. Instead, it presents land use planning as a function of power and a contested arena of power struggle, driven primarily by the development targets of sectoral ministries and the interests of powerful local actors. We show how bureaucratic competition and sectoral fragmentation prevail directly within Laos’s National Land Master Plan formulation process. The paper shows how the logics of land governance in Laos are comprised of a disjuncture between national and local land use planning processes and, a disconnect between formal land use planning and actual land use across scales.
Land allocation / Land policies / Land governance / Corporate culture / Local organizations / Bureaucracy / Political aspects / Territories / Land use planning
Record No:H049143
Flood-based farming systems and human-water dynamics in the Ayeyarwady Delta, MyanmarAuthor(s): Schulte-Kellinghaus, Nikola
Published year: 2019.
Pages: 100
More... The flood-based farming systems in the Ayeyarwady Delta in Myanmar are changing. Change describes the modification of the flood pattern which is constituted by depth and duration of flooding and is the determining factor for rice cultivation. Flood-induced crop loss poses the major challenge to the farmers in the delta. To understand the flood-based farming systems in the Ayeyarwady Delta, the random forest algorithm was applied to generate rice suitability location models and to create suitability maps. Thus, correlations were observed between the developed definitions for the three rice growing areas based on quantitative interviews with farmers and the physical factors obtained from the input datasets – mainly remote sensing data concerning surface water and vegetation. To underpin the information of the generated suitability maps, human-water dynamics in the Ayeyarwady Delta are exemplified in terms of the pluralistic water research (PWR) framework (EVERS ET AL. 2017). Socio-economic and hydro-climatic drivers control this system and besides determine the suitable location of the three rice growing areas. This concept facilitates an understanding of the relationships and feedbacks of the human-water dynamics and is able to analyse flood risk mitigation in the Ayeyarwady Delta.
Uncertainty / Models / Socioeconomic environment / Market access / Farmers / Crop yield / Salinity / Soils / Rivers / Rain / Monsoon climate / Hydroclimatology / Surface water / Land use / Flooded land / Biodiversity / Extreme weather events / Climate change / Deltas / Floodplains / Flooded rice / Farming systems
Record No:H049445
Joint research on hydrological impacts of the Lancang hydropower cascade on downstream extreme events: final reportAuthor(s): Chuthong, J.; Liu, H.; Xu, F.; Cheng, D.; Zhang, W.; Leh, Mansoor; Lacombe, Guillaume
Published year: 2019.
Publisher(s): Vientiane, Lao PDR: Mekong River Commission (MRC); Beijing, China: Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center (LMWRCC); Beijing, China: China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR); Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 140
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Models / Salinity / Meteorological stations / International waters / Climatic factors / Dry season / Runoff / Water levels / Discharges / Stream flow / Dams / Rivers / Reservoirs / Water resources / Rain / Precipitation / Flooding / Drought / Extreme weather events / Hydrological factors / Development projects / Hydropower
Record No:H049432
Integrating fish into irrigation infrastructure projects in Myanmar: rice-fish what if…?Author(s): Dubois, M. J.; Akester, M.; Leemans, K.; Teoh, S. J.; Stuart, A.; Thant, A. M.; San, S. S.; Shein, N.; Leh, Mansoor; Moet, Palal Moet; Radanielson, A. M.
Published year: 2019.
Journal: Marine and Freshwater Research Pages: 70(9):1229-1240
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DOI With rapidly increasing investment in water control infrastructure (WCI) and a recently ratified agriculture development strategy that promotes integrated farming of high-value products such as fish, agricultural production, already fundamental to Myanmar’s economy, will be central to driving the countries’ socioeconomic transformation. Water planners and managers have a unique opportunity to design and manage WCI to incorporate fish and, in so doing, reduce conflicts and optimise the benefits to both people and the ecosystem services upon which they depend. Results from rice–fish culture experimental trials in Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady Delta are providing an evidence base for the importance of integrating fish into WCI, highlighting a range of both environmental and social benefits. By using less than 13% of paddy land area and through best management practices, existing rice productivity is sustained, alongside a 25% increase in economic returns for the same land area from fish. In addition, there are considerably more protein and micronutrients available from the fish produced in the system. Should these farming system innovations be adopted at scale, Myanmar stands to benefit from increased employment, incomes and nutritional value of farm plots (alongside associated reductions in pesticide pollution) and water use benefits.
Nutrition / Fisheries / Institutions / Environmental effects / Policies / Legislation / Strategies / Water management / Sustainable Development Goals / Infrastructure / Irrigation programs / Ricefield aquaculture / Integrated systems / Farming systems
Record No:H049430
Implications of rubber land concessions on local resource governance in CambodiaAuthor(s): Keovilignavong, Oulavanh; Suhardiman, Diana
Published year: 2019.
Pages: pp.353-368
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Economic aspects / Public opinion / Villages / Households / Farmers / Gender / Companies / Local authorities / Strategies / Living standards / Rural communities / Natural resources / Concession (land) / Rubber industry / Governance / Resource management
Record No:H049447
Hydropower dams of the Mekong river basin: a review of their hydrological impactsAuthor(s): Hecht, J. S.; Lacombe, Guillaume; Arias, M. E.; Duc Dang, T.; Piman, T.
Published year: 2019.
Journal: Journal of Hydrology Pages: 568: 285-300
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DOI Hydropower production is altering the Mekong River basin’s riverine ecosystems, which contain the world’s largest inland fishery and provide food security and livelihoods to millions of people. The basin’s hydropower reservoir storage, which may rise from ~2% of its mean annual flow in 2008 to ~20% in 2025, is attenuating seasonal flow variability downstream of many dams with integral powerhouses and large storage reservoirs. In addition, tributary diversions for off-stream energy production are reducing downstream flows and augmenting them in recipient tributaries. To help manage tradeoffs between dam benefits (hydropower, irrigation, flood control, domestic water supply, and navigation) and their consequences for livelihoods and ecosystems, we review observed and projected impacts on river flows along both the Mekong mainstream and its tributaries. We include the effects of diversions and inter-basin transfers, which prior reviews of flow alteration in the Mekong basin have largely neglected. We also discuss the extent to which concurrent changes in climate, water demand, and land use, may offset or exacerbate hydropower-induced flow alteration. Our major recommendations for assessing hydrological impacts in the Mekong and other basins undergoing rapid hydropower development include synchronizing and integrating observational and modeling studies, improving the accuracy of reservoir water balances, evaluating multi-objective reservoir operating rules, examining hydropeaking-induced flow alteration, conducting multi-dam safety assessments, evaluating flow indicators relevant to local ecosystems and livelihoods, and considering alternative energy sources and reservoir sedimentation in long-term projections. Finally, we strongly recommend that dam impact studies consider hydrological alteration in conjunction with fish passage barriers, geomorphic changes and other contemporaneous stressors.
Land cover change / Climate change / Sedimentation / Renewable energy / Energy generation / Tributaries / Mainstreaming / Downstream / Living standards / Food security / Ecosystems / Hydrological factors / River basin management / Water demand / Water storage / Reservoir storage / Dams / Hydropower
Record No:H048985
Fuzzy-based approach for evaluating groundwater sustainability of Asian citiesAuthor(s): Tirupathi, C.; Shashidhar, T.; Pandey, Vishnu P.; Shrestha, S.
Published year: 2019.
Journal: Sustainable Cities and Society Pages: 44:321-331
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DOI The objective of this research is to develop a fuzzy-based groundwater sustainability index (FGSI) model to evaluate the sustainability of groundwater system at selected cities in Asian.
The new Mamdani type fuzzy-based inference system known as FGSI was developed. It contains five components and twenty-four indicators, which covers five dimensions of sustainability, namely, environmental, social, economic, mutual trust, and institutional. The FGSI model offers a novel combination of indicators, which covers aspects of groundwater quality, quantity, and management. An attempt was made to develop a robust index for estimating the groundwater sustainability. The model was evaluated for selected cities in Asian with different difuzzification methods, and compared with the conventional method. The centroid defuzzification method produced well diversified results compared with other methods, including conventional method. The overall groundwater sustainability of Hyderabad of India was estimated as highly sustainable and, Lahore of Pakistan, Bangkok of Thailand, Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam and Yangon City of Myanmar were estimated as moderately sustainable. The FGSI model may help to policy and decision makers to provide a reliable and resilient sustainable management system in the cities by identifying the indicators for the improvement.
Monitoring / Indicators / Institutions / Knowledge management / Stakeholders / Legislation / Water policy / Water stress / Fuzzy logic / Models / Towns / Evaluation / Sustainability / Groundwater / Water resources
Record No:H048981
Global experiences on waste processing with black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens): from technology to businessAuthor(s): Joly, Gabrielle; Nikiema, Josiane
Published year: 2019.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)
Pages: 62
Series: Resource Recovery and Reuse Series 16More... |
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Black soldier fly colonies can produce about 100 times more protein per year than chicken or soybeans, not to mention cattle, on the same area of land. The flies can directly feed on different types of organic wastes, leapfrogging closed loop processes within a circular food economy. Also, where no protein is needed, for example, to feed fish or pigs, the larvae can be processed into high-quality biodiesel. However, can this be done at scale? The answer is ‘Yes’. The report showcases some of the leading global businesses in Black Soldier Fly production.
Case studies / Markets / Business models / Public health / Social benefits / Legal aspects / Environmental effects / Costs / Economic value / Economic impact / Monitoring / Infrastructure / Energy conservation / Nutrients / Fertilizers / Organic wastes / Residues / Chitin / Biodiesel / Biofuels / Biomass / Feedstocks / Animal feeding / Lipid content / Harvesting / Yields / Pupae / Larvae / Breeding / Insect farming / Bioconversion / Life cycle / Hermetia illucens / Black soldier fly / Technology / Waste reduction / Waste treatment / Waste management / Reuse / Resource management / Resource recovery
Record No:H049395
Research to support sustainable groundwater development and governance in Laos: research highlight reportAuthor(s): Pavelic, Paul; Villholth, Karen G.
Published year: 2019.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)
Pages: 13
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Least developed countries / Farmers / Agricultural development / Policies / Research projects / Capacity building / Groundwater irrigation / Groundwater management / Water governance / Sustainable development / Groundwater development
Record No:H049494
Linkages between irrigation practices and groundwater availability: evidence from the Krong Buk Micro-Catchment, Dak Lak - VietnamAuthor(s): Viossanges, Mathieu; Pavelic, Paul; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Vinh, B. N.; Chung, D. T.; D’haeze, D.; Dat, L. Q.
Published year: 2019.
Pages: 65
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Techniques / Farmers / Soil moisture / Land use / Forecasting / Groundwater recharge / Stream flow / Water extraction / Pumping / Water balance / Water levels / Groundwater table / Aquifers / Irrigation efficiency / Agricultural practices / Water resources / Catchment areas / Basin irrigation / Sprinkler irrigation / Irrigation methods / Irrigation practices / Water availability / Groundwater assessment
Record No:H049493
Linking irrigation development with the wider agrarian context: everyday class politics in water distribution practices in Rural JavaAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana
Published year: 2018.
Journal: Journal of Development Studies Pages: 54(3):413-425
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DOI Poor performance of government managed irrigation systems persists globally despite numerous policies over the last four decades to address the problem. I argue that policy efforts to improve irrigation performance in developing countries fail in part because they are often formulated in isolation from the existing agrarian reality. This article uses the example of Indonesia to show the link between irrigation outcomes and the wider agrarian context and highlights how the interface between farmers and irrigation bureaucracies is shaped by the existing agrarian structure.
Farmers / Developing countries / Local government / Bureaucracy / State intervention / Water supply / Water distribution / Agrarian structure / Irrigation systems
Record No:H047718
Characterizing private investments and implications for poverty reduction and natural resource management in LaosAuthor(s): Keovilignavong, O.; Suhardiman, Diana
Published year: 2018.
Journal: Development Policy Review Pages: 36(S1 March):O341-O359
More... We examine the patterns and characteristics of private investment in Laos, and how these evolve in relation to the Lao governmentapos;s investment incentive policies in particular, and the wider State policies in general. Our goals are to: 1) systematically describe and analyse the patterns and characteristics of private investment in the country; and 2) analyse investment outcomes in terms of economic growth, poverty reduction and livelihoods. We argue that while private investments in the resource sector have contributed to the economic growth, they have also negatively impacted local resources and communities. From a policy perspective, we highlight the need to examine the actual significance of policy incentives provided by the Lao government, especially with regard to its ability to direct investment decisions, geographically and sectorally.
Developing countries / Environmental impact assessment / State intervention / Local government / Local communities / Economic growth / Living standards / Incentives / Foreign investment / Private investment / Economic policies / Poverty / Natural resources management
Record No:H048207
Monitoring the health of the Greater Mekong’s RiversAuthor(s): Dickens, Chris; Cox, A.; Johnston, Robyn; Henderson, D.; Henderson, PJ; Shinde, V.
Published year: 2018.
Publisher(s): Vientiane, Laos: CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)
Pages: 12
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Biomonitoring / Aquatic animals / Ecosystems / River basins / Ecological factors / Environmental health / Environmental monitoring / Sustainable Development Goals
Record No:H048845
Groundwater resources in the dry zone of Myanmar: a review of current knowledgeAuthor(s): Pavelic, Paul; Johnston, Robyn; McCartney, Matthew; Lacombe, Guillaume; Sellamuttu, Sonali Senaratna
Published year: 2018.
Pages: pp.695-705
More... Groundwater resources are vital for the well-being and livelihoods of most of the ten million people living in the Dry Zone of central Myanmar. Despite this importance, there is remarkably little known or documented on the nature, extent and use of these resources. This contribution has attempted to address this gap by reviewing the literature, gathering data and stakeholder consultations. The study reveals that utilizable groundwater is present across most of the Dry Zone, most notably in the unconsolidated sedimentary aquifers that are present across large portions of the region. However, rates of replenishment appear to be relatively modest, and use is limited by high levels of salinity and arsenic that are naturally present in some areas. The scope to access groundwater is generally good, and development has steadily increased to provide water supply for domestic, agriculture and industry. In broad terms, is would appear that prospects to expand groundwater use for irrigation and other purposes are good in almost all districts. In more hydrogeologically complex settings in particular, a lack of information creates more risk that may add to drilling costs. More detailed assessments and databases are required to support effective resource management.
Hydrogeology / Geology / Poverty / Food insecurity / Rain / Resource management / Arsenic / Salinity / Aquifers / Sediment / Stakeholders / Living standards / Arid zones / Water quality / Water use / Water supply / Water resources / Groundwater irrigation / Groundwater recharge / Groundwater management
Record No:H048821
Analyzing farm household strategies for food security and climate resilience: the case of climate-smart villages of Southeast AsiaAuthor(s): Ferrer, A. J.; Yen, B. T.; Kura, Y.; Minh, N. D.; Pavelic, Paul; Amjath-Babu, T. S.; Sebastian, L.
Published year: 2018.
Publisher(s): Wageningen, Netherlands: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)
Pages: 31
Series: CCAFS Working Paper 248More... |
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This paper develops a conceptual framework with an indicator-based approach to assess Climate-Smart Villages (CSVs) and applies it to case study sites in Lao PDR (Ekxang CSV), Cambodia (Rohal Suong CSV), and Vietnam (Tra Hat CSV) in Southeast Asia. The intensification, extensification, diversification, commercialization, alteration of practices, use of common lands, migration strategies that can augment climate resilience, farm income, assets, and food security are assessed based on a composite index of the strategies and key outcome variables. The study demonstrates a method that can be applied widely for assessing climate-smart agriculture strategies and finding possible entry points for climate-smart interventions. The influence of gender in resource control and livelihood strategies is also discussed. It is also evident that the climate-smart interventions can augment different livelihood strategies of farmers and enhance the developmental and climate resilience outcomes. There is a need to prioritize the possible interventions in each case and implement them with the help of donor agencies, local institutions, and government offices.
Case studies / Assets / Migration / Gender / Irrigation canals / Land use / Commercialization / Diversification / Extensification / Intensification / Agricultural production / Villages / Climate-smart agriculture / Indicators / Living standards / Strategies / Household income / Farmers / Resilience / Climate change / Food security
Record No:H049238
State spaces of resistance: industrial tree plantations and the struggle for land in LaosAuthor(s): Miles, K.-L.; Suhardiman, Diana; Dwyer, M. B.
Published year: 2018.
Journal: Antipode Pages: 50(5): 1290-1310
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DOI Land grabbing has transformed rural environments across the global South, generating resistance or political reactions “from below”. In authoritarian countries like Laos, where resource investments are coercively developed and insulated from political dissent, resistance appears absent at first glance. Yet, it is occurring under the radar, largely outside transnational activist networks. In this article, we examine how resistance can protect access to rural lands in contexts where it is heavily repressed. Resistance here occurs with, rather than against the state by foregrounding the contradictions of land use and ownership within state spaces, such as competing goals of large-scale industrial plantations versus smallholder agriculture and national forest conservation. Such contradictions are engaged by using historical, place-based political connections to exploit the scalar frictions of a fragmented state and occupying plantation clearance sites to highlight contested lands in situ. Nonetheless, such strategies remain spatially and socially uneven amongst the Lao peasantry.
Case studies / Agriculture / Political aspects / Rural areas / Investment / Governance / Resource management / Land ownership / Land use / Land grabbing / Plantations / Trees
Record No:H048621
Energy recovery from organic waste - Section IIAuthor(s): Rao, Krishna C.; Gebrezgabher, Solomie
Published year: 2018.
Pages: pp.34-313
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Cassava / Sugar industry / Ethanol / Local authorities / Rural areas / Rice husks / Carbon credits / Industrial wastes / Abattoirs / Swine / Electrification / Organic fertilizers / Food wastes / Faecal sludge / Risk reduction / Economic aspects / Partnerships / Public-private cooperation / Solid wastes / Municipal wastes / Environmental impact / Socioeconomic environment / Supply chain / Eenergy conservation / Renewable energy / Bagasse / Biogas / Charcoal / Fuelwood / Case studies / Agricultural wastes / Briquettes / Models / Business management / Resource recovery / Organic wastes / Fuels / Energy generation / Energy recovery
Record No:H048625
Resource recovery from waste: business models for energy, nutrient and water reuse in low- and middle-income countriesAuthor(s): Otoo, Miriam; Drechsel, Pay
Published year: 2018.
Publisher(s): Oxon, UK: Routledge - Earthscan
Pages: 816
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Downstream / Groundwater recharge / Aquifers / Deltas / Freshwater / Private investment / Private sector / Risk management / Fish feeding / Supply chain / Financing / Wood production / Fruits / Farmers / Aquaculture / Forestry / Wastewater irrigation / Wastewater treatment / Urine / Excreta / Carbon credits / Subsidies / Partnerships / Public-private cooperation / Cost recovery / Composting / Agroindustry / Sugar industry / Ethanol / Abattoirs / Municipal authorities / Industrial wastes / Sustainability / Local communities / Food wastes / Kitchen waste / Faecal sludge / Biogas / Briquettes / Agricultural waste management / Urban wastes / Solid fuels / Solid wastes / Organic matter / Organic fertilizers / Organic wastes / Livestock wastes / agricultural wastes / Sanitation / Economic aspects / Low income areas / Water reuse / Nutrients / Renewable energy / Energy generation / Energy management / Models / Business management / Waste management / Resource recovery
Record No:H048622
Pricing reforms for sustainable water use and management in the PhilippinesAuthor(s): Horbulyk, Ted; Price, Joseph P. G.
Published year: 2018.
Publisher(s): Geneva, Switzerland: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Resources and Markets Branch
Pages: 81
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Poverty / Subsidies / Sanitation / Regulations / Urban population / Rural communities / Financing / Investment / Drinking water / Water levels / Water quality / Water pricing / Water rates / Water delivery / Water supply / Water management / Water use / Sustainable Development Goals / Sustainability
Record No:H048609
Pricing reforms for sustainable water use and management in VietnamAuthor(s): Horbulyk, Ted; Price, Joseph P. G.
Published year: 2018.
Publisher(s): Geneva, Switzerland: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Resources and Markets Branch
Pages: 81
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Ecosystem services / Partnerships / Public-private cooperation / Subsidies / Financing / Investment / Irrigation water / Income / Households / Wastewater / Poverty / Sanitation / Policy making / Investment / Water quality / Water supply / Water policy / Water rates / Water management / Water use / Sustainable Development Goals / Sustainability
Record No:H048608
River deltas: scaling up community-driven approaches to sustainable intensificationAuthor(s): CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE).
Published year: 2018.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)
Pages: 12
Series: Towards Sustainable Intensification: Insights and Solutions Brief 7More... |
DOI |
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The residents of the Ganges and Mekong River deltas face serious challenges from rising sea levels, saltwater intrusion, pollution from upstream sources, growing populations, and infrastructure that no longer works as planned. In both deltas, scientists working for nearly two decades with communities, local governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have demonstrated the potential to overcome these challenges and substantially improve people’s livelihoods. There are cost-effective solutions to improving the totality of ecosystem services and market opportunities for young women and men.
Land use / Diversification / Intervention / Agroecology / Participatory rural appraisal / Crop production / Equity / Water pollution / Water institutions / Water management / Youth / Women’s participation / Ecosystem services / Living standards / Local government / Infrastructure / Salt water intrusion / Sea level / Deltas / Rivers / Community involvement / Local communities / Intensification / Sustainability
Record No:H048502
Market adoption and diffusion of fecal sludge-based fertilizer in developing countries: crosscountry analysesAuthor(s): Otoo, Miriam; Gebrezgabher, Solomie; Danso, G.; Amewu, Sena; Amirova, Iroda
Published year: 2018.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)
Pages: 68
Series: Resource Recovery and Reuse Series 12More... |
DOI |
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The safe recovery of nutrients from our waste streams allows us to address the challenges of waste management and soil nutrient depletion conjointly. Commercialization of waste-based organic fertilizers such as FortiferTM (fecal sludge-based co-compost) has the potential to generate significant benefits for developing economies via cost recovery for the sanitation sector and the provision of an alternative agricultural input for smallholder farmers. To guide future FortiferTM businesses, this report presents examples of detailed market assessments, based on farmers’ perceptions, attitudes and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for a pelletized and non-pelletized FortiferTM co-compost. The research was conducted in the Greater Accra and Western regions in Ghana, and in and around Kampala (Uganda), Bangalore (India), Hanoi (Vietnam), and Kurunegala (Sri Lanka). Cross-country analyses helped to understand the effects of market drivers and, where possible, capture lessons learned for knowledge sharing.
Partnerships / Incentives / Farmers’ attitudes / Composting / Agricultural production / Businesses / Sanitation / Cost recovery / Economic analysis / Economic development / Pelleting / Agricultural wastes / Solid wastes / Liquid fertilizers / Nutrients / Soil fertility / Waste management / Fertilizer application / Excreta / Assessment / Market prices / Market economies / Developing countries / Organic fertilizers / Faecal sludge / Reuse / Resource management / Resource recovery
Record No:H049028
Interacting land use and soil surface dynamics control groundwater outflow in a montane catchment of the lower Mekong basinAuthor(s): Ribolzi, O.; Lacombe, Guillaume; Pierret, A.; Robain, H.; Sounyafong, P.; de Rouw, A.; Soulileuth, B.; Mouche, E.; Huon, S.; Silvera, N.; Latxachak, K. O.; Sengtaheuanghoung, O.; Valentin, C.
Published year: 2018.
Journal: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment Pages: 268: 90-102
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DOI Groundwater contribution to streamflow sustains biodiversity and enhances ecosystem services, especially under monsoon-driven climate where stream baseflow is often the only available water resource during the dry season. We assessed how land use change influences streamflow and its groundwater contribution in a small headwater catchment subject to shifting cultivation in Montane Southeast Asia. Continuous time series of rainfall, reference evapotranspiration, groundwater level, stream discharge and electrical conductivity (EC) of surface and groundwater were monitored from 2002 to 2007. With the rainfall-runoff model GR4J, we investigated temporal changes in the hydrological behaviour of the study catchment to verify consistencies with observed land use change. An EC-based hydrograph separation method allowed estimating the groundwater contribution to 104 stormflow events. Mean soil surface crusting rates corresponding to each of the nine land uses identified in the catchment were determined using 236 standard 1-m2 micro-plots. Mean plant cover for each land use was assessed in 10 × 10-m2 plots. Bedrock topography and soil layers’ structure were assessed by electrical resistivity tomography to determine pathways of subsurface storm flows. Our results indicate that an increase in the catchmentapos;s areal percentage of fallow from 33% to 71% led to a decrease in the annual runoff coefficient from 43% to 26%. The concurrent reduction of soil crusting rate over the catchment, from 48% to 30%, increased rainwater infiltration. Consecutively, groundwater contribution to storm streamflow increased from 83% to 94%, highlighting the protective role of a dense vegetation cover against flash floods. The overall reduction of the annual basin water yield for inter-storm streamflow from 450 to 185 mm suggests that the potential gain in groundwater recharge was offset by the increased root water uptake for evapotranspiration, as confirmed by the drop in the groundwater level. This analysis illustrates how two different land uses with opposite impacts on soil permeability (i/ extensive soil surface crusting under annual crops resulting in limited runoff infiltration or ii/ fallow regrowth promoting both infiltration and evapotranspiration) both inhibit groundwater recharge. The maintenance of strips of fallow buffers between annual crop plots can slow down runoff and locally promote infiltration and groundwater recharge while limiting evapotranspiration.
River basins / Infiltration / Runoff / Rain / Evapotranspiration / Models / Stream flow / Catchment areas / Water table / Water level / Flow discharge / Groundwater recharge / Soil crusts / Soil surface properties / Land use / Hydrology
Record No:H048984
Groundwater vulnerability to climate change: a review of the assessment methodologyAuthor(s): Aslam, R. A.; Shrestha, S.; Pandey, Vishnu Prasad
Published year: 2018.
Journal: Science of the Total Environment Pages: 612:853-875
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DOI Impacts of climate change on water resources, especially groundwater, can no longer be hidden. These impacts are further exacerbated under the integrated influence of climate variability, climate change and anthropogenic activities. The degree of impact varies according to geographical location and other factors leading systems and regions towards different levels of vulnerability. In the recent past, several attempts have been made in various regions across the globe to quantify the impacts and consequences of climate and non-climate factors in terms of vulnerability to groundwater resources. Firstly, this paper provides a structured review of the available literature, aiming to critically analyse and highlight the limitations and knowledge gaps involved in vulnerability (of groundwater to climate change) assessment methodologies. The effects of indicator choice and the importance of including composite indicators are then emphasised. A new integrated approach for the assessment of groundwater vulnerability to climate change is proposed to successfully address those limitations. This review concludes that the choice of indicator has a significant role in defining the reliability of computed results. The effect of an individual indicator is also apparent but the consideration of a combination (variety) of indicators may give more realistic results. Therefore, in future, depending upon the local conditions and scale of the study, indicators from various groups should be chosen. Furthermore, there are various assumptions involved in previous methodologies, which limit their scope by introducing uncertainty in the calculated results. These limitations can be overcome by implementing the proposed approach.
Social aspects / Models / Sensitivity analysis / Soils / Sea level / Rain / Contamination / Aquifers / Indicators / Assessment / Climate change adaptation / Groundwater recharge / Water resources
Record No:H048979
Linking crop structure, throughfall, soil surface conditions, runoff and soil detachment: 10 land uses analyzed in northern LaosAuthor(s): Lacombe, Guillaume; Valentin, C.; Sounyafong, P.; de Rouw, A.; Soulileuth, B.; Silvera, N.; Pierret, A.; Sengtaheuanghoung, O.; Ribolzi, O.
Published year: 2018.
Journal: Science of the Total Environment Pages: 616-617:1330-1338
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DOI In Montane Southeast Asia, deforestation and unsuitable combinations of crops and agricultural practices degrade soils at an unprecedented rate. Typically, smallholder farmers gain income from “available” land by replacing fallow or secondary forest by perennial crops. We aimed to understand how these practices increase or reduce soil erosion. Ten land uses were monitored in Northern Laos during the 2015 monsoon, using local farmersapos; fields. Experiments included plots of the conventional system (food crops and fallow), and land uses corresponding to new market opportunities (e.g. commercial tree plantations). Land uses were characterized by measuring plant cover and plant mean height per vegetation layer. Recorded meteorological variables included rainfall intensity, throughfall amount, throughfall kinetic energy (TKE), and raindrop size. Runoff coefficient, soil loss, and the percentage areas of soil surface types (free aggregates and gravel; crusts; macro-faunal, vegetal and pedestal features; plant litter) were derived from observations and measurements in 1-m2 micro-plots. Relationships between these variables were explored with multiple regression analyses. Our results indicate that TKE induces soil crusting and soil loss. By reducing rainfall infiltration, crusted area enhances runoff, which removes and transports soil particles detached by splash over non-crusted areas. TKE is lower under land uses reducing the velocity of raindrops and/or preventing an increase in their size. Optimal vegetation structures combine minimum height of the lowest layer (to reduce drop velocity at ground level) and maximum coverage (to intercept the largest amount of rainfall), as exemplified by broom grass (Thysanolaena latifolia). In contrast, high canopies with large leaves will increase TKE by enlarging raindrops, as exemplified by teak trees (Tectona grandis), unless a protective understorey exists under the trees. Policies that ban the burning of multi-layered vegetation structure under tree plantations should be enforced. Shade-tolerant shrubs and grasses with potential economic return could be promoted as understorey.
Concentrating / Sediment / Concentrating / Sediment / Land use / Catchment areas / Infiltration / Rain / Vegetation / Plantations / Food security / Sloping land / Runoff / Erosion / Soil surface properties / Land useCrops / Catchment areas / Infiltration / Rain / Vegetation / Plantations / Food security / Sloping land / Runoff / Erosion / Soil surface properties / Crops
Record No:H048341
Assessing the value of resource recovery and reuse: social, environmental and economic costs and benefits for value creation and human well-beingAuthor(s): Lazurko, Anita
Published year: 2018.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)
Pages: 41
Series: Resource Recovery and Reuse Series 13More... |
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To understand the full value of Resource Recovery and Reuse (RRR), a systematic assessment approach that balances complexity with practicality is required. This report highlights the methods available for quantifying and valuing social, environmental and economic costs and benefits of RRR, focusing on Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) as the primary framework. Rather than prescribing a standardized technique for conducting CBA for RRR, this report presents broad frameworks and several examples that can be catered to individual contexts. This results in a suggested eight-step process accompanied with suggested assessment techniques which have to be tailored to the type of question the assessment is meant to answer and related system boundaries.
Case studies / Nutrients / Urban areas / Living standards / Social aspects / Fortification / Developing countries / Rural communities / Anaerobic digesters / Composting / Biogas / Energy generation / Groundwater management / Equity / Ecosystem services / Farming systems / Decision analysis / Decision making / Faecal sludge / Waste management / Waste disposal / Food wastes / Solid wastes / Municipal wastes / Organic wastes / Industrial wastes / Agricultural wastes / Agroindustrial sector / Wastewater treatment / Cost benefit analysis / Economic growth / Economic value / Environmental impact assessment / Socioeconomic environment / Water reuse / Resource management / Resource recovery
Record No:H049081
Regional mapping of groundwater resources in data-scarce regions: the case of LaosAuthor(s): Viossanges, Mathieu; Pavelic, Paul; Rebelo, Lisa-Maria; Lacombe, Guillaume; Sotoukee, Touleelor
Published year: 2018.
Journal: Hydrology Pages: 5(1):1-24
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This study focuses on Laos, a landlocked nation located in South-East Asia with sub-tropical climate and highly seasonal rainfall distribution. Laos is one of the world’s least developed countries, and currently witnesses an unprecedented level of development that is highly reliant on its natural resources, including groundwater. There is currently very limited data and no nationwide assessment of shallow (lt;30 m) groundwater resources to support sustainable management. This study provides a first step towards addressing this issue by (i) identifying the major aquifer units of the country; (ii) integrating localized data and regional maps into an assessment of the groundwater potential; and (iii) producing quantitative maps of key hydrogeological indicators. Eight aquifer units have been described and evaluated: (i) Basement aquifers, (ii) Volcanic aquifers, (iii) Schists, (iv) Paleozoic sedimentary, (v) Karsts, (vi) Limestones, (vii) Mesozoic sedimentary and (viii) Alluvial sediments. The Mesozoic sandstones and the Alluvial aquifers are the most extensive and productive hydrogeological systems in the country. The Volcanic and Karstic aquifers, although poorly known, might also have important potential. This assessment, along with the maps of quantitative aquifer indicators, provide a significant improvement in both spatial resolution and accuracy compared to previously available information. It will likely support improved management plans and the identification of areas with higher potential for groundwater development.
Case studies / River basins / Rain / Sediment / Aquifers / Hydrogeology / Mapping / Water resources / Groundwater development
Record No:H048499
Institutionalized corruption in Indonesian irrigation: an analysis of the upeti systemAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Mollinga, P. P.
Published year: 2017.
Journal: Development Policy Review Pages: 35(S2):0140-0159
More... This article analyzes the internal logic of the upeti system in Indonesian irrigation and brings to light how corruption rules are shaped through complex socio-political relationships reflected in the organizational culture of the irrigation agency. Based on 100 interviews with water sector professionals the article highlights: (1) the importance of social relations in shaping institutionalized corruption, (2) how the upeti system justifies corruption practices as the prevailing social norm, and (3) the need for structural change to eradicate corruption. Illustrating how corruption rules are embedded in project management procedures, with projects highly dependent on donor funding, the article highlights the importance of the issue for international agencies and the need to be more politically grounded in promoting their development agenda.
Economic aspects / Political aspects / Budgets / Irrigation management / Irrigation systems / Bureaucracy / Public services / Corporate culture
Record No:H048268
Drivers and social contextAuthor(s): Acreman, M.; McCartney, Matthew P.; Overton, I.
Published year: 2017.
Pages: pp.19-35
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Rivers / Ecosystem services / Ecological factors / Policy making / Development policy / Environmental flows / Environmental management / Domestic water / Water policy / Water management / Water use
Record No:H048243
Households’ willingness-to-pay for fish product attributes and implications for market feasibility of wastewater-based aquaculture businesses in Hanoi, VietnamAuthor(s): Danso, G. K.; Otoo, Miriam; Duy Linh, N.; Madurangi, Ganesha
Published year: 2017.
Journal: Resources Pages: 6(2):1-22
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A choice experiment was used to assess households’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) for informational attributes (sources of water used to rear sh, and certi cation) of sh products in Hanoi, Vietnam. The study showed that households’ purchasing decisions are in uenced by their access to information of food product attributes and ascribe an economic value to it. The results indicated that households are willing to pay 51% (USD 1.11 per kg) above the prevailing market price of sh for information to know if wastewater is used to rear the sh they consume. Similarly, they are willing to pay 20% above the prevailing market price of sh (USD 0.43 per kg) to know if freshwater is used as a rearing medium. It is important to note that the increased marginal WTP is for information on whether the sh they consume is raised in wastewater over freshwater. This supports the notion of households’ concern over the safety of consuming wastewater-raised sh. Households are also willing to pay 65% (USD 1.42 per kg) above the prevailing market price for certi ed sh. Based on the cost of sh certi cation and WTP estimates, we found a total economic bene t of USD 172 million for the implementation of a wastewater-raised sh business model in Hanoi. The demand for wastewater-raised sh is likely to be affected by households’ perception of certi cation by a trusted government agency, source of water used to raise the sh, age, income and household size.
Cost benefit analysis / Government agencies / Economic aspects / Socioeconomic environment / Willingness to pay / Freshwater / Water use / Wastewater treatment / Feasibility studies / Market research / Fish products / Income / Household wastes / Aquaculture
Record No:H048216
Putting violent armed conflict in the center of the Salween hydropower debatesAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Rutherford, J.; Bright, S. J.
Published year: 2017.
Journal: Critical Asian Studies Pages: 49(3):349-364
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DOI Regional economic integration has become the dominant development pathway promoted, endorsed, and followed by many developing country governments in South East Asia and globally. Focusing on hydropower development, this article shows how forces of globalization manifested in the Myanmar government’s strategies to promote economic growth are shaping the Salween River basin’s development trajectory. Contesting the general belief that economic development would help the country’s transition to full democracy and achieve peace, it illustrates how hydropower development plans in the basin are closely interlinked with human rights issues. Well known for its long histories of violent conflict involving the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups in various states, hydropower development in the Salween River is not only linked to the ongoing peace process in Myanmar but could also have direct implications on the actual significance of the process. Despite the signing of nationwide ceasefire agreements in 2012, hydropower dam projects could contribute to and trigger reoccurrences of violent armed conflict. Recognizing this conflict-prone and politically fragile condition as the main characteristics of Salween water governance is essential if we are to strive for sustainable and just development.
Land tenure / Political aspects / Decision making / Best practices / Living standards / Local communities / Dams / River basin development / Armed conflicts / Economic growth / Economic integration / Water governance / Water power
Record No:H048208
Assessing hydrologic changes across the Lower Mekong BasinAuthor(s): Lyon, S. W.; King, K.; Polpanich, O.; Lacombe, Guillaume
Published year: 2017.
Journal: Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies Pages: 12:303-314
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Study region : In this study, 33 catchments across the Lower Mekong Basin in Southeast Asia are examined to detect historical changes in their hydrological response via a model-based methodology.
Study focus : Intensive development over the past half century across Southeast Asia’s Lower Mekong Basin has inevitably affected natural resources. Large areas have been converted from forests for subsistence and commercial agriculture, and urban development. We implement an innovative approach to screen hydrologic data for detecting impacts of such large-scale changes on hydrological response. In a first step, temporal changes in the rainfall-runoff relationship were assessed using the parsimonious, two-parameter GR2M hydrological model. In a second step, a distribution-free statistical test was applied to detect whether significant changes have occurred in the wet season (high flow) and dry season (low flow) conditions.
New hydrological insights for the region : Our results indicate that the majority of catchments (64% of those considered) with sufficiently long data records exhibited no discernable trends in hydrological response. Those catchments that did exhibit significant trends in hydrological response were fairly evenly split between increasing trends (between 21% and 24%) and decreasing trends (between 15% and 12%) with time. There was a lack of evidence that these changes where brought about by shifts in precipitation or potential evapotranspiration; however, catchments exhibiting significant increasing trends in hydrological behavior were found to have different land cover compositions (lower percentage of forest coverage and subsequently higher paddy rice coverage) than those exhibiting significant decreasing trends. The approach presented here provides a potentially valuable screening method to highlight regions for further investigation of improved mechanistic understanding. Without this connection, we might be blind to future hydrological shifts that can have significant impact on development.
Precipitation / Stream flow / Land cover / Rice / Evapotranspiration / Dry season / Wet season / Rainfall-runoff relationships / Deforestation / Forest cover / Natural resources / Models / River basins / Catchment areas / Hydrological factors
Record No:H048179
Geochemical characteristics and groundwater quality in the Vientiane Plain, LaosAuthor(s): Brindha, Karthikeyan; Pavelic, Paul; Sotoukee, Touleelor; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Elango, L.
Published year: 2017.
Journal: Exposure and Health Pages: 9(2):89-104
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DOI Groundwater from the shallow aquifers of the Vientiane Plain, Laos is used for domestic needs including to some extent for drinking and for household gardening. The objective of this study is to assess the groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation activities and to determine the processes that lead to the presence of major ions in groundwater. Twenty groundwater samples were collected from a village on the Plain in December 2014, January 2015, and May 2015, and analysed for major ions and selected suite of minor ions and heavy metals. Groundwater is largely acidic, fresh and soft in nature. Geochemistry showed dominant Ca–Mg–HCO3 and mixed Ca–Na–HCO3 groundwater. Sodium impacts the suitability of water for irrigation to some extent. Hydrogeochemical processes identified and verified through factor analysis indicate weathering, carbonate dissolution, ion exchange, and anthropogenic sources including salinisation, due to irrigation and use of fertilizers as sources for the occurrence of major ions at such concentrations in this area. Only concentrations of lead and iron were above the permissible limits with arsenic, copper, zinc, mercury, and uranium found to be within safe limits. Background sample (groundwater) collected 5 km from the study area and the bottled water sample were all within suitable limits for drinking. This study is the first to provide a local-level assessment of geochemical processes in groundwater of this area indicating that the groundwater does not pose any threat to human health if used for drinking based on major ions, minor ions and a suite heavy metals except for iron and lead.
Health hazards / Mercury / Zinc / Copper / Arsenic / Iron / Pollutants / Heavy metals / Plains / Aquifers / Irrigation water / Domestic water / Drinking water / Water level / Water quality / Groundwater / Toxicity / Chemical composition / Geology
Record No:H047651
Conversion of traditional cropland into teak plantations strongly increased soil erosion in montane catchments of Southeastern Asia [Abstract only]Author(s): Evrard, O.; Ribolzi, O.; Huon, S.; de Rouw. A.; Silvera, N.; Latsachack, K. O.; Soulileuth, B.; Lefevre, I.; Lacombe, Guillaume; Sengtaheuanghoung, O.; Valentin, C.
Published year: 2017.
Pages: 1
More... Soil erosion delivers an excessive quantity of sediment to rivers of Southeastern Asia. Land use is rapidly changing in this region of the world, and these modifications may further accelerate soil erosion in this area. Although the conversion of forests into cropland has often been investigated, much fewer studies have addressed the replacement of traditional slash-and-burn cultivation systems with commercial perennial monocultures such as teak plantations. The current research investigated the impact of this land use change on the hydrological response and the sediment yields from a representative catchment of Northern Laos (Houay Pano, 0.6 km²) where longterm monitoring (2002-2014) was conducted (http://msec.obs-mip.fr/). The results showed a significant growth in the overland flow contribution to stream flow (from 16 to 31%). Furthermore, sediment yields strongly increased from 98 to 609 Mg km-2. These changes illustrate the severity of soil erosion processes occurring under teak plantations characterized by the virtual absence of understorey vegetation to dissipate raindrop energy, which facilitates the formation of an impermeable surface crust. This counter-intuitive increase of soil erosion generated by afforestation reflects the difficulty to find sustainable production solutions for the local populations of Southeastern Asia. To reduce soil loss under teak plantations, the development of extensive agro-forestry practices could be promoted.
Agroforestry / Local communities / Vegetation / Stream flow / Catchment areas / Plantations / Teak / Farmland / Land use / Sediment / Erosion
Record No:H048619
Long-term change in rainfall distribution in northeast Thailand: will cropping systems be able to adapt?Author(s): Lacombe, Guillaume; Polthanee, A.; Trebuil, G.
Published year: 2017.
Journal: Cahiers Agricultures Pages: 26(2):1-10
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Climate vagaries and the lack of irrigation, frequently combined with coarse-textured sandy and unevenly distributed saline soils, explain low crop yields and the endemic relative poverty of the rural population in Northeast Thailand (NET). Local and regional trends in agriculturally-relevant rainfall variables were investigated using the Mann-Kendall test, modified to account for serial correlation, and applied to 17 stations across NET, and the regional average Kendallapos;s statistic. Limited changes in rainfall frequency, intensity and seasonality are observed at individual stations over the study period (1953–2004). But we found a significant regional trend toward a wetter dry season. Based on an intimate knowledge of the local farming systems, we discuss the cropping systems adaptation to these rainfall changes. If the wetting of the dry season extends in the future, as expected according to most climate projections, households would not find it difficult to adapt, except for the problems caused by temperature rise, mainly due to their renowned adaptive capacity and high mobility that historically produced diverse and resilient rural livelihood systems.
Farmers / Meteorological stations / Wet season / Dry season / Rainfall patterns / Monsoon climate / Climate change adaptation / Farming systems / Cropping systems
Record No:H048065
Regional assessment of groundwater recharge in the lower Mekong BasinAuthor(s): Lacombe, Guillaume; Douangsavanh, S.; Vongphachanh, S.; Pavelic, Paul
Published year: 2017.
Journal: Hydrology Pages: 4(4):1-18
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Groundwater recharge remains almost totally unknown across the Mekong River Basin, hindering the evaluation of groundwater potential for irrigation. A regional regression model was developed to map groundwater recharge across the Lower Mekong Basin where agricultural water demand is increasing, especially during the dry season. The model was calibrated with baseflow computed with the local-minimum flow separation method applied to streamflow recorded in 65 unregulated sub-catchments since 1951. Our results, in agreement with previous local studies, indicate that spatial variations in groundwater recharge are predominantly controlled by the climate (rainfall and evapotranspiration) while aquifer characteristics seem to play a secondary role at this regional scale. While this analysis suggests large scope for expanding agricultural groundwater use, the map derived from this study provides a simple way to assess the limits of groundwater-fed irrigation development. Further data measurements to capture local variations in hydrogeology will be required to refine the evaluation of recharge rates to support practical implementations.
Geology / Land cover / Catchment areas / Aquifers / Evapotranspiration / Rain / Stream flow / Water demand / Groundwater irrigation / Groundwater recharge
Record No:H048455
Water governance and collective action: multi-scale challengesAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Nicol, Alan; Mapedza, Everisto
Published year: 2017.
Publisher(s): Oxon, UK: Routledge - Earthscan
Pages: 190
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River basin management / Cooperation / Mining / Gold / Lakes / Stakeholders / Peasant workers / Land ownership / Agriculture / Community involvement / Cooperatives / Groundwater / Watersheds / Dams / Political aspects / International waters / Water control / Water management / Water security / Water law / Collective action / Water governance
Record No:H048342
Transboundary water interaction III: contest and complianceAuthor(s): Zeitoun, M.; Cascao, A. E.; Warner, J.; Mirumachi, N.; Matthews, Nathanial
Published year: 2017.
Journal: International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics Pages: 17(2):271-294
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This paper serves international water con ict resolution efforts by examining the ways that states contest hegemonic transboundary water arrangements. The conceptual framework of dynamic transboundary water interaction that it presents integrates theories about change and counter-hegemony to ascertain coercive, leverage, and liberating mechanisms through which contest and transformation of an arrangement occur. While the mechanisms can be active through sociopolitical processes either of compliance or of contest of the arrangement, most transboundary water interaction is found to contain elements of both. The role of power asymmetry is interpreted through classi cation of intervention strategies that seek to either in uence or challenge the arrangements. Coexisting contest and compliance serve to explain in part the stasis on the Jordan and Ganges rivers (where the non-hegemons have in effect consented to the arrangement), as well as the changes on the Tigris and Mekong rivers, and even more rapid changes on the Amu Darya and Nile rivers (where the non-hegemons have confronted power asymmetry through in uence and challenge). The framework also stresses how transboundary water events that may appear isolated are more accurately read within the many sociopolitical processes and arrangements they are shaped by. By clarifying the typically murky dynamics of interstate relations over transboundary waters, furthermore, the framework exposes a new suite of entry points for hydro-diplomatic initiatives.
Conflict / Political aspects / Rivers / Aquifers / International agreements / International cooperation / International waters
Record No:H047787
Quantifying uncertainty on sediment loads using bootstrap confidence intervalsAuthor(s): Slaets, J. I. F.; Piepho, H.-P.; Schmitter, Petra; Hilger, T.; Cadisch, G.
Published year: 2017.
Journal: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Pages: 21:571-588
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Load estimates are more informative than constituent concentrations alone, as they allow quantification of on- and off-site impacts of environmental processes concerning pollutants, nutrients and sediment, such as soil fertility loss, reservoir sedimentation and irrigation channel siltation. While statistical models used to predict constituent concentrations have been developed considerably over the last few years, measures of uncertainty on constituent loads are rarely reported. Loads are the product of two predictions, constituent concentration and discharge, integrated over a time period, which does not make it straightforward to produce a standard error or a confidence interval. In this paper, a linear mixed model is used to estimate sediment concentrations. A bootstrap method is then developed that accounts for the uncertainty in the concentration and discharge predictions, allowing temporal correlation in the constituent data, and can be used when data transformations are required. The method was tested for a small watershed in Northwest Vietnam for the period 2010–2011. The results showed that confidence intervals were asymmetric, with the highest uncertainty in the upper limit, and that a load of 6262 Mg year-1 had a 95 % confidence interval of (4331, 12 267) in 2010 and a load of 5543 Mg an interval of (3593, 8975) in 2011. Additionally, the approach demonstrated that direct estimates from the data were biased downwards compared to bootstrap median estimates. These results imply that constituent loads predicted from regression-type water quality models could frequently be underestimating sediment yields and their environmental impact.
Hydrological factors / Uncertainty / Rain / Catchment areas / Discharges / Water quality / Watersheds / Reservoirs / Soil fertility / Nutrients / Pollutants / Uncertainty / Sediment
Record No:H047983
Identifying opportunities to improve governance of aquatic agricultural systems through participatory action researchAuthor(s): Apgar, J. M.; Cohen, P. J.; Ratner, B. D.; de Silva, Sanjiv; Buisson, Marie-Charlotte; Longley, C.; Bastakoti, Ram C.; Mapedza, Everisto
Published year: 2017.
Journal: Ecology and Society Pages: 22(1):1-13
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Challenges of governance often constitute critical obstacles to efforts to equitably improve livelihoods in social-ecological systems. Yet, just as often, these challenges go unspoken, or are viewed as fixed parts of the context, beyond the scope of influence of agricultural, development, or natural resource management initiatives. What does it take to get governance obstacles and opportunities out in the open, creating the space for constructive dialogue and collective action that can help to address them? We respond to this question by comparing experiences of participatory action research (PAR) in coastal and floodplain systems in four countries (Zambia, Solomon Islands, Bangladesh, and Cambodia) with a focus on understanding how to build more equitable governance arrangements. We found that governance improvement was often an implicit or secondary objective of initiatives that initially sought to address more technical natural resource or livelihood-related development challenges. We argue that using PAR principles of ownership, equity, shared analysis, and feedback built trust and helped to identify and act upon opportunities to address more difficult-to-shift dimensions of governance particularly in terms of stakeholder representation, distribution of authority, and accountability. Our findings suggest that the engaged and embedded approach of researcher-facilitators can help move from identifying opportunities for governance change to supporting stakeholders as they build more equitable governance arrangements.
Ecological factors / Accountability / Stakeholders / Ownership / Living standards / Floodplains / Resource management / Authorities / Governance / Research / Collective action / Participatory approaches / Equity / Agricultural systems / Aquatic environment
Record No:H047980
Increasing productivity and improving livelihoods in aquatic agricultural systems: a review of interventionsAuthor(s): Joffre, O. M.; Castine, S. A.; Phillips, M. J.; Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali; Chandrabalan, D.; Cohen, P.
Published year: 2017.
Journal: Food Security Pages: 9(1):39-60
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DOI The doubling of global food demand by 2050 is driving resurgence in interventions for agricultural intensification. Globally, 700 million people are dependent on floodplain or coastal systems. Increased productivity in these aquatic agricultural systems is important for meeting current and future food demand. Agricultural intensification in aquatic agricultural systems has contributed to increased agricultural production, yet these increases have not necessarily resulted in broader development outcomes for those most in need. Here we review studies of interventions that have sought to improve productivity in aquatic agricultural systems in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Zambia. We review evidence of development outcomes from these interventions and the particular role of participatory approaches in intervention design and deployment. There was evidence of increases in productivity in 20 of the 31 studies reviewed. Yet, productivity was only measured beyond the life of the intervention in one case, income and food security improvements were rarely quantified, and the social distribution of benefits rarely described. Participatory approaches were employed in 15 studies, and there was some evidence that development outcomes were more substantial than in cases that were less participatory. To explore the impact of participatory approaches further, we examined five empirical cases. Review and empirical cases provide preliminary evidence suggesting participatory approaches contribute to ensuring agriculture and aquaculture interventions into aquatic agricultural systems may better fit local contexts, are sustained longer, and are more able to deliver development benefits to those most in need. A worthy focus of future research would be comparison between outcomes achieved from interventions with differing levels of participation, and the social differentiation of outcomes.
Case studies / Horticulture / Livestock / Rice / Fisheries / Community involvement / Floodplains / Intensification / Income / Participatory approaches / Nutrition / Food production / Food demand / Food security / Productivity / Living standards / Agricultural systems / Aquatic environment
Record No:H047944
The role of state forest enterprises in the payments for forest environmental services programme in VietnamAuthor(s): Milan, Florence; Huong, T. T. T.; Huong, Chu Thai; Suhardiman, Diana; Phuong, N. D.; Zeller, M.
Published year: 2017.
Journal: Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics Pages: 118(2):269-281
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To promote pro-poor payments for environmental services, it is necessary to identify institutional options that reduce transaction costs and organisational problems associated with establishing and maintaining contracts with small-scale environmental service providers. This study examined the dual functionality of state forest enterprises (SFEs) in the implementation of the Payments for Forest Environmental Services (PFES) Program in Vietnam. We considered whether SFEs’ involvement in the programme could reduce transaction costs and organisational problems. Data were collected from Tu Ly SFE in Hoa Binh province, northern Vietnam and from implementing agencies at various institutional levels. A survey of households participating in the SFE loan programme, and two stakeholder workshops were executed in 2014. The results revealed that Tu Ly SFE plays an important role in the livelihood of many farmers. A SWOT analysis exhibited SFEs’ advantage over other state agencies in implementing national forest management programmes as there are fewer parties involved with greater autonomy and outreach in the district. This study proposes the acknowledgment of SFEs as environmental service providers in their own forestlands and to use SFEs as intermediaries in the Payments for Forest Environmental Services Programme activities.
Financing / Household consumption / Farmers / Enterprises / Forest management / Forest protection / Transaction costs / Payment for Ecosystem Services / Environmental services
Record No:H048477
IWMI Annual report 2015Author(s): International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
Published year: 2016.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 28
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Health hazards / Hydropower / Living standards / Poverty / Rural development / Wastewater / Investment / Financing / Agriculture / Climate change / Water management / Water resources / Malaria / Dams / Wetlands / s participation / Womenapos / Gender / Harvesting / Farmers / Flood control / Sustainable development
Record No:H047672
Contradictory hydrological impacts of afforestation in the humid tropics evidenced by long-term field monitoring and simulation modellingAuthor(s): Lacombe, Guillaume; Ribolzi, O.; de Rouw, A.; Pierret, A.; Latsachak, K.; Silvera, N.; Dinh, R. P.; Orange, D.; Janeau, J.-L.; Soulileuth, B.; Robain, H.; Taccoen, A.; Sengphaathith, P.; Mouche, E.; Sengtaheuanghoung, O.; Tran Duc, T.; Valentin, C.
Published year: 2016.
Journal: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Pages: 20:2691-2704
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Download The humid tropics are exposed to an unprecedented modernisation of agriculture involving rapid and mixed land-use changes with contrasted environmental impacts. Afforestation is often mentioned as an unambiguous solution for restoring ecosystem services and enhancing biodiversity. One consequence of afforestation is the alteration of streamflow variability which controls habitats, water resources, and flood risks. We demonstrate that afforestation by tree planting or by natural forest regeneration can induce opposite hydrological changes. An observatory including long-term field measurements of fine-scale land-use mosaics and of hydrometeorological variables has been operating in several headwater catchments in tropical southeast Asia since 2000. The GR2M water balance model, repeatedly calibrated over successive 1-year periods and used in simulation mode with the same year of rainfall input, allowed the hydrological effect of land-use change to be isolated from that of rainfall variability in two of these catchments in Laos and Vietnam. Visual inspection of hydrographs, correlation analyses, and trend detection tests allowed causality between land-use changes and changes in seasonal streamflow to be ascertained. In Laos, the combination of shifting cultivation system (alternation of rice and fallow) and the gradual increase of teak tree plantations replacing fallow led to intricate streamflow patterns: pluri-annual streamflow cycles induced by the shifting system, on top of a gradual streamflow increase over years caused by the spread of the plantations. In Vietnam, the abandonment of continuously cropped areas combined with patches of mix-trees plantations led to the natural re-growth of forest communities followed by a gradual drop in streamflow. Soil infiltrability controlled by surface crusting is the predominant process explaining why two modes of afforestation (natural regeneration vs. planting) led to opposite changes in streamflow regime. Given that commercial tree plantations will continue to expand in the humid tropics, careful consideration is needed before attributing to them positive effects on water and soil conservation.
Tectona grandis / Soil surface properties / Soil conservation / Water conservation / Cropping systems / Stream flow / Rainfall-runoff relationships / Catchment areas / Forest conservation / Ecosystem services / Land cover change / Land use / Simulation models / Monitoring / Plantations / Natural regeneration / Afforestation / Hydrological factors / Humid tropics
Record No:H047644
Building climate resilience through smart water and irrigation management systemsAuthor(s): McCartney, Matthew; Johnston, Robyn; Lacombe, Guillaume
Published year: 2016.
Pages: pp.41-65
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Ecosystems / Water harvesting / Rainwater / Living standards / Socioeconomic development / Emission reduction / Greenhouse gases / Rice / Irrigated farming / Rainfed farming / Agricultural production / Agronomic practices / Food security / Climate change / Groundwater irrigation / Irrigation systems / Irrigation management / Water management
Record No:H047645
Sediment-associated organic carbon and nitrogen inputs from erosion and irrigation to rice fields in a mountainous watershed in Northwest VietnamAuthor(s): Slaets, J. I. F.; Schmitter, Petra; Hilger, T.; Hue, D. T. T.; Piepho, H. P.; Vien, T. D.; Cadisch, G.
Published year: 2016.
Journal: Biogeochemistry Pages: 129(1):93-113
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DOI Maintaining indigenous nutrient supply and positive nutrient balances are key factors in sustaining rice yields. Irrigation systems act as conveyers for water, sediments and nutrients throughout landscapes, especially in mountainous, cultivated tropical areas where erosivity is usually high. Contributions of erosion and irrigation to the nutrient balance of paddy fields, however, are rarely assessed. In this study, a turbidity-based method was used to quantify sediment-associated organic carbon and nitrogen as well as dissolved nitrogen inputs from erosion and irrigation to a 13 ha rice area in Northwest Vietnam. The irrigation source is a surface reservoir, and both reservoir and irrigation channel are surrounded by permanent upland maize cultivation on the steep slopes. Additionally, organic carbon and nitrogen loads in paddy outflow were determined to obtain nutrient budgets. Irrigation contributed 90 % of sediment-associated organic carbon inputs and virtually all nitrogen inputs. Analysis of ammonium and nitrate in total nitrogen loads showed that 24 % of the total N inputs from irrigation to the rice area, or 0.28 Mg ha-1 a-1, were plant-available. Loads measured at the outlet of rice fields showed that paddies were a trap for sediment-associated nutrients: balancing inputs and outflow, a net load of 1.09 Mg ha-1 a-1 of sediment-associated organic carbon and 0.68 Mg ha-1 a-1 of sediment-associated nitrogen remained in the rice fields. Sediment-associated organic carbon and nitrogen inputs thus form an important contribution to the indigenous nutrient supply of rice in these maize-paddy systems, while the rice fields simultaneously capture nutrients, protecting downstream areas from the effects of land use intensification on surrounding slopes. These results underscore the importance of upland-lowland linkages in tropical, mountainous, erosion-prone areas.
Water quality / Surface water / Shifting cultivation / Runoff / Land use / Reservoirs / Landscape / Nutrient balance / Watersheds / Highlands / Maize / Rice fields / Irrigation water / Erosion / Nitrogen fertilizers / Organic nitrogen compounds / Carbon / Organic fertilizers / Soil fertility / Sedimentation
Record No:H047588
Water pollution in river basinsAuthor(s): Barlund, I.; da Costa, M. P.; Modak, P.; Mensah, A. M.; Gordon, C.; Babel, M. S.; Dickens, Chris; Jomaa, S.; Ollesch, G.; Swaney, D.; Alcamo, J.
Published year: 2016.
Pages: pp.49-80
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Case studies / Nutrients / Catchment areas / Sediment / Community involvement / Wastewater treatment / Contamination / Faecal coliforms / Sewage / Watersheds / Drinking water / River basins / Surface water / Water resources / Water governance / Water quality / Water pollution
Record No:H047585
Sediment trap efficiency of paddy fields at the watershed scale in a mountainous catchment in northwest VietnamAuthor(s): Slaets, J. I. F.; Schmitter, Petra; Hilger, T.; Vien, T. D.; Cadisch, G.
Published year: 2016.
Journal: Biogeosciences Pages: 13:3267-3281
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Composite agricultural systems with permanent maize cultivation in the uplands and irrigated rice in the valleys are very common in mountainous southeast Asia. The soil loss and fertility decline of the upland fields is well documented, but little is known about reallocation of these sediments within the landscape. In this study, a turbidity-based linear mixed model was used to quantify sediment inputs, from surface reservoir irrigation water and from direct overland flow, into a paddy area of 13 ha. Simultaneously, the sediment load exported from the rice fields was determined. Mid-infrared spectroscopy was applied to analyze sediment particle size. Our results showed that per year, 64Mgha-1 of sediments were imported into paddy fields, of which around 75% were delivered by irrigation water and the remainder by direct overland flow during rainfall events. Overland flow contributed one-third of the received sandy fraction, while irrigated sediments were predominantly silty. Overall, rice fields were a net sink for sediments, trapping 28Mgha-1 a-1 or almost half of total sediment inputs. As paddy outflow consisted almost exclusively of silt- and clay-sized material, 24Mgha-1 a-1 of the trapped amount of sediment was estimated to be sandy. Under continued intensive upland maize cultivation, such a sustained input of coarse material could jeopardize paddy soil fertility, puddling capacity and ultimately food security of the inhabitants of these mountainous areas. Preventing direct overland flow from entering the paddy fields, however, could reduce sand inputs by up to 34 %.
Rain / Reservoir storage / Erosion / Soil fertility / Irrigation water / Rice / Maize / Agriculture / Cropping systems / Catchment areas / Highlands / Watersheds / Paddy fields / Sedimentation
Record No:H047584
When local power meets hydropower: Reconceptualizing resettlement along the Nam Gnouang River in LaosAuthor(s): Katus, S.; Suhardiman, Diana; Senaratna Sellamutu, Sonali
Published year: 2016.
Journal: Geoforum Pages: 72:6-15
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DOI In Laos, hydropower development is occurring at rapid, though controversial pace. While hydropower development could in principle contribute to the country’s development objectives to promote economic growth and reduce poverty, it also impacts people’s livelihoods especially local communities living along the river. Focusing on the transition of Nam Gnouang River into a reservoir, this article looks at the process of resettlement of four neighboring villages in Bolikhamxai Province, Laos into one resettlement site, Ban Keosengkham. Conceptualizing hydropower development as a ‘technology’ of power, it illustrates how power relations between villagers, local government authorities, and dam developers determine resettlement processes and outcomes.
Villages / Reservoir storage / Energy generation / Rivers / Local communities / Local government / Poverty / Economic growth / Living standards / Rural settlement / Water power
Record No:H047486
Evaluating the flow regulating effects of ecosystems in the Mekong and Volta river basinsAuthor(s): Lacombe, Guillaume; McCartney, Matthew
Published year: 2016.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 40
Series: IWMI Research Report 166More... |
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By altering evapotranspiration and influencing how water is routed and stored in a basin, natural and agrarian ecosystems affect river flow. To quantify the impact of ecosystems on streamflow in two large river basins in Asia and Africa, simple statistical relationships were calculated, enabling flow characteristics to be ascertained from basic catchment features. This approach allows the impact of specified land-use change on streamflow to be determined. For example, it shows that extending paddy areas in the Mekong River Basin reduces downstream low flows, while conversion of forests to crops increases the magnitude of downstream floods in the Volta River Basin. The approach could assist river basin planners to better account for flow-related ecosystem services.
Runoff / Living standards / Impact assessment / Planning / Policy making / Paddy fields / Catchment areas / Downstream control / Stream flow / River basins / Wetlands / Soils / Water resources / Forest cover / Land use / Land cover / Models / Geography / Geomorphology / Floodplains / Temperature / Rain / Flow discharge / Ecosystems
Record No:H047530
Effect of catchment-scale green roof deployment on stormwater generation and reuse in a tropical cityAuthor(s): Schmitter, Petra; Goedbloed, A.; Galelli, S.; Babovic, V.
Published year: 2016.
Journal: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management Pages: 142(7):1-13
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DOI Low-impact development (LID) comprises a broad spectrum of stormwater management technologies for mitigating the impacts of urbanization on hydrological processes. Among these technologies, green roofs are one of the most adopted solutions, especially in densely populated metropolitan areas, where roofs take up a significant portion of the impervious surfaces and land areas are scarce. While the in situ hydrological performance of green roofs—i.e., reduction of runoff volume and peak discharge—is well addressed in literature, less is known about their impact on stormwater management and reuse activities at a catchment or city scale. This study developed an integrated urban water cycle model (IUWCM) to quantitatively assess the effect of uniform green roof deployment (i.e., 25, 50, and 100% conversion of traditional roofs) over the period 2009–2011 in the Marina Reservoir catchment, a 100-km2, highly urbanized area located in the heart of Singapore. The IUWCM consists of two components: (1) a physically based model for extensive green roofs integrated within a one-dimensional numerical hydrological-hydraulic catchment model linked with (2) an optimization-based model describing the operation of the downstream, stormwater-fed reservoir. The event-based hydrological performance of green roofs varied significantly throughout the simulation period with a median of about 5% and 12% for the catchment scale reduction of runoff volume and peak discharge (100% conversion of traditional roofs). The high variability and lower performance (with respect to temperate climates) are strongly related to the tropical weather and climatic conditions—e.g., antecedent dry weather period and maximum rainfall intensity. Average annual volume reductions were 0.6, 1.2, and 2.4% for the 25, 50, and 100% green roof scenarios, respectively. The reduction of the stormwater generated at the catchment level through green roof implementation had a positive impact on flood protection along Marina Reservoir shores and the energy costs encountered when operating the reservoir. Vice versa, the drinking water supply, which depends on the amount of available stormwater, decreased due to the evapotranspiration losses from green roofs. Better performance in terms of stormwater reuse could only be obtained by increasing the time of concentration of the catchment. This may be achieved through the combination of green roofs with other LID structures.
Weather / Rainfall-runoff relationships / Discharges / Urbanization / Reservoir operation / Models / Hydraulic conductivity / Hydrological cycle / Vegetation / Water management / Water reuse / Precipitation / Drainage / Catchment areas
Record No:H047458
Guidelines to engage with marginalized ethnic minorities in agricultural research for development in the Greater MekongAuthor(s): Hiwasaki, L.; Culas, C.; Minh, T. T.; Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali; Douthwaite, B.; Elias, M.; Kawarazuka, N.; McDougall, C.; Pannier, E.
Published year: 2016.
Publisher(s): Hanoi, Vietnam: World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Southeast Asia Regional Program
Pages: 30
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Case studies / Stakeholders / Participatory approaches / Domestic gardens / On-farm research / Sustainable agriculture / Erosion / Eroded soils / Economic aspects / Political aspects / Cultural behaviour / Social aspects / Living standards / Decision making / Households / Equity / Gender / Guidelines / Minority groups / Ethnic groups / Research and development / Agricultural sector / Agricultural research
Record No:H047890
Integrated action planning for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of highland aquatic resources: evaluating outcomes for the Beijiang River, ChinaAuthor(s): Bunting, S.W.; Luo, S.; Cai, K.; Kundu, N.; Lund, S.; Mishra, R.; Ray, D.; Smith, K. G.; Sugden, Fraser
Published year: 2016.
Journal: Journal of Environmental Planning and Management Pages: 59(9):1580-1609
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DOI The need for enhanced environmental planning and management for highland aquatic resources is described and a rationale for integrated action planning is presented. Past action planning initiatives for biodiversity conservation and wetland management are reviewed. A re ective account is given of integrated action planning from ve sites in China, India and Vietnam. Eight planning phases are described encompassing: stakeholder assessment and partner selection; rapport building and agreement on collaboration; integrated biodiversity, ecosystem services, livelihoods and policy assessment; problem analysis and target setting; strategic planning; planning and organisation of activities; coordinated implementation and monitoring; evaluation and revised target setting. The scope and targeting of actions are evaluated using the Driving forces, Pressures, State, Impacts and Responses framework and compatibility with biodiversity conservation and socio-economic development objectives are assessed. Criteria to evaluate the quality of planning processes are proposed. Principles for integrated action planning elaborated here should enable stakeholders to formulate plans to reconcile biodiversity conservation with the wise use of wetlands.
Participatory approaches / Socioeconomic environment / Performance evaluation / Monitoring / Implementation / Strategic planning / Policy making / Living standards / Ecosystem services / Stakeholders / Wetlands / Environmental management / Rivers / Resource management / Aquatic environment / Highlands / Sustainability / Biodiversity conservation / Planning / Development plans / Action plans / Integrated management
Record No:H047885
Irrigation management transfer and the shaping of irrigation realities in Indonesia: from means to empower farmers to a tool to transfer rent seeking?Author(s): Suhardiman, Diana
Published year: 2016.
Journal: Human Organization Pages: 75(4):326-335
More... Canal irrigation and the way it has been managed continue to be at the central stage of irrigation development debates. This article looks at Irrigation Management Transfer policy processes in the seven interconnected irrigation systems in Kulon Progo district, Yogyakarta province, Indonesia. It focuses on the government’s attempt to transfer funds for irrigation system operation and maintenance, so-called “stimulant funds,” from the irrigation agency to Federation of Water User Associations. Illustrating the transformation of the stimulant funds, from a policy measure to empower farmers to a tool to transfer rent-seeking practices, it urges the need to develop autonomous local organizations that are accountable to farmers and look beyond infrastructureoriented development as a basic foundation for irrigation policy reform.
Case studies / Water supply / Water user associations / Bureaucracy / Local government / Irrigation canals / Farmers / Empowerment / Irrigation water / Irrigation systems / Irrigation management
Record No:H047876
Integrated systems research for sustainable smallholder agriculture in the uplands of mainland Southeast Asia: Achievements and lessons learnedAuthor(s): Hiwasaki, L.; Bolliger, A.; Lacombe, Guillaume; Raneri, J.; Schut, M.; Staal, S.
Published year: 2016.
Pages: pp.101-124
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After introducing the objectives and outcomes of Humidtropics, and some institutional constraints the research program faced, this chapter offers a synthesis of achievements, gaps and challenges of agricultural research for development activities implemented in the Humidtropics Central Mekong Action Area, as well as a discussion of the challenges faced. This chapter provides lessons learned from implementing agricultural research for development in this region, and offers insights and recommendations that could support integrated agricultural systems research in the Mekong region and elsewhere.
Empowerment / Youth / Women / Gender / Intensification / Living standards / Agricultural research / Research programmes / Highlands / Smallholders / Sustainable agriculture / Integrated management
Record No:H047860
Integrated tree, crop and livestock technologies to conserve soil and water, and sustain smallholder farmers’ livelihoods in Southeast Asian uplandsAuthor(s): Lacombe, Guillaume; Bolliger, A. M.; Harrisson, R. D.; Thu Ha, T. T.
Published year: 2016.
Pages: pp.41-64
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After reviewing the main causes and effects of land degradation and erosion in the uplands of mainland Southeast Asia, this chapter presents several case studies of recent land-use changes governed by economic, political and institutional transitions, the expansion of teak and rubber tree plantations in northern Laos and southwest China, respectively, and of monocropping coffee in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam. We explain how these environmental disturbances are altering water and soil resources across different geographic scales, from the agricultural plot to the headwater catchment. Examples of coping strategies combining field trials and participatory approaches are illustrated with several case studies taken from research for development activities conducted in Cambodia, Laos, Viet Nam and the Yunnan Province of China. These activities were part of the CGIAR Research Program on Integrated Systems for the Humid Tropics (Humidtropics) in the Central Mekong Action Area. We propose solutions for sustainable agricultural intensification to diversify income, improve dietary diversity and improve natural resource management. The accomplishment of these objectives requires longterm involvement with ethnic minority communities that have been the particular focus in the target areas. The three-anda-half-year lifespan of Humidtropics in the Mekong region was a short period. It would require extension to maintain the carefully built and nurtured relationships with local implementation partners and local farming communities, and reach its full promise.
Case studies / Catchment areas / Local communities / Natural resources management / Environmental impact / Coffee / Rubber / Tectona grandis / Plantations / Erosion / Land management / Land use / Land degradation / Highlands / Living standards / Farmland / Farmers / Smallholders / Monoculture / Sustainable agriculture / Water harvesting / Rainwater / Water availability / Water conservation / Soil conservation
Record No:H047859
Integrated systems research for sustainable smallholder agriculture in the Central Mekong: achievements and challenges of implementing integrated systems researchAuthor(s): Hiwasaki, L.; Bolliger, L.; Lacombe, Guillaume; Raneri, J.; Schut, M.; Staal, S.
Published year: 2016.
Publisher(s): Hanoi, Vietnam: World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). Southeast Asia Regional Program
Pages: 178
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Case studies / Gender / Agricultural research / Research and development / Empowerment / Food production / Food security / Economic aspects / Marketing techniques / Environmental management / Systems analysis / Natural resources management / CGIAR / Research institutions / Nongovernmental organizations / Nutrition / Land cover / Land degradation / Landscape / Highlands / Land use / Living standards / Watersheds / Water storage / Water harvesting / Rainwater / Water availability / Soil conservation / Soil fertility / Livestock / Plantation crops / Crop management / River basin management / Humid tropics / Farmers / Smallholders / Sustainable agriculture / Integrated management
Record No:H047858
Watershed moments: a photographic anthology celebrating 30 years of research for a water-secure world (1985–2015 and beyond)Author(s): International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
Published year: 2016.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 96
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Dams / Rural communities / Food security / Urbanization / Rain / Environmental effects / Soils / Equity / s participation / Womenapos / Gender / Floodplains / Households / Living standards / River basins / Farmers / Pumps / Sprinkler irrigation / Irrigation systems / Multiple use / Wastewater / Groundwater / Water security / Water governance / Water reuse / Water quality / Water balance / Water use / Water management / Water resources / Watersheds / Sustainable agriculture
Record No:H047829
Household opportunity costs of protecting and developing forest lands in Son La and Hoa Binh Provinces, VietnamAuthor(s): Lan, L. N.; Wichelns, D.; Milan, Florence; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Phuong, N. D.
Published year: 2016.
Journal: International Journal of the Commons Pages: 10(2):902-928
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Vietnam has pilot-tested a payment for forest environmental services (PFES) program in an effort to restore and protect forest areas, some of which have been severely degraded by the excessive cutting of trees by small-scale farmers planting annual crops on steep, sloping lands. The pilot program implemented in southern Vietnam seems to be successful, yet the program in northern Vietnam has not produced the desired rates of planting and maintaining forest areas. The reasons for these mixed results include differences in socio-economic characteristics and also the production and marketing opportunities available to rural households in the project areas. To gain insight regarding program participation, we examine the household-level opportunity costs of planting and maintaining small plots of forest trees in northern Vietnam. We find that small-scale farmers in Hoa Binh Province, with limited financial resources, prefer the annual revenue stream provided by crops such as maize and cassava, rather than waiting for 7 years to obtain revenue from a forest planting. Farmers in Son La Province, with limited access to markets, prefer annual crops because they are not able to sell bamboo shoots and other forest products harvested from their small plots. In both provinces, the payments offered for planting and maintaining forest trees are smaller than the opportunity costs of planting and harvesting annual crops. Thus, most households likely would choose not to participate in the PFES program, at current payment rates, if given the opportunity to decline.
Ecosystem services / Smallholders / Farmers / Planting / Environmental services / Payment agreements / Maize / Cassava / Bamboos / Forest protection / Forest management / Forest land use / Household expenditure / Opportunity costs
Record No:H047824
Business models for fecal sludge managementAuthor(s): Rao, Krishna C.; Kvarnstrom, E.; Di Mario, L.; Drechsel, Pay
Published year: 2016.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)
Pages: 80
Series: Resource Recovery and Reuse Series 06More... |
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On-site sanitation systems, such as septic tanks and pit latrines, are the predominant feature across rural and urban areas in most developing countries. However, their management is one of the most neglected sanitation challenges. While under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the set-up of toilet systems received the most attention, business models for the sanitation service chain, including pit desludging, sludge transport, treatment and disposal or resource recovery, are only emerging. Based on the analysis of over 40 fecal sludge management (FSM) cases from Asia, Africa and Latin America, this report shows opportunities as well as bottlenecks that FSM is facing from an institutional and entrepreneurial perspective.
Case studies / Incentives / Household / Landscape / Urban areas / Farmers / Taxes / Nutrients / Septic tanks / Transport / Regulations / Licences / Partnerships / Institutions / Private enterprises / Organic fertilizers / Biogas / Energy recovery / Cost recovery / Finance / Stakeholders / Defaecation / Latrines / Sanitation / Public health / Composts / Pollution / Solid wastes / Waste water treatment plants / Waste treatment / Sewerage / Dumping / Desludging / Waste disposal / Models / Business management / Recycling / Resource recovery / Resource management / Faecal sludge
Record No:H047826
Opportunities for improved promotion of ecosystem services in agriculture under the Water-Energy-Food NexusAuthor(s): Bell, A.; Matthews, Nathanial; Zhang, W.
Published year: 2016.
Journal: Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences Pages: 6(1):183-191
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DOI In this study, we focus on water quality as a vehicle to illustrate the role that the water, energy, and food (WEF) Nexus perspective may have in promoting ecosystem services in agriculture. The mediation of water quality by terrestrial systems is a key ecosystem service for a range of actors (municipalities, fishers, industries, and energy providers) and is reshaped radically by agricultural activity. To address these impacts, many programs exist to promote improved land-use practices in agriculture; however, where these practices incur a cost or other burden to the farmer, adoption can be low unless some form of incentive is provided (as in a payment for ecosystem services (PES) program). Provision of such incentives can be a challenge to sustain in the long term, if there is not a clear beneficiary or other actor willing to provide them. Successfully closing the loop between impacts and incentives often requires identifying a measurable and valuable service with a clear central beneficiary that is impacted by the summative effects of the diffuse agricultural practices across the landscape. Drawing on cases from our own research, we demonstrate how the WEF Nexus perspective—by integrating non-point-source agricultural problems under well-defined energy issues—can highlight central beneficiaries of improved agricultural practice, where none may have existed otherwise.
Case studies / Environmental management / Farmers / Conservation agriculture / Landscape / Drinking water / Pest management / Integrated management / Agriculture / Energy consumption / Food security / Water quality / Water use / Water security / Water power / Payment agreements / Payment for Ecosystem Services
Record No:H047782
Payments for ecosystem services in Hoa Binh province, Vietnam: an institutional analysisAuthor(s): Tran, T. T. H.; Zeller, M.; Suhardiman, Diana
Published year: 2016.
Journal: Ecosystem Services Pages: 22:83-93
More... This study examines the institutional design and actual performance, of payments for ecosystem services (PES) in Vietnam. Taking Payments for Forest Environmental Services Program (PFES Program) implementation in Da Bac district, Hoa Binh province as a case study, it brings to light how PES program design and implementation contributed to the central governmentapos;s objectives to: (1) involve stakeholders in forest management; (2) reduce the governmentapos;s budget burden for forest protection; and (3) maintain political control over forest resources. In Vietnam, the PFES Program is implemented in a top-down manner. Participating households act as government-induced forest guards rather than forest owners. Incomplete design at the central-level results in poorer performance at lower levels and, the lack of strategic management makes it difficult to know whether the program has actually improved ecosystem services and forest management. While the PFES Program complements other institutions at the national- and local-levels, some institutional incompatibilities exist in terms of customary practices. It is unlikely, however, that these will develop into an institutional conflict.
Economic aspects / Farmers / Households / Forest protection / Forest conservation / Stakeholders / Central government / Environmental services / Performance evaluation / Corporate culture / Institutions / Ecosystem services / Payment for Ecosystem Services
Record No:H047763
Reservoir operation for recession agriculture in Mekong basin, LaosAuthor(s): Reis, J.; Culver, T. B.; Lacombe, Guillaume; Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali
Published year: 2015.
Journal: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management Pages: 141(7):1-9
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DOI As hydropower dam construction in rapidly growing economies dislodges communities, rural development experts must help the displaced make their livelihoods in new lacustrine environments. One question is whether the dam infrastructure can directly benefit those who remain within the vicinity of the reservoir. Integrated water resource management seeks to concurrently consider hydrological, socioeconomic, and ecological factors, yet water managers lack the information needed to include livelihoods in their analyses. The objective of this paper is to develop tools and plans for coordinating hydropower reservoir operation and management for rural livelihoods. Specifically, this study investigates how dam management may accommodate vegetable farming on the banks of a reservoir. The intervention investigated is to lower water levels during the cultivation period in order to expose shoreline gardens. Based on the recession agriculture rule, evaluated through simulation of a dam in Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the average annual hydropower production was reduced by between 0.4 and 8.1%, depending on the agricultural goal, with the loss to power occurring mainly in the months April to June. By focusing on hydropower reservoir systems, the techniques developed in this study have the potential to be applied to support communities throughout the world that farm on the shorelines of water reservoirs.
Case studies / River basins / Vegetable growing / Living standards / Rural areas / Dams / Water power / Water levels / Water management / Water resources / Reservoirs / Agriculture
Record No:H046633
Improving water management in Myanmar’s dry zone for food security, livelihoods and healthAuthor(s): International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
Published year: 2015.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 52
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Information management / Soil conservation / Farmers / Rainfed farming / Land degradation / Landscape / Investment / Pumping / Irrigation schemes / Irrigated land / Water harvesting / Rainwater / Groundwater recharge / Groundwater irrigation / Multiple use / Domestic water / Wells / Ponds / Reservoir storage / Water accounting / Water conservation / Water use / Water resources / Runoff / Rivers / Agroecosystems / Health / Living standards / Food security / Arid zones / Water management
Record No:H047190
Groundwater for food security. Module 9Author(s): Villholth, Karen G.
Published year: 2015.
Pages: 20
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Case studies / Farmers / Economic aspects / Living standards / Energy / Food security / Water management / Water use / Groundwater irrigation / Groundwater development
Record No:H047057
Experiences and lessons learnt from supporting waste sector development in the PhilippinesAuthor(s): Paul, Johannes G.; Acosta, V. L.; Lange, U.
Published year: 2015.
Pages: 4
More... As in other developing countries, solid waste management (SWM) remains a crucial environmental issue in the Philippines. In the year 2000, the Philippine Congress released a new waste management legislation, the Philippine Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (Republic Act 9003). This law mandates Local Governments to implement suited measures for waste avoidance, materials recovery and recycling in order to reduce waste disposal and to enhance residual waste management through alternative technologies or sanitary landfills. The total municipal waste generation in the country is estimated at more than 25 Mio tons/year, with organic waste components representing the main fraction with around 50% in cities and up to 70% in rural areas. Although RA 9003 mandates a waste diversion rate of at least 25 % to be realized by municipalities in 2006, most of them fail to implement the waste legislation properly mainly due to budget limitations, lack of know-how and conflicting interests that delay priority setting and political decision-making. In this context, the Philippine government entered into a bilateral official development program with the German government provided through the Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) through its development program Solid Waste Management for Local Government Units (SWM4LGUs) during the time period 2005-2012. As part of this program an in-depth and year-long analysis of main factors that relate to success and failures in municipal SWM was conducted. As main outcome of this development program, the National Solid Waste Management Commission integrated these experiences and developed the new National Solid Waste Management Strategy for the years 2012 to 2016 in order to facilitate implementation of RA 9003.
Development projects / Local government / Capacity building / Policy making / Cost recovery / Legal aspects / Water resources development / Urban wastes / Solid wastes / Waste disposal / Waste management
Record No:H047083
Designing local policies and economic instruments to enhance waste management in Bayawan city, PhilippinesAuthor(s): Paul, Johannes G.; Boorsma, J. D.; Sarana, G.; Bollos, I.
Published year: 2015.
Pages: 4
More... To establish and operate reliable Solid Waste Management (SWM) systems, efficient technologies, stable organizational structures, skilled personnel, sound operational management and appropriate financing concepts are required. In order to sustain such systems, the implementation of suited legal framework conditions and economical instruments are considered as key success factors. Proper financial management allows to determine the real costs of SWM and to design local policies that provide the needed mechanisms to conduct Solid Waste Management on community level and to formulate rules and user fees that are not only acceptable by residents and users but likewise secure participation of stakeholders and transparency for the public [1, 3]. As in other developing countries, financing SWM remains a severe issue also in the Philippines. Cost recovery is an important requirement for sustainable waste management, but it does not always correspond with political priorities, the willingness of the population or the capacities of the administration to implement it. Fees to cover SWM costs are either not asked for, or existing fee mechanism are not effectively implemented or being utilized by the authorities in charge. However, policies that address cost recovery will directly affect the capacity and willingness of service recipients to pay as well as the maximum level of refinancing that can be achieved. The lower the level of cost recovery, the higher the resulting risk of poor services rendered or ultimately service interruptions. Hence, sustainable financing of SWM by local means is imperative. In Bayawan City, Philippines the local government recognized the opportunities arising with establishing a new SWM system as required by national waste legislation [5]. During SWM planning various issues surfaced that were taken up by the local authorities to design apos;taylor-madeapos; new local policies that integrate cost recovery mechanism through user fees and revenues for material recovery. Main positive effects of cost recovery resulted from introduction of a prepaid sticker system that requests to pre-pay a fee for collection of residual waste and bio-waste. Besides, the introduction of an environmental fee claimed with the regular water bill propelled cost recovery from initial 3% to more than 15% of annual SWM budget after only 3 years operation of the new system whereas income for the latter is mainly used for cleaning of septic tanks and processing of recovered sludge at the newly established municipal waste management center. Results of this case underline that enhancing SWM systems is possible also in developing countries with innovative technologies and approaches that integrate local conditions and provide suited mechanism to enhance motivation and ownership of local decision-makers and users likewise [2-4].
Composting / Stakeholders / Legal aspects / Local government / Financing / Cost recovery / Economic aspects / Solid wastes / Urban wastes / Waste disposal / Waste management
Record No:H047082
Riverbed clogging experiments at potential river bank filtration sites along the Ping River, Chiang Mai, ThailandAuthor(s): Pholkern, K.; Srisuk, K.; Grischek, T.; Soares, M.; Schafer, S.; Archwichai, L.; Saraphirom, P.; Pavelic, Paul; Wirojanagud, W.
Published year: 2015.
Journal: Environmental Earth Sciences Pages: 73:7699-7709
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DOI Riverbank filtration (RBF) is a process during which river water is subjected to subsurface flow prior to abstraction wells, often characterized by improved water quality. The induced infiltration of river water through the riverbed also creates a clogging layer. This decreases riverbed permeability and abstraction rates, particularly if the river water has high turbidity, as in Thailand. As Chiang Mai Province is one of the most favorable sites for future RBF construction in Thailand, two sites, Mae Rim and San Pa Tong, were selected to simulate clogging by using a channel experiment. The mobile experimental apparatus was set up at the bank of the river in order to use fresh river water. Riverbed sediment was used as channel bed and filling material for the columns. The aim was to simulate riverbed clogging using river water with high turbidity and determine the effect of clogging, which can be quantified using vertical hydraulic conductivity (Kv). An increase in channel flow velocity caused partial removal of a clogging layer in only the top 0.03 m of the sediment column. The combination of low channel flow and high turbidity leads to much more clogging than high channel flow and low turbidity. A complete manual removal of the external clogging layer led to an increase in Kv, but the initial Kv values were not recovered. The external clogging had a lower effect on Kv than internal clogging. For planning new RBF sites along high-turbidity rivers, reduction in Kv to estimate RBF well yield cannot be calculated based only on initial Kv but requires field experiments.
Flow discharge / Sedimentation / Water quality / Hydraulics / Filtration / Riverbank protection
Record No:H047065
Development of a modular streamflow model to quantify runoff contributions from different land uses in tropical urban environments using Genetic ProgrammingAuthor(s): Meshgi, A.; Schmitter, Petra; Chui, T. F. M.; Babovic, V.
Published year: 2015.
Journal: Journal of Hydrology Pages: 525:711-723
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DOI The decrease of pervious areas during urbanization has severely altered the hydrological cycle, diminishing infiltration and therefore sub-surface flows during rainfall events, and further increasing peak discharges in urban drainage infrastructure. Designing appropriate waster sensitive infrastructure that reduces peak discharges requires a better understanding of land use specific contributions towards surface and sub-surface processes. However, to date, such understanding in tropical urban environments is still limited. On the other hand, the rainfall–runoff process in tropical urban systems experiences a high degree of non-linearity and heterogeneity. Therefore, this study used Genetic Programming to establish a physically interpretable modular model consisting of two sub-models: (i) a baseflow module and (ii) a quick flow module to simulate the two hydrograph flow components. The relationship between the input variables in the model (i.e. meteorological data and catchment initial conditions) and its overall structure can be explained in terms of catchment hydrological processes. Therefore, the model is a partial greying of what is often a black-box approach in catchment modelling. The model was further generalized to the sub-catchments of the main catchment, extending the potential for more widespread applications. Subsequently, this study used the modular model to predict both flow components of events as well as time series, and applied optimization techniques to estimate the contributions of various land uses (i.e. impervious, steep grassland, grassland on mild slope, mixed grasses and trees and relatively natural vegetation) towards baseflow and quickflow in tropical urban systems. The sub-catchment containing the highest portion of impervious surfaces (40% of the area) contributed the least towards the baseflow (6.3%) while the sub-catchment covered with 87% of relatively natural vegetation contributed the most (34.9%). The results from the quickflow module revealed average runoff coefficients between 0.12 and 0.80 for the various land uses and decreased from impervious (0.80), grass on steep slopes (0.56), grass on mild slopes (0.48), mixed grasses and trees (0.42) to relatively natural vegetation (0.12). The established modular model, reflecting the driving hydrological processes, enables the quantification of land use specific contributions towards the baseflow and quickflow components. This quantification facilitates the integration of water sensitive urban infrastructure for the sustainable development of water in tropical megacities.
Vegetation / Catchment areas / Infiltration / Land use / Rainfall runoff relationships / Models / Stream flow / Hydrology / Urbanization
Record No:H046995
A country in rapid transition: can Myanmar achieve food security?Author(s): McCartney, Matthew P.; Khaing, O.
Published year: 2015.
Pages: pp.79-103
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Infrastructure / Rural development / Social aspects / Private sector / Non governmental organizations / Investment / State intervention / Farmers / Water availability / Land reform / Land degradation / Malnutrition / Poverty / Rice / Agricultural production / Economic development / Food security
Record No:H046976
Transaction costs of farmers’ participation in forest management: policy implications of payments for environmental services schemes in VietnamAuthor(s): Manasboonphempool, A.; Milan, Florence M.; Zeller, M.
Published year: 2015.
Journal: Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics Pages: 116(2):199-211
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Download Recent research on payments for environmental services (PES) has observed that high transaction costs (TCs) are incurred through the implementation of PES schemes and farmer participation. TCs incurred by households are considered to be an obstacle to the participation in and efficiency of PES policies. This study aims to understand transactions related to previous forest plantation programmes and to estimate the actual TCs incurred by farmers who participated in these programmes in a mountainous area of northwestern Vietnam. In addition, this study examines determinants of households’ TCs to test the hypothesis of whether the amount of TCs varies according to household characteristics. Results show that average TCs are not likely to be a constraint for participation since they are about 200,000 VND (USD 10) per household per contract, which is equivalent to one person’s average earnings for about two days of labour. However, TCs amount to more than one-third of the programmes’ benefits, which is relatively high compared to PES programmes in developed countries. This implies that rather than aiming to reduce TCs, an appropriate agenda for policy improvement is to balance the level of TCs with PES programme benefits to enhance the overall attractiveness of afforestation programmes for smallholder farmers. Regression analysis reveals that education, gender and perception towards PES programmes have significant effects on the magnitude of TCs. The analyses also points out the importance of local conditions on the level of TCs, with some unexpected results.
Community forestry / Land tenure / Developed countries / Labour costs / Gender / Highlands / Transaction costs / Households / Remuneration / Environmental services / Farmer participation / Forest plantations / Forest management
Record No:H047505
Community water access, availability and management survey in the Tonle Sap Region, CambodiaAuthor(s): Joffre, O.; de Silva, Sanjiv
Published year: 2015.
Publisher(s): Penang, Malaysia: CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems
Pages: 32
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Villages / Drought / Flooding / Land use / Households / Ecosystems / Women / Development plans / Conflict / Institutions / Fisheries / Aquaculture / Agriculture / Irrigation schemes / Communities / Water governance / Wastewater treatment / Water quality / Water use / Domestic water / Water resources / Water management / Water availability
Record No:H047000
Research in development: learning from the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural SystemsAuthor(s): Douthwaite, B.; Apgar, J. M.; Schwarz, A.; McDougall, C.; Attwood, S.; Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali; Clayton, T.
Published year: 2015.
Publisher(s): Penang, Malaysia: CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems
Pages: 96
Series: CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems Working Paper: AAS-2015-16More... |
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Case studies / Capacity building / Resource management / Ecology / Social aspects / Participatory approaches / Fish culture / Farmers / Reclaimed land / Floodplains / Empowerment / Stakeholders / Community involvement / Ownership / Aquatic environment / Households / Men / s participation / Womenapos / Equity / Gender / Partnerships / Less favoured areas / Agricultural research / Development theory
Record No:H047452
Environmental livelihood security in Southeast Asia and OceaniaAuthor(s): International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
Published year: 2015.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 4
Series: IWMI Water Policy Brief 37More... |
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GIS / Land cover / Policy making / Water resources / Energy / Food security / Climate change / Sustainable development / Living standards / Environmental protection
Record No:H046987
Changing rainfall pattern in Northeast Thailand and implications for cropping systems adaptation [Abstract only]Author(s): Lacombe, Guillaume; Anan, P.; Attachai, J.; Trebuil, G.
Published year: 2015.
Pages: pp.42
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Download In Northeast Thailand, about 80% of the 20 million inhabitants are engaged in rainfed agriculture. Climate vagaries combined with coarse-textured sandy and unevenly distributed saline soils explain low agriculture yields and the endemic relative poverty of the population. We conducted an in-depth analysis of change in the rainfall pattern using daily records (1953-2010) from 18 gauging stations scattered across Northeast Thailand. Based on an intimate knowledge of the local farming systems, particularly their strategies to deal with climate variability and their evolution during the past decades, we analyse and discuss how the cropping systems can adapt to the detected rainfall changes. We used the Mann–Kendall trend detection test, modified to account for serial correlation at each individual station, and the regional average Kendall’s statistic designed for the detection of regional trends across the entire studied area. On-farm surveys carried out during the past two decades in both the upper and lower parts of Northeast Thailand provide a detailed understanding of the functioning of the agricultural production systems and their diversity. The analysis reveals very limited changes in rainfall frequency, intensity and extremes during the humid monsoon and therefore little change in the existing climatic constraints to agricultural production (early dry spells in the wet season and risk of floods at its peak in September). But we found a significant regional trend toward a wetter dry season that could offer new limited opportunities for agricultural production. The paper will discuss the implications of these findings and compare them with recently published research results. Differences in statistical significance between local and regional rainfall trends are also interpreted. If these trends extend, households would not face many difficulties because of their renowned adaptive capacity built over centuries of facing highly variable rainfall patterns, and due to the diversity of their resilient farming systems.
Adaptation / Agricultural production / Cropping systems / Farming systems / Rainfed farming / Rain
Record No:H046928
Synthesis report on feasibility assessment for the implementation of RRR [resource recovery and reuse] business models proposed for HanoiAuthor(s): Otoo, Miriam; Rao, Krishna; Taron, Avinandan
Published year: 2015.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 81
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Socioeconomic environment / Cost recovery / Sanitation / Organic fertilizers / Briquettes / Public health / Health hazards / Composting / Nutrients / Water reuse / Wastewater irrigation / Wastewater treatment / Industrial wastes / Solid wastes / Urban wastes / Faecal sludge / Risk assessment / Environmental impact assessment / Market economics / Business management / Resource recovery / Assessment / Feasibility studies
Record No:H048075
Toward sustainable coffee production in Vietnam: more coffee with less waterAuthor(s): Amarasinghe, Upali A.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; D’haeze, D.; Hung, T. Q.
Published year: 2015.
Journal: Agricultural Systems Pages: 136:96-105
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DOI Inefficient use of irrigation water threatens coffee production in Vietnam, the second largest producer worldwide after Brazil. This paper examines the irrigation issues that constrain sustainable coffee production in Vietnam. The period from January to April is a crucial time in the growth of the coffee crop. It requires irrigation, because rainfall only provides 25% of the potential crop evapotranspiration demand. According to crop phenology, this period also requires induced water stress, because it coincides with breaking the dormancy of flower buds and initiation of cherry development, which is crucial for achieving high yield. This paper proposes an irrigation supply of 120 or 150 mm between January and April in a year preceded by good or average rainfall respectively, in November and December. This is equivalent to 364 or 456 liters/plant/round in 3 rounds/year, which is only 70% of the locally recommended level by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Synchronizing this irrigation supply with the management of other inputs could increase average yield up to 4000 kg/ha, from the present level of 2400 kg/ ha making coffee production both sustainable and economically viable. In order to achieve this, building capacity of farmers to follow the irrigation and input application schedules is crucial.
Production costs / Gross income / Farm management / Farmers / Irrigation water / Water stress / Water use / Sustainability / Groundwater irrigation / Coffee industry
Record No:H046893
Environmental impact assessment: theory, practice and implications for Mekong hydropower debateAuthor(s): Campbell, L.; Suhardiman, Diana; Giordano, M.; McCornick, Peter
Published year: 2015.
Journal: International Journal of Water Governance Pages: 4:93-116
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DOI Hydropower development in the Lower Mekong Basin is occurring at a rapid pace. With partial funding from international financial institutions has come pressure on the riparian governments to ensure that the potential environmental and social impacts of hydropower projects are properly considered. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is one of the primary environmental management tools being proposed to fulfill these obligations. This article highlights some of the challenges that are inherent in applying EIA in the Mekong context through critical analysis of both its conceptual and institutional aspects. The main argument of the article is that while EIA application indicates a certain degree of environmental consideration, it is not necessarily sufficient to ensure good environmental practices. Lending institutions such as the World Bank have identified lack of implementation capacity as the biggest constraint to effective EIAs. Focusing on Laos, we show how EIA application should be equipped with necessary institutional arrangements and a transparent public participation process. This will ultimately require a shift within the region to allow environmental and social issues to be given significant weight.
Government agencies / Decision making / Investment / Donors / Funding / River basins / Social impact / Financial institutions / International organizations / Participation / Public relations / Water power / Environmental management / Environmental impact assessment
Record No:H047366
Climate change and agricultural water management in developing countriesAuthor(s): Hoanh, Chu Thai; Johnston, Robyn; Smakhtin, Vladimir
Published year: 2015.
Publisher(s): Wallingford, UK: CABI
Pages: 227
Series: CABI Climate Change Series 8More... |
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Meteorological stations / Evapotranspiration / Precipitation / Temperature / Rainfall patterns / Environmental effects / Economic aspects / Emission / Greenhouse gases / Irrigated farming / Living standards / River basins / Rice / Crop production / Food production / Deltas / Salt water intrusion / Sea level / Coastal area / Irrigation management / Irrigation water / International waters / Groundwater / Water rates / Water rights / Water use / Water scarcity / Water demand / Water resources / Water accounting / Water conservation / Water requirements / Water management / Adaptation / Sustainable agriculture / Agricultural production / Agricultural development / Climate change
Record No:H047367
Hydropower resettlement and livelihood adaptation: the Nam Mang 3 Project in LaosAuthor(s): Sayatham, M.; Suhardiman, Diana
Published year: 2015.
Journal: Water Resources and Rural Development Pages: 5:17-30
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DOI Mekong hydropower is developing rapidly. Laos is at the forefront of this development. While hydropower development supports the country’s economic growth, many observers have highlighted the potential negative impacts for people’s livelihoods. Taking the Nam Mang 3 hydropower project as a case study, we examine the impacts of hydropower development on farming households of differing livelihood assets and resources, and how they have responded to these impacts. Linking livelihood asset substitution with livelihood outcomes, we examine factors constraining livelihood adaptation and how these shape rural households’ strategies to cope with socioeconomic and environmental impacts from hydropower development. We conclude that while asset substitution generally can improve people’s livelihoods, access to land continues to play an important role in the process of livelihood reconstruction and the shaping of livelihood outcomes.
Case studies / Food security / Land use / Agriculture / Fisheries / Villages / Dams / Natural resources / Environmental impact / Development projects / Income / Households / Compensation / Reconstruction / Living standards / Economic development / Water power
Record No:H046867
Aquaculture adaptation to climate change in Vietnam’s Mekong DeltaAuthor(s): Kam, S. P.; Nhuong, T.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Hien, N. X.
Published year: 2015.
Pages: pp.135-153
Series: CABI Climate Change Series 8More... |
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Seasonal cropping / Water management / Water resources / Deltas / Costs / Economic analysis / Ponds / Flooding / Farmers / Shrimp culture / Aquaculture / Adaptation / Climate change
Record No:H047376
Bureaucracy and development: reflections from the Indonesian water sectorAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana
Published year: 2015.
Publisher(s): Pasir Panjang, Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
Pages: 230
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Management techniques / State intervention / Decision making / Policy making / Legal aspects / Farmers organizations / Bureaucracy / Irrigation systems / Irrigation management / Water supply / Water user associations / Water management / Water resources
Record No:H046835
Economic valuation of wastewater: the cost of action and the cost of no actionAuthor(s): Hernandez-Sancho, F.; Lamizana-Diallo, B.; Mateo-Sagasta, Javier
Published year: 2015.
Publisher(s): Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Pages: 72
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Case studies / Resource management / Periurban areas / Developing countries / Drinking water / Cost benefit analysis / Valuation / Sewage sludge / Industrial uses / Rice / Environmental impact / Waterborne diseases / Sanitation / Public health / Water supply / Water quality / Water reuse / Water pollution / Water management / Wastewater irrigation / Wastewater treatment / Economic analysis
Record No:H047349
Afforestation by natural regeneration or by tree planting: examples of opposite hydrological impacts evidenced by long-term field monitoring in the humid tropicsAuthor(s): Lacombe, Guillaume; Ribolzi, O.; de Rouw, A.; Pierret, A.; Latsachak, K.; Silvera, N.; Pham Dinh, R.; Orange, D.; Janeau, J.-L.; Soulileuth, B.; Robain, H.; Taccoen, A.; Sengphaathith, P.; Mouche, E.; Sengtaheuanghoung, O.; Tran Duc, T.; Valentin, C.
Published year: 2015.
Journal: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions Pages: 12:12615-12648
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The humid tropics are exposed to an unprecedented modernization of agriculture involving rapid and highly-mixed land-use changes with contrasted environmental impacts. Afforestation is often mentioned as an unambiguous solution for restoring ecosystem services and enhancing biodiversity. One consequence of afforestation is the alteration of streamflow variability controlling habitats, water resources and flood risks. We demonstrate that afforestation by tree planting or by natural forest regeneration can induce opposite hydrological changes. An observatory including long-term field measurements of fine-scale land-use mosaics and of hydro-meteorological variables has been operating in several headwater catchments in tropical Southeast Asia since 2001. The GR2M water balance model repeatedly calibrated over successive 1 year periods, and used in simulation mode with specific rainfall input, allowed the hydrological effect of land-use change to be isolated from that of rainfall variability in two of these catchments in Laos and Vietnam. Visual inspection of hydrographs, correlation analyses and trend detection tests allowed causality between land-use changes and changes in seasonal flows to be ascertained. In Laos, the combination of shifting cultivation system (alternation of rice and fallow) and the gradual increase of teak tree plantations replacing fallow, led to intricate flow patterns: pluri-annual flow cycles induced by the shifting system, on top of a gradual flow increase over years caused by the spread of the plantation. In Vietnam, the abandonment of continuously cropped areas mixed with patches of tree plantations led to the natural re-growth of forest communities followed by a gradual drop in streamflow. Soil infiltrability controlled by surface crusting is the predominant process explaining why two modes of afforestation (natural regeneration or planting) led to opposite changes in flow regime. Given that commercial tree plantations will continue to expand in the humid tropics, careful consideration is needed before attributing to them positive effects on water and soil conservation.
Models / Runoff / Rain / Catchment areas / Water conservation / Soil conservation / Land use / Ecosystem services / Humid tropics / Hydrological factors / Tectona grandis / Plantations / Afforestation
Record No:H047340
Tackling trade-offs in the nexus of water, energy and foodAuthor(s): Pittock, J.; Or, S.; Stevens, L.; Aheeyar, Mohamed; Smith, M.
Published year: 2015.
Journal: Aquatic Procedia Pages: 5:58-68
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We explore processes that enable effective policies and practices for managing the links between water, energy, and food. Three case studies are assessed at different scales in the Mekong River basin, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. We find that there are considerable opportunities for improving outcomes for sustainable development by finding solutions that accommodate multiple objectives in the nexus. These include making data more publicly available, commissioning independent experts to advise on contested issues, engaging under-represented stakeholders in decision-making, sharing benefits, exploring different perspectives in forums where alternative development options can be tested and engaging decision-makers at different scales.
Case studies / Farmers / River basins / Decision making / Community development / Energy / Food security / Stakeholders / Living standards / Institutions / Water power / Irrigation schemes / Sustainable development
Record No:H047269
Integrated assessment of groundwater use for improving livelihoods in the dry zone of MyanmarAuthor(s): Pavelic, Paul; Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali; Johnston, Robyn; McCartney, Matthew; Sotoukee, Touleelor; Balasubramanya, Soumya; Suhardiman, Diana; Lacombe, Guillaume; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Joffre, O.; Latt, K.; Zan, A. K.; Thein, K.; Myint, A.; Cho, C.; Htut, Y. T.
Published year: 2015.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 47
Series: IWMI Research Report 164More... |
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In the Dry Zone of Myanmar, improved access to water is widely acknowledged as being vital for livelihood enhancement and the general well-being of around 10 million people, most of whom depend on agriculture. Thus, expanding the sustainable use of groundwater is of great importance for socioeconomic development. According to this study, opportunities for accessing groundwater are generally good, and development of the resource has steadily increased over the years. However, there still appears to be good prospects for expanding groundwater use for irrigation, with a view to increasing agricultural production. Provision of affordable mechanical technologies for drilling wells and support with credit facilities to purchase small-capacity motorized pumps for irrigation could improve food security and livelihoods, where there is potential to expand groundwater use. Replenishable groundwater resources of the Dry Zone are likely to be less than previously thought. Thus, it is important to find the right balance between increasing development of the resource for enhanced irrigation, while also protecting its existing beneficial use for communities and the environment.
Case studies / Farmers / Smallholders / Sustainability / Agriculture / Arsenic compounds / Hydrology / Geology / Investment / Cost benefit analysis / Economic aspects / Social aspects / Pumping / Tube wells / Arid zones / Living standards / Domestic water / Water market / Water quality / Water availability / Water resources / Water use / Groundwater management / Groundwater assessment / Groundwater recharge / Aquifers / Groundwater irrigation / Irrigation systems
Record No:H047229
Between interests and worldviews: the narrow path of the Mekong River CommissionAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Giordano, Mark; Molle, Francois
Published year: 2015.
Journal: Environment and Planning C-Government and Policy Pages: 33(1) :199-217
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Hydropower development is occurring at a rapid, though controversial, pace in the Mekong. We highlight the role of scientific assessment in shaping the Mekong hydropower debate, taking the strategic environmental assessment of the twelve planned mainstream dams as a case study. While environmental impact assessments are designed as science-based decision-making tools, they have often been criticized in practice as a political means to justify already made development decisions. In this case we demonstrate how the Mekong River Commission, operating in a constrained political environment, has instead used environmental impact assessment as a way of providing political space and opening the discussion on dams to a wider public. The main argument of this paper is that scientific assessment can be politically maneuvered to shape governance alliances at both national and transboundary levels, and to a certain extent democratize decision-making processes.
Decision making / Bureaucracy / Environmental impact assessment / Dams / Water power / Water governance / International waters / River basins
Record No:H046652
Gender relations and water management in different eco-cultural contexts in northern ThailandAuthor(s): Lebel, L.; Lebel, P.; Sriyasak, P.; Ratanawilailak, S.; Bastakoti, Ram C.; Bastakoti, G. B.
Published year: 2015.
Journal: International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology Pages: 11(3/4):228-246
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DOI This paper assessed water management by households from three ethnic groups in two contrasting ecological settings (upland and lowland) in the Upper Ping River Basin in Northern Thailand. Important gender differences in the use and management of water were identified. Women are major users of water for agriculture in the uplands, but less so in the lowlands. In the lowlands irrigation is viewed as a masculine activity. In the uplands the role of women is more widely accepted, with women frequently being members of water user groups. Men, however, dominate ‘decision-making’ positions in communitybased and state-led water organisations in both upland and lowland areas. Perceptions of contributions to daily tasks, and behavioural traits important to governance roles, differed between men and women, and sometimes also across eco-cultural contexts, underlining the complexity of factors influencing gender relations in water governance.
Culture / Economic aspects / Decision making / Farmers / River basins / Households / Ethnic groups / Urbanization / Agrarian reform / Men / s participation / Womenapos / Gender / Water shortage / Water users / Water use / Water governance / Water management
Record No:H047364
Sea level rise effects on acidic pollution in a coastal acid sulphate soil areaAuthor(s): Phong, N. D.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Tuong, T. P.; Wassmann, R.
Published year: 2014.
Pages: 8
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Bac Lieu is a coastal province the Mekong River Delta (MRD), Vietnam. Aside from salinity intrusion from the sea, the province is strongly affected by acidic pollution as 58% of the area (250,000 ha) is overlaid with acid sulphate soil (ASS). Previous studies showed that the eminent sea level rise (SLR) would influence the hydrology and salinity of the canal networks in the province. This study, using the previously validated hydraulic and water quality model VRSAP-ACIDITY (Vietnam River Systems And Plains, coupled with ACIDITY Module), aimed at quantifying impacts of different SLR scenarios (SLR = 17, 30, 50, or 75 cm) on acidic pollution in the province. Under the present sea level, widespread acidic pollution (pH lt; 5) of surface water occurred at the start of the rainy season, due to leaching of acidity from canal embankments and fields in ASS. The acceleration of SLR reduced the area of acidic polluted water. The lessening in acidic pollution was attributed to (1) SLR that raised the water level in the Mekong River, increasing the amount of fresh water flowing into the study area; and (2) the amount of water drained out of the study area increased, bringing with its acidity. It concluded that SLR has a positive effect on acidic pollution in the ASS coastal area.
Models / Canals / Deltas / Acid sulphate soils / Coastal area / Water pollution / Acidity / Salinity / Sea level
Record No:H046614
Legal mobilisation and justice: insights from the constitutional court case on international standard schools in IndonesiaAuthor(s): Rosser, A.; Curnow, Jayne
Published year: 2014.
Journal: Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology Pages: 15(4):302-318
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DOI Analysis of the role of courts in shaping access to justice in Indonesia has emphasised the role of judges and the incentives created for them by courtsapos; institutional design. Alternatively, it has focused on individual justice-seekers and their capacities to choose between alternative pathways through the legal repertoire. In this paper, we suggest that ‘support structures for legal mobilisation’ (SSLMs) have also played an important role in shaping access to justice by influencing both the potential for legal mobilisation and the type of justice sought. In making this argument, we focus on a recent Constitutional Court case on ‘international standard schools’. In this case, a group of parents were able to mobilise for legal action only because NGOs provided the required technical expertise and financial resources while the central involvement of an anti-corruption NGO in the SSLM shifted the focus from parentsapos; concerns about discrimination to corruption.
Case studies / Policy / Standards / Educational institutions / Nongovernmental organizations / State intervention / Political aspects / Courts / Constitution / Mobilization / Legal aspects
Record No:H046508
Bureaucratic reform in irrigation: a review of four case studiesAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Giordano, M.; Rap, Edwin; Wegerich, Kai
Published year: 2014.
Journal: Water Alternatives Pages: 7(3):442-463
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Poor performance of government-managed irrigation systems persists globally. This paper argues that addressing performance requires not simply more investment or different policy approaches, but reform of the bureaucracies responsible for irrigation management. Based on reform experiences in The Philippines, Mexico, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan, we argue that irrigation (policy) reform cannot be treated in isolation from the overall functioning of
Case studies / Farmers / Financing / Political aspects / Public administration / Policy / Institutional reform / Organizational development / State intervention / Irrigation systems / Irrigation management / Water management / Reform / Bureaucracy
Record No:H046526
Irrigation development in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: towards polycentric water governance?Author(s): Hoanh, Chu Thai; Suhardiman, Diana; Anh, L. T.
Published year: 2014.
Journal: International Journal of Water Governance Pages: 2:61-82
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DOI Vietnam’s irrigation development policy directions are divided between the objective to continue increasing rice production through agricultural intensification and to improve farmer’s livelihoods through crop diversification and integrated farming. While the first objective requires the construction of new large-scale irrigation system in deeply flooded area of the Vietnamese Mekong River Delta, the latter demands the modification in management of existing irrigation physical infrastructure for non-rice crops, in particular brackish aquaculture in the coastal zones. This article looks at Vietnam’s irrigation policy formulation processes in the last three and half decades in relation to the idea of polycentric governance. It discusses the current shortcomings and potential role of polycentric governance networks to capture stakeholders’ interests at multiple governance levels essential for future policy development. It partially sheds light on the dark side of water governance, bringing to light the fragmented polycentric decision-making processes in Vietnam’s irrigation development policies.
Income / Households / Flood control / Aquaculture / Farmers / Crop production / Rice / Deltas / Water resources / Water governance / Irrigation systems / Decision making / Policy making / Irrigation development
Record No:H046572
Lumped surface and sub-surface runoff for erosion modeling within a small hilly watershed in northern VietnamAuthor(s): Bui, Y. T.; Orange, D.; Visser, S. M.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Laissus, M.; Poortinga, A.; Tran, D. T.; Stroosnijder, L.
Published year: 2014.
Journal: Hydrological Processes Pages: 28(6):2961-2974
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DOI Developing models to predict on-site soil erosion and off-site sediment transport at the agricultural watershed scale represent an ongoing challenge in research today. This study attempts to simulate the daily discharge and sediment loss using a distributed model that combines surface and sub-surface runoffs in a small hilly watershed (lt; 1km2). The semi-quantitative model, Predict and Localize Erosion and Runoff (PLER), integrates theManning–Strickler equation to simulate runoff and the Griffith University Erosion System Template equation to simulate soil detachment, sediment storage and soil loss based on a map resolution of 30m 30m and over a daily time interval. By using a basic input data set and only two calibration coefficients based, respectively, on water velocity and soil detachment, the PLER model is easily applicable to different agricultural scenarios. The results indicate appropriate model performance and a high correlation between measured and predicted data with both Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (Ef) and correlation coefficient (r2) having valuesgt;0.9. With the simple input data needs, PLER model is a useful tool for daily runoff and soil erosion modeling in small hilly watersheds in humid tropical areas.
Calibration / Models / Soil loss / Sediment / Sloping land / Land use / Erosion / Runoff / Rain / Watersheds
Record No:H046040
Climate risks and adaptation strategies in the Lower Mekong River BasinAuthor(s): Bastakoti, Ram C.; Gupta, J.; Babel, M. S.; van Dijk, M. P.
Published year: 2014.
Journal: Regional Environmental Change Pages: 14(1):207-219
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DOI This paper examines perceived climate risks, their impacts, and existing adaptation practices at the local level, including the role of local institutions. The analysis focuses on two selected areas in Vietnam and Thailand. The paper is based on the information collected through key informant interviews at provincial and district level, focus group discussions at village level, and household survey. Several adaptation practices exist at local level to deal with the perceived risks of drought, floods, and salinity intrusion. Most of the adaptation practices were autonomous focusing on coping with short-term risks rather than structural longterm climate risks. Some adaptation practices, such as crop insurance and regulatory measures included in the literature and practiced in other places, did not exist at local level in the case study countries, but some local practices such as farmers’ annual fair could be an important addition to the inventory of potential adaptation measures. Local institutions have facilitated adaptation in different ways. They (1) lead and support unique adaptation practices suitable to the local context; (2) act as a catalyst to help people to adapt some practices by providing technical and material support; and (3) act as the bridge between local people and the governmental and non-governmental agencies. But several factors constrain the effectiveness of locally practiced adaptation measures. Thus, to enhance the adaptive capacity of households and the local community, it is necessary to: (1) improve the technical capacity of farmers; (2) create effective mechanisms for strengthening, promoting, and disseminating locally initiated efforts; (3) subsidize and improve access to credit services; (4) improve links between production and markets; and (5) establish effective mechanisms for coordination.
Surveys / Households / Policy / Farmers / Government agencies / Institutions / River basins / Adaptation / Salinity / Flooding / Drought / Risks / Climate change
Record No:H045914
Effective management for acidic pollution in the canal network of the Mekong Delta of Vietnam: a modeling approachAuthor(s): Phong, N. D.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Tuong, T. P.; Malano, H.
Published year: 2014.
Journal: Journal of Environmental Management Pages: 140:14-25
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DOI Acidic pollution can cause severe environmental consequences annually in coastal areas overlain with acid sulfate soils (ASS). A water quality model was used as an analytical tool for exploring the effects of water management options and other interventions on acidic pollution and salinity in Bac Lieu, a coastal province of the Mekong Delta. Fifty eight percent of the provincial area is covered by ASS, and more than three-fourths (approximately 175,000 ha) are used for brackish-water shrimp culture. Simulations of acid water propagation in the canal network indicate that the combination of opening the two main sluices along the East Sea of the study area at high tide for one day every week in May and June and widening the canals that connect these sluices to the West Sea allows for adequate saline water intake and minimizes the acidic pollution in the study area. On the other hand, canal dredging in the freshwater ASS area should be done properly as it can create severe acidic pollution.
Shrimp culture / Tides / Coastal area / Models / Water quality / Water management / Canals / Salinity / Deltas / Water pollution / Acidity
Record No:H046405
Climate risks, regional integration and sustainability in the Mekong regionAuthor(s): Lebel, L.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Krittasudthacheewa, C.; Daniel, R.
Published year: 2014.
Publisher(s): Petaling Jaya, Malaysia: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre (SIRDC); Stockholm, Sweden: Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
Pages: 405
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Case studies / Farmers / Sugar / Rice / Farming / Flooding / GIS / Remote sensing / Satellites / Costs / Environmental services / Forest management / Tourism / Food security / Stakeholders / Employment / Fish industry / International waters / Emission / Greenhouse gases / Carbon dioxide / Energy consumption / Poverty / Investment / Economic development / Households / Rural areas / Living standards / Urbanization / Policy making / Ecosystem services / Sustainable development / Risks / Climate change
Record No:H046894
Games to create awareness and design policies for transboundary cooperation in river basins: lessons from the Shariva Game of the Mekong River CommissionAuthor(s): Douven, W.; Mul, Marloes L.; Son, L.; Bakker, N.; Radosevich, G.; Hendriks, A.
Published year: 2014.
Journal: Water Resources Management Pages: 28(5):1431-1447
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DOI International river basins cover a vast majority of the land surface, international cooperation is therefore important for the proper management, and to assure equitable and effective use in the basins. Key elements to improve international cooperation are common understanding of the issues in the basin, understanding upstream-downstream impacts and sharing a common vision for the future. This article focuses on the role of games in international basin cooperation to create awareness and to support policy development. The paper analysed the effects of the game in creating awareness and upgrading knowledge amongst water and related professionals and in designing procedures for cooperation in transboundary river basins. This was analysed during the implementation of the game with 28 participants from the four Lower Mekong countries. The impact on creating awareness and upgrading knowledge was evaluated through the use of questionnaires and pre- and post evaluation questions and for the design of policies, a SWOT analysis was used to evaluate the usefulness of the policies and frameworks as well as to identify possible improvements to the framework. The game implementation proved to be an appropriate tool to provide a practical way for stakeholders to become acquainted with the administrative and technical tools available in the Lower Mekong Basin. Pre- and post test shows that participants gained substantial knowledge on transboundary cooperation and use of tools. The game was part of a longer training programme addressing all the issues, however, the participants gained additional knowledge and insight by playing the game, well above what they had learned during the earlier training workshops. Playing the game proved an important aspect in training and education of such complex systems. The study also shows the role games can play in policy analysis, in particular the way the game provided insight in the design of the policy and the development of procedures, and their function to review and update policies and procedures. A number of recommendations have been made to strengthen the role in both training and education as well as in design of procedures.
Policy / Teaching methods / Technical aid / Stakeholders / International cooperation / Environmental effects / Conflict / International waters / River basins
Record No:H046357
Wetlands and peopleAuthor(s): International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Published year: 2014.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 32
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Case studies / Income / Economic aspects / Social aspects / Rice / Fish farming / Poverty / Living standards / Lakes / Deltas / Dams / River basins / Ecosystems / Natural resources management / Wetlands
Record No:H046304
Governing the ungovernable: practices and circumstances of governance in the irrigation sectorAuthor(s): Venot, J.-P.; Suhardiman, Diana
Published year: 2014.
Journal: International Journal of Water Governance Pages: 2:41-60
More... Since the early 2000s, governance has been at the core of the international water agenda. This has elicited calls for reforms in the irrigation sector, including efforts to address the problem of corruption. Nevertheless, the history of policy reform in the irrigation sector is one of repeated institutional refinements, which have hardly materialized into grounded policy measures and practices. Though international donors, policy makers, irrigation scholars and practitioners have long agreed to invest in the ‘soft issues’ of irrigation, most policy interventions have retained a focus on infrastructure-oriented development. This paper identifies decisive factors that preserve the status quo in irrigation development. We draw our analysis on empirical data from countries with a recent (Ghana, West Africa) and long (Indonesia) irrigation history. Beyond the idiosyncrasies of the two case studies that highlight that everyday practices are embedded in, and constrained by, existing institutional rules and mechanisms, but also contribute to shaping these, we make a broader theoretical point. We argue that the ‘business-as-usual’ trajectory that characterizes the irrigation sector is also rooted in the very concept of governance, which is fundamentally about “governing”, that is a practice aiming at steering people towards defined ends, and through different means such as infrastructure, management practices and policies.
Case studies / Farmers / Reservoirs / Investment / Water user associations / Water resources / Bureaucracy / Policy making / Governance / Development / Irrigation management
Record No:H046571
Environmental livelihood security in Southeast Asia and Oceania: a water-energy-food-livelihoods nexus approach for spatially assessing change. White paperAuthor(s): Biggs, E. M.; Boruff, B.; Bruce, E.; Duncan, J. M. A.; Haworth, B. J.; Duce, S.; Horsley, J.; Curnow, Jayne; Neef, A.; McNeill, K.; Pauli, N.; Van Ogtrop, F.; Imanari, Y.
Published year: 2014.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 114
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Assessment / Sustainable development / Monitoring / Natural disasters / Remote sensing / Political aspects / Institutions / Community management / Gender / Sociocultural environment / Urbanization / Demography / Farmland / Agriculture / Cyclones / Precipitation / Temperature / Climate change / Food security / Energy conservation / Water security / Living standards / Biodiversity / Ecological factors / Environmental management / Environmental sustainability
Record No:H046758
Mapping irrigated areas in the dry zone of Myanmar by differentiating evapotranspiration from irrigated and rain-fed areas [Abstract only]Author(s): Douangsavanh, Somphasith; McCartney, Matthew; Lacombe, Guillaume
Published year: 2014.
Pages: pp.179
More... In the Dry Zone of Myanmar, variability in water resources and insufficient capacity to manage that variability is one of the main causes of food insecurity. Seasonal water scarcity is widely acknowledged to be a key constraint to livelihoods and peoples’ wellbeing. This paper describes analyses conducted as a contribution to a detailed water resource assessment of the Dry Zone of Myanmar, which sought to provide information on current water availability and its use in agriculture. A key unknown is the area of dry season irrigation. The paper describes an attempt to estimate the actual area irrigated during the dry seasons (2011-2012) and to determine effective irrigation volumes by differentiating actual evapotranspiration (ET) in irrigated and rain-fed areas. The results indicate that 256,578 ha were irrigated. This contrasts with the total irrigable area of 344,257 ha as stated by the Irrigation Department (ID), the JICA estimate of 382,110 ha, and the FAO estimate of total irrigated area of 685,246 ha. ET in rain-fed and irrigated areas in conjunction with potential evapotranspiration (PET) were compared between three different areas located in the north, the center and the south of the Dry Zone. Actual water volume utilized by crops is much smaller than the volume of water diverted for irrigation, suggesting significant scope for improving irrigation efficiency.
Water availability / Water resources / Rainfed farming / Evapotranspiration / Arid zones / Irrigation efficiency / Irrigated sites
Record No:H046760
The ‘Five Million Hectare Reforestation Program’ in Vietnam: an analysis of its implementation and transaction costs: a case study in Hoa Binh provinceAuthor(s): Huong, T. T. T.; Zeller, M.; Hoanh, Chu Thai
Published year: 2014.
Journal: Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture Pages: 53(4):341-375
More... This research study uses a qualitative approach to examine the implementation of the ‘Five Million Hectare Reforestation Program’ (the 5MHRP) in Vietnam, and to explore the underlying reasons for local people’s participation in the program. The study also uses a transactional model to examine the private transaction costs borne by farmers when carrying out forest management activities under the program. The study reveals that: (i) the implementation of the program was generally characterized by a top-down process, (ii) the principal contribution to household benefits derived from forest management activities was the collection and sale of non-timber forest products, not the subsidy provided by the government, (iii) the main challenges faced during implementation of the program were the low and fixed subsidies provided, the improper types of trees being planted, poor access to the forest, and a lack of awareness among local people towards the benefits to be derived from participation in the forest management program, and that (iv) under the program’s community contracts, attending meetings (52%) and self-monitoring activities (35%) constituted the largest proportion of total time spent on forest management, while under the individual contracts, self-monitoring activities (98%) were the main component. Participating in the planting and protection of forests under the program brought greater benefits to households than when involved in forest protection activities alone. The main implications of this study are that an increase of payments under both types of contract, and especially the community contract, as well as the provision of higher quality seedlings and fertilizers, need to be taken into consideration in future initiatives. In addition, local communities and authorities should be further empowered, and their contribution should be taken into consideration in future programs.
Case studies / Natural resources management / Households / Farmers / Cost benefit analysis / Afforestation / Forest management
Record No:H046701
Benefit sharing in Mekong Region hydropower: whose benefits count?Author(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Wichelns, D.; Lebel, L.; Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali
Published year: 2014.
Journal: Water Resources and Rural Development Pages: 4:3-11
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DOI Notions of benefit sharing play an increasingly important role in shaping the debate around the merits of existing and future hydropower development in the Mekong region. In this paperwe assess how the concept of benefit sharing is articulated and applied in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. We discuss the conceptual strengths and weaknesses of benefit sharing, within the broader context of land and water resources and environmental governance. We argue that while benefit sharing provides an entry point for placing the current debate on hydropower development within the perspective of social justice, better understanding of governance structures and processes is needed. Our primary message is that innovations in policies and programs should not be analyzed in isolation from the wider governance structure, processes, and outcomes. To this end, we are pleased also to introduce this Special Issue of Water Resources and Rural Development, in which several authors analyze current benefit sharing programs in the Mekong region, with a focus on governance, process, and policy implications.
Living standards / Social aspects / Governance / Environmental impact assessment / Land resources / Water resources / Water power
Record No:H046698
Capitalist expansion and the decline of common property ecosystems in China, Vietnam and IndiaAuthor(s): Sugden, Fraser; Punch, S.
Published year: 2014.
Journal: Development and Change Pages: 45(4):656-684
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DOI This article identifies some of the multiple processes of capitalist development through which access to common property resources and their utility for communities are undermined. Three sites in upland Asia demonstrate how patterns of exclusion are mediated by the unique and selective trajectories through which capital expands, resulting in a decline of common property ecosystems. The process is mediated by economic stress, ecological degradation and political processes such as state-sanctioned enclosure. The first case study from Shaoguan, South China, indicates how rapid capitalist industrialization has depleted the aquatic resource base, undermining the livelihoods of fishing households yet to be absorbed into the urban working class. At the second site, in Phu Yen, Vietnam, capitalist development is limited. However, indirect articulations between capitalism on the lowlands and the peasant economy of the uplands is driving the commercialization of agriculture and fishing and undermining the utility of communal river and lake ecosystems. In the third site, Buxa in West Bengal, India, there is only selective capitalist development, but patterns of resource extraction established during the colonial period and contemporary neoliberal ‘conservation’ agendas have directly excluded communities from forest resources. Restrictions on access oblige them to contribute subsidized labour to local enterprises. The article thus shows how communities which are differentially integrated into the global economy are excluded from natural resources through complex means.
Industrialization / Natural resources / Income / Economic aspects / Households / Living standards / Ecosystems
Record No:H046671
Investing in water management to improve productivity of rice-based farming systems in CambodiaAuthor(s): Johnston, Robyn; de Silva, Sanjiv; Try, Thuon
Published year: 2014.
Pages: pp.116-119
Series: ACIAR Proceedings No. 142More... |
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This study reviewed trends, issues and constraints affecting investments in agricultural water management in Cambodia. Informed by a review of current programs and the literature, workshops were convened in March 2013 to explore four keys areas: investments in irrigation, local institutions for managing irrigation, use of groundwater for irrigation and impacts of intensification on rice-field fisheries. We present some conclusions and unresolved questions here to promote a more broadly based debate around irrigation policy and investment in Cambodia. Drawing on the results of these workshops, policy briefs were compiled and published in English and Khmer.
Investment / Groundwater irrigation / Productivity / Fisheries / Rice / Irrigated farming / Farming systems / Agriculture / Water management
Record No:H046812
Institutional profiles from the Tonle Sap Lake region: findings from informant interviewsAuthor(s): de Silva, Sanjiv
Published year: 2014.
Publisher(s): Penang, Malaysia: CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems
Pages: 58
Series: CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems Program Report: AAS-2014-44More... |
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Agriculture / Economic aspects / Political aspects / Natural resources management / Collective action / Living standards / Flooding / Villages / Water scarcity / Water management / Water resources / Fisheries / Lakes / River basins / Water resources / Corporate culture
Record No:H046808
From research outputs to development outcomes: selected storiesAuthor(s): Clayton, Terry; Victor, Michael
Published year: 2014.
Pages: pp.178-199
Series: Earthscan Studies in Water Resource ManagementMore...
Fisheries / Farmers / Multiple use / Water governance / River basins / Floodplains / Models / Public health / Living standards / Sustainability / Resource management / Community development / Environmental services / Investment / Research policy
Record No:H046788
Earth observation technologies for flood-risk mapping, modeling and management. Training manual prepared for Capacity Building Workshop on Earth Observation Technologies for Flood-risk mapping, Modeling and Management, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 18-21 November 2014Author(s): Amarnath, Giriraj; Inada, Yoshiaki; Ghosh, Surajit; Yakob, Umer; Alahacoon, Niranga; Kota, Harada; Inoue, Ryosuke; Schlaffer, S.
Published year: 2014.
Publisher(s): Peradeniya, Sri Lanka: University of Peradeniya. Postgraduate Institute of Science
Pages: 170
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Training materials / Case studies / Hydraulics / Impact assessment / Climate change / Runoff / Rain / Capacity building / Models / Risk management / Flood control / Early warning systems / Radar satellite / Satellite imagery / Earth observation satellites
Record No:H046777
Identifying priority investments in water in Myanmar’s dry zone: final report for component 3. [Project report of the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) Dry Zone Program]Author(s): Johnston, Robyn; Rajah, Ameer; Balasubramanya, Soumya; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Lacombe, Guillaume; McCartney, Matthew; Pavelic, Paul; Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali; Sotoukee, Touleelor; Suhardiman, Diana; Joffre, O.
Published year: 2013.
Publisher(s): Vientiane, Laos: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 53
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Social aspects / Irrigated farming / Rainfed farming / Farmland / Food security / Watershed management / Wells / Dams / Reservoirs / Water storage / Water harvesting / Rainwater / Supplemental irrigation / Groundwater irrigation / Irrigation schemes / Irrigation systems / Agroecosystems / Arid zones / Living standards / Investment / Research projects / Water supply / Water management / Water resources development
Record No:H046135
Community survey on water access, availability and management issues in the dry zone of Myanmar: final report for component 2. [Project report of the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) Dry Zone Program]Author(s): Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali; Joffre, O.; Suhardiman, Diana; Balasubramanya, Soumya; Pavelic, Paul; Htut, U. Y. T.; McCartney, Matthew; Johnston, Robyn
Published year: 2013.
Publisher(s): Vientiane, Laos: International Water Management Institute (IWMI); Yangon, Myanmar: Myanmar Marketing Research and Development (MMRD)
Pages: 74
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Income / Investment / Research projects / Institutions / Food security / Crops / Rainfed farming / Irrigated farming / Water user associations / Water use / Water allocation / Water quality / Groundwater resources / Groundwater irrigation / Livestock / Income / Rain / Weather hazards / Climate change / Villages / Surveys / Arid zones / Water availability / Water resources / Water management
Record No:H046134
Water resources assessment of the dry zone of Myanmar: final report for component 1. [Project report of the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) Dry Zone Program]Author(s): McCartney, Matthew; Pavelic, Paul; Lacombe, Guillaume; Latt, K.; Zan, A. K.; Thein, K.; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Balasubramanya, Soumya; Rajah, Ameer; Myint, A.; Cho, C.; Johnston, Robyn; Sotoukee, Touleelor
Published year: 2013.
Publisher(s): Vientiane, Laos: International Water Management Institute (IWMI); Yangon, Myanmar: National Engineering and Planning Services (EPS)
Pages: 52
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Research projects / Geology / Data / Rain / Living standards / Food security / Arid zones / Assessment / Irrigation schemes / Water supply / Evapotranspiration / Aquifers / Reservoirs / Water storage / Water quality / Groundwater recharge / Groundwater resources / Runoff / Flow discharge / Water use / Surface water / Water resources
Record No:H046133
Spatial modelling for nitrogen leaching from intensive farming in Red River Delta of VietnamAuthor(s): Mai, V. T.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Van Keulen, H.; Hessel, R.
Published year: 2013.
Journal: Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution Pages: 10(3):51-61
More... In this study, a spatial dynamic model was developed, to simulate nitrogen dynamics in Van Hoi commune, Tam Duong district, Vietnam, for different soil and land use types, under different irrigation and fertilizer regimes. The model has been calibrated using measured nitrogen concentrations in soil solution in March and August 2004 and validated for data from March and August 2005. Lateral flow was low in this level area. Percolation was the main process leading to high nitrogen leaching losses to ground water. Calculated annual leaching losses varied from 88 to 122 kg N ha–1 in flowers, 64 to 82 in vegetables of the cabbage group, 51 to 76 in chili, 56 to 75 in vegetables of the squash group, and 36 to 55 in rice.
Calibration / Models / Weather / Fertilizers / Crop production / Vegetables / Soil water content / Land use / Irrigation / Deltas / Rivers / Leaching / Nitrogen / Intensive farming
Record No:H046039
Payments for ecosystem services in Vietnam: market-based incentives or state control of resources?Author(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Wichelns, D.; Lestrelin, G.; Hoanh, Chu Thai
Published year: 2013.
Journal: Ecosystem Services Pages: 5:e94-e101
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DOI Payments for ecosystem services often are viewed as an innovative approach toward improving natural resource management, while also providing opportunities for enhancing incomes and livelihoods. Yet not all PES programs are designed and implemented in ways that reflect voluntary transactions between buyers and providers of well-defined, measurable ecosystem services. When third-party interests, such as donors or governments, design PES programs to achieve goals that lie outside the conceptual scope of payments for ecosystem services, the improvements in resource management and enhancements in livelihoods can fall short of expectations. We examine this potential dissonance in PES program implementation, taking the case of PES in the forestry sector in Vietnam. We question whether PES in Vietnam has the potential to enhance forest protection and watershed management. We highlight the importance of institutions and governance (i.e., the policies, rules, and regulations) in determining program significance and we illustrate how PES programs are implemented as part of the governmentapos;s subsidy scheme. We conclude that in the absence of a competitive market structure and appropriate regulations, governments can reshape PES programs to function primarily as tools for strengthening state control over natural resources.
Households / Case studies / Policy / Forest protection / Watershed management / Ecosystems / Natural resources management
Record No:H045911
Economic valuation of organic and clay-based soil amendments in small-scale agriculture in Lao PDRAuthor(s): Mekuria, Wolde; Getnet, Kindie; Noble, Andrew; Hoanh, Chu Thai; McCartney, Matthew; Langan, Simon
Published year: 2013.
Journal: Field Crops Research Pages: 149(1):379-389
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DOI At a farm level, economic returns are the single most important attributes that drive farmers to adopt agricultural technologies. This study was carried out at the Naphok and Veunkham villages, Lao PDR,to evaluate the yield response of a maize mono-cropping system to soil amendments and analyze the economic return of such interventions. The amendments were rice husk biochar, bentonite clay, compost, clay-manure compost, and rice husk biochar compost, in isolation and in various combinations. Over a period of two cropping seasons (2011–2012),the enhancement of maize yield due to soil amendments ranged from0.77 to 3.79tha-1 at Naphok and from 1.21 to 5.14tha-1 at Veunkham, resulting in net revenues ranging from -794 to 841 and -331 to 1391 US$ha-1 , respectively. Soils amended with low-cost amendments such as compost, rice husk biochar, rice husk biochar compost, and clay-manure compost were economically viable within the first cropping season. In contrast, soils amended with higher-cost amendments such as bentonite clay requires up to five years to be economically viable. Such variations indicate that taking into account maize yield revenues only does not provide sufficient incentives to farmers to adopt higher-cost soil amendments conclude that there is a possibility to sustainably increase agricultural productivity and improve the income of smallholders using locally available low-cost soil amendments. Our findings provide important information for decision makers to promote the adoption of low-cost soil amendments, and,thereby,to contribute to productivity growth and food security through sustainable intensification.
Cost benefit analysis / Sensitivity analysis / Rain / Maize / Seasonality / Crop yield / Farming systems / Farmers / Smallholders / Economic value / Soil amendments
Record No:H045994
Impact of sea level rise on submergence, salinity and agricultural production in a coastal province of the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam [Abstract only]Author(s): Phong, N.; Ngoc, N. V.; Tho, T. Q.; Dong, T. D.; Tuong, T. P.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Hien, N. X.; Khoi, N. H.
Published year: 2013.
Pages: 1
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Deltas / Rivers / Coastal area / Agricultural production / Submergence / Salinity / Sea level / Water management
Record No:H045825
Impact of climate change on rainfed rice and options for adaptation in the lower Mekong BasinAuthor(s): Mainuddin, M.; Kirby, M.; Hoanh, Chu Thai
Published year: 2013.
Journal: Natural Hazards Pages: 66(2):905-938
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DOI We assessed the potential impact of climate change on the yield of rainfed rice in the lower Mekong Basin and evaluated some adaptation options, using a crop growth simulation model. Future climate projections are based on IPCC SRES A2 and B2 scenarios as simulated by ECHAM4 global climate model downscaled for the Mekong Basin using the PRECIS system. We divided the basin into 14 agro-climatic zones and selected a subcatchment within each zone for the model and assessed the impact for the period of 2010–2030 and 2030–2050. In general, the results suggest that yield of rainfed rice may increase significantly in the upper part of the basin in Laos and Thailand and may decrease in the lower part of the basin in Cambodia and Vietnam. The increase is higher during 2030–2050 compared to the period of 2010–2030 for A2 scenario. For B2 scenario, yield increase is higher during 2010–2030. The impact is mainly due to the change in rainfall and CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. We have tested widely used adaptation options such as changing planting date, supplementary irrigation, and reduction in fertility stress and found that negative impact on yield can be offset and net increase in yield can be achieved.
Temperature / Evapotranspiration / Rain / Supplemental irrigation / Calibration / Simulation models / River basins / Food security / Fertilizers / Growing period / Yields / Rice / Rainfed farming / Adaptation / Climate change
Record No:H045716
The Role of state forest enterprises on benefit sharing through payments for environmental services in Vietnam: a paradigm shift. [Abstract only]Author(s): Milan, Florence; Huong, T. T. T.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Phuong, N. D.
Published year: 2013.
Pages: pp.195
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One challenge to overcome in implementing payment for environmental services (PES) in Vietnam is the high transaction cost associated with many contracts with small scale ecosystem service providers. In order to promote pro-poor PES, it is necessary to identify institutional options that reduce transaction costs and organizational problems. State Forest Enterprises (SFEs) play an important role in the forestry sector and the livelihoods of many rural poor in the country. The government of Vietnam has issued Decree 200 in December 2004 to develop provincial SFE reform plans. SFEs were given much greater autonomy and the government expected an increase in land managed directly by households (and possibly communities) under district level administration rather than the provincial level aimed at improving economic and social opportunities in the locality of SFEs. The main challenges to implement the reform were availability of government funds and availability of loans for SFEs (EASRD, 2005). The Development Assistant Fund recently increased interest rates and introduced more stringent lending criteria making access to financing difficult for SFEs. By linking available revenue sharing funds from hydropower dam projects to SFEs, these SFEs may be able to expand and implement PES programs cost-effectively. Therefore, we are looking into the policy and legal framework of SFEs in Vietnam as well as its operational procedures to look into potential application of benefit sharing through PES. The study undertakes three stages: First, a review on policy and legal frameworks of SFEs enables us to determine if the system is conducive to managing benefit sharing of hydropower dam projects. Second, on-going SFE models in Vietnam are reviewed and evaluated in terms of benefit sharing applicability within the hydropower dam context. Finally, empirical data from Tu Ly SFE is analysed to draw on a mechanism of benefit sharing through PES. Households who participated in the loan program of the Tu Ly SFE are interviewed to elicit information on household characteristics, cost and benefits of joining the Tu Ly SFE loan program, and their loan use. In addition, individuals paid by the Tu Ly SFE to plant and manage the forest are interviewed. Finally, the study presents a framework of benefit sharing of hydropower dam projects through payments for environmental services managed by SFEs developed from the above analysis with an assessment of advantages and challenges in its implementation.
Households / Dams / Water power / Costs / Benefits / Environmental services / Forests
Record No:H045755
Hydropower and irrigation development: implications for water resources in the Nam Ngum River of the Mekong Basin. [Abstract only]Author(s): Lacombe, Guillaume; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Baker, J.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Bartlett, R.; Phongpachith, C.; Jeuland, M.
Published year: 2013.
Pages: pp.176
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To meet rising demands for food and energy, the number of hydropower dams is growing rapidly and irrigation schemes will likely expand, in the Mekong Basin. The cumulative hydrological effect of planned water resources development has previously been assessed at the Mekong Basin scale. This paper analyzes how water control structures modify the balance between water demand and water supply along the Nam Ngum River, a Mekong tributary in Lao PDR. The Nam Ngum Basin, already containing both irrigation schemes and hydropower dams, has the potential for significantly enlarged river-fed irrigation, as well as additional upstream hydropower dams. We analyzed flow data recorded since 1962, in combination with a reservoir system optimization model, to assess changes in monthly river flows induced by existing and planned hydropower dams. Current and potential irrigation water demands were assessed from satellite images, cropping calendars and simple crop water balance. Our results indicate that, by the 2030s, if eight hydropower dams are completed in the Nam Ngum Basin, dry season river flow could increase by more than 200% and wet season flows could decrease by 20%. In the absence of dam storage, current irrigation water demand would compete with minimum environmental flow requirements during dry years. In contrast, full hydropower development allows current irrigation water demand to triple, to reach the potential levels of development, whilst maintaining environmental flows. The contribution of the Nam Ngum Basin to the Mekong River flow at Kratie, a few hundreds kilometers upstream of the Tonle Sap Lake, has changed from 5 to 15% in April, since hydropower dams started developing in the Mekong Basin, suggesting that the effect of water control development in the Nam Ngum Basin impacts water resources further downstream. Beyond the effects on water resources, there are a number of other impacts on fisheries, sediment, biodiversity, ecosystems, and population resettlement that should be considered in order to better understand the environmental and socioeconomic costs and benefits of these hydropower dams.
Water demand / Irrigation water / River basins / Water resources development / Irrigation development / Dams / Water power
Record No:H045754
Analysis of trends in extreme flood events and mitigation strategies in South East Asia. [Abstract only]Author(s): Amarnath, Giriraj; Pavelic, Paul; Smakhtin, Vladimir
Published year: 2013.
Pages: pp.46
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Floods are one of the most frequent and widespread natural hazards in the world. A recent example is the 2011 floods in three of the four Lower Mekong Basin Countries (Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam) that caused severe impacts in terms of loss of life and damage to infrastructure. Several studies have highlighted the increasing importance of developing spatio-temporal flood hazard databases to understand flood dynamics more systematically at a range of spatial scales within South East Asia (SEA). This study is proceeding on two distinct fronts: the first focusses on ranking and prioritization of impacts across SEA, whilst the other examines an approach to flood monitoring that evaluates the feasibility of implementing possible mitigation strategies that still provide for the degree of flow variability needed to maintain ecosystems. Firstly, long-term time-series data from multiple sources (e.g. EM-DAT, DFO, Sentinel Asia) was used in identifying flood hotspots including their frequency, intensity/severity and societal impacts. This will also help in evaluating and improving hydrological modeling predictions and provide better information for more effective flood hazard, flood risk and preparedness studies. Flood hotspots were further investigated taking into account of agricultural extent loss, populations at risk and economic loss. The results from the hotspot analysis suggest more climate risk investments are needed to minimize risk and are likely to have the biggest payoff in terms of reduced losses. The nature of those investments and the associated cost-benefits are being revealed. Secondly, a new approach is being developed for flood monitoring from time-series MODIS data acquired from 2000 to 2012. This approach will help in identifying basin to regional-scale temporal changes in inundated area; duration of inundation cycles between large-medium-small scale floods. Thus satellite-based mapping of flood risks areas will help in identifying prospective areas for floodwater harvesting in the upstream areas to reduce negative impacts downstream.
Investment / Models / Monitoring / Flooding / Natural disasters
Record No:H045752
Hydropower development impact on household livelihood and economy: a case study in Laos. [Abstract only]Author(s): Milan, Florence; Keophoxay, Anousith; Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali
Published year: 2013.
Pages: pp.34
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The growing regional demand for electricity in Southeast Asia has made Laos a key player in hydropower development since the 1990s. The country’s rivers contribute around 35% of the Mekong’s flow and have been estimated to have 18,000 MW of exploitable hydropower potential (International Rivers, 2008). While the projects provide revenue for the government of Laos from electricity exports to neighboring countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and China, the hydro boom has not necessarily been good news for Lao villagers affected by these dam constructions. Among others, displacement, land shortages, lack of livelihood opportunities, fisheries losses, flooding and erosion are the main negative impacts that Lao villagers reported in past studies. Thus far, little attention has been given to the impact of hydropower dam constructions on the changes of livelihood activities of affected households. This study contributes to filling this gap by looking into the livelihood changes of villagers residing upstream and downstream of the Nam Gnouang Dam in Laos. After several focus group discussions in the study site, an in-depth livelihood survey was conducted in 2011 covering 110 households living upstream of the Nam Gnouang Dam project and 100 households living immediately below the dam (headpond). Based on households’ perceptions, we identify what households considered to be the major positive and negative impacts to their livelihoods brought about by the hydropower development. Using logit/probit regression analysis, we further determine the factors that bring negative or positive changes in the livelihoods of the affected households. A comparative analysis of the effects of the two areas, upstream and headpond, is tested. It is important to investigate the different facets of impact from hydropower dam constructions on affected households. Negative or positive changes in the livelihoods of affected households may depend on the household composition and past livelihood activities. Location of the resettlements may also be an important factor. By taking into account these different factors, we will contribute to the existing literature on hydropower dam interventions. Enhanced, improved or alternative livelihood options with strong adoption potential may well be identified by looking into the determinants of the impact of hydropower dam projects.
Case studies / Economic aspects / Living standards / Households / Dams / Water power
Record No:H045751
Payments of ecosystem services in Vietnam: market-based incentives or state control of resources. [Abstract only]Author(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Wichelns, D.; Lestrelin, G.
Published year: 2013.
Pages: pp.32
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We question whether payments for ecosystem services (PES) programs have the potential to enhance natural resource management in Vietnam, where the state essentially designs and implements the programs. In such settings, the welfare gains achieved through PES programs will be determined by how the state incorporates the programs into national development strategies and aligns them with other land use and environmental policies. We consider also whether PES programs can be relied on to reduce poverty and enhance livelihoods, either alone or in combination with other policy interventions. To these ends, we trace the development of PES programs within the context of forest conservation policies and in relation to watershed management. Taking Vietnam as our case study, we illustrate how PES programs are implemented within the context of a monopsonistic, non-competitive market. We conclude that in the absence of a competitive market structure and with appropriate regulations governments can reshape PES programs so that they function primarily as tools for strengthening state control over natural resources.
Development projects / Poverty / Policy / Natural resources management / Ecosystem services
Record No:H045750
Flow alterations caused by hydropower projects in two Mekong tributary basins: the livelihood implications. [Abstract only]Author(s): Hecht, J.; McCartney, Matthew; Lacombe, Guillaume; Vogel, R.
Published year: 2013.
Pages: pp.17
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There is increasing concern over projected changes in the magnitude and timing of streamflow due to the construction of hydropower dams in the Mekong basin and elsewhere. We compare a suite of indicators for their ability to reflect changes from pre-dam flow regimes. Using two case studies, we illustrate the differences in hydrologic alteration that take place downstream of dams that are used for (i) in-stream power production (Nam Ngum 1 Dam) and (ii) diverting water to off-stream production sites (Nam Theun-Hinboun Project). We show that dams for in-stream power production reduce wet season flows, increase dry season flows and attenuate both high- and low-flow extremes. In contrast, dams constructed for off-stream power production mildly reduce flood peaks when diversions are possible during extreme high flow conditions while dry season streamflow declines sharply due to the priority placed on hydropower production. Our analysis summarizes the effects of dams on the frequency, duration, timing and rates of change of discharge at sites downstream of dams. We then review the relevance of metrics of hydrologic alteration for assessing impacts of hydropower dams on livelihoods dependent upon the natural variability of the flow regime in monsoonal climate zones.
Living standards / Case studies / Flow discharge / River basins / Dams / Energy generation / Water power
Record No:H045746
The power to resist: irrigation management transfer in IndonesiaAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana
Published year: 2013.
Journal: Water Alternatives Pages: 6(1):25-41
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In the last two decades, international donors have promoted Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT) as an international remedy to management problems in government irrigation systems in many developing countries. This article analyses the political processes that shape IMT policy formulation and implementation in Indonesia. It links IMT with the issue of bureaucratic reform and argues that its potential to address current problems in government irrigation systems cannot be achieved if the irrigation agency is not convinced about the need for management transfer. IMT’s significance cannot be measured only through IMT outcomes and impacts, without linking these with how the irrigation agency perceives the idea of management transfer in the first place, how this perception (re)defines the agency’s position in IMT, and how it shapes the agency’s action and strategy in the policy formulation and implementation. I illustrate how the irrigation agency contested the idea of management transfer by referring to IMT policy adoption in 1987 and its renewal in 1999. The article concludes that for management transfer to be meaningful it is pertinent that the issue of bureaucratic reform is incorporated into current policy discussions.
Water user associations / Policy / Water law / Water management / Irrigation systems / Bureaucracy / Privatization / Irrigation management
Record No:H045630
Conceptualising context in institutional reforms of land and natural resource management: the case of VietnamAuthor(s): Clement, Floriane; Amezaga, J. M.
Published year: 2013.
Journal: International Journal of the Commons Pages: 7(1):140-163
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Download Research and policy debates over natural resource management in developing countries have largely focused on identifying the set of institutions that best supports resource sustainability and poverty alleviation. We argue that beyond finding the right institutional fit for a social-ecological system, it is equally important to understand how context affects the design and outcomes of institutional reforms. We propose a refined conceptualisation of context, based on a revision of the Institutional Analysis and Development framework. We defend a systematic analysis of context, distinguishing between contextual factors affecting the fitness to local socio-ecological conditions and contextual factors that mobilise power such as political-economic interests and prevailing discourses. We illustrate our argument with empirical research on land-tenure reforms that have been implemented since the 1980s in northern Vietnam. The proposed analytical framework and conceptualisation of context allows a more pervasive understanding of contextual factors, enabling the incorporation of the forms of power that give meaning and legitimacy to institutional change.
Poverty / Forestry / Households / Institutions / Case studies / Natural resources management / Land reform / Land management
Record No:H045705
Rice and fish: impacts of intensification of rice cultivationAuthor(s): de Silva, Sanjiv; Johnston, Robyn; Try, T.
Published year: 2013.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management institute (IWMI)
Pages: 8
Series: IWMI-ACIAR Investing in Water Management to Improve Productivity of Rice-based Farming Systems in Cambodia Project. Issue Brief 4More... |
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Reservoir operation / Wet season / Farmers / Pesticides / Intensification / Fisheries / Aquaculture / Cultivation / Rice / Crop production
Record No:H047422
Groundwater for irrigation in CambodiaAuthor(s): Johnston, Robyn; Roberts, M.; Try, T.; de Silva, Sanjiv
Published year: 2013.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management institute (IWMI)
Pages: 13
Series: IWMI-ACIAR Investing in Water Management to Improve Productivity of Rice-based Farming Systems in Cambodia Project. Issue Brief 3More... |
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Hydrogeology / Pumping / Agriculture / Domestic water / Water quality / Water availability / Water supply / Water use / Groundwater irrigation
Record No:H047421
Local institutions for irrigated agriculture in CambodiaAuthor(s): de Silva, Sanjiv; Johnston, Robyn; Try, T.
Published year: 2013.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management institute (IWMI)
Pages: 12
Series: IWMI-ACIAR Investing in Water Management to Improve Productivity of Rice-based Farming Systems in Cambodia Project. Issue Brief 2More... |
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Private sector / Water productivity / Water supply / Water governance / Water users / Groundwater / Farmer participation / Local organizations / Agriculture / Irrigation management / Irrigated farming
Record No:H047420
Agricultural water management planning in CambodiaAuthor(s): Johnston, Robyn; Try, T.; de Silva, Sanjiv
Published year: 2013.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management institute (IWMI)
Pages: 12
Series: IWMI-ACIAR Investing in Water Management to Improve Productivity of Rice-based Farming Systems in Cambodia Project. Issue Brief 1More... |
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Pumping / Investment planning / Farmers / Poverty / Rice / Food security / Wet season / Dry season / Supplemental irrigation / Economic development / Water management / Agriculture
Record No:H047419
Constraints on agricultural production in the northern uplands of VietnamAuthor(s): Yen, B. T.; Visser, S. M.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Stroosnijder, L.
Published year: 2013.
Journal: Mountain Research and Development Pages: 33(4):404-415
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The Northern Uplands of Vietnam form one of the largest ecological regions in the country, characterized by complex biophysical conditions and a high diversity in ethnic minorities, cultures, and farming systems. The Doi moi (“renovation”) program has, since the early 1980s, resulted in significant changes in agriculture production and related economic trends. However, poverty, low agricultural productivity, and land degradation are still major problems. This article illustrates the factors that drive these problems by analyzing agricultural land use in Suoi Con, a small agroforestry watershed in the Northern Uplands. We first identified the current land-use systems and analyzed constraints on agricultural production. The results indicate that although low soil fertility and land degradation are considerable problems, availability of household capital, low technology levels, and land fragmentation are major constraints on agricultural development. These constraints were analyzed from different points of view to identify mismatches between the implementation of top-down government policies and specific conditions that may explain why actual land-use change in the Northern Uplands deviates from the governmentapos;s development plans. Results of land-use analysis in the Suoi Con watershed suggest that participatory and bottom-up approaches are needed to better understand problems and opportunities in household agricultural production in order to develop appropriate land-use plans and policies.
Crops / Farmers / Government policy / Watersheds / Soil fertility / Highlands / Land degradation / Land use / Households / Constraints / Agricultural production
Record No:H046244
Towards sustainable coffee production in Vietnam: addressing irrigation issues. Vietnam ProjectAuthor(s): Amarasinghe, Upali; Hoanh, Chu Thai; D’haeze, D.; Hung, T. Q.
Published year: 2013.
Publisher(s): Vevey, Switzerland: Nestle; Berne, Switzerland: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
Pages: 28
More... Inefficient use of groundwater perils Vietnam’s coffee production, the second largest of the world after Brazil. Unsustainable coffee production in Vietnam has both national and global ramifications. Nationally, it is so crucial that coffee is the second largest export-earning crop after rice, and the production supports livelihoods of significant rural agricultural population with small land holdings. Internationally, Vietnam’s coffee exports meet the rapidly growing demand, and account 19% of world’s coffee exports in 2010, up from only 2% in 1990. This paper examines groundwater irrigation issues that constraint sustainable coffee production in Vietnam. January to April is a crucial period of coffee crop growth: it requires irrigation, because rainfall meets only 25% of the potential crop-evapotranspiration demand. According to crop phenology, this period also requires induced water stress, because it coincides with breaking the dormancy of coffee buds and initiation of cherry development, which is crucial for higher yield. The paper recommends irrigation supply of 120 to 150 mm/ha between January and April in a year preceded by good or average rainfall respectively in November and December. This is equivalent to 456 liters/plant/round in 3 rounds/year, which is a significant reduction from the recommend level of 650 liters/plant/round. Synchronizing this irrigation supply with other inputs could increase average yield up to 4,000 kg/ha, from the present level of 2,400 kg/ha. These require experimental studies to understand the timings of irrigation rounds and other inputs, capacity building of farmers to follow the irrigation and input application schedules, and public awareness campaigns to raise the importance of improved irrigation management methods.
Surveys / Fertilizers / Income / Production costs / Water use / Farm management / Farmers / Sustainability / Groundwater irrigation / Coffee industry
Record No:H046719
Quantifying source and dynamics of acidic pollution in a coastal acid sulphate soil areaAuthor(s): Phong, N. D.; Tuong, T. P.; Phu, N. D.; Nang, N. D.; Hoanh, Chu Thai
Published year: 2013.
Journal: Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Pages: 224(11):18
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DOI The in-depth knowledge on management and reducing annual acidic pollution is important for improving the sustainable livelihood of people living in areas with acid sulphate soils (ASS). This study involved a long-term (2001–2006), large-scale canal water quality monitoring network (87 locations) and a field experiment at nine sites to quantify the dynamic variability of acidic pollution and its source in a coastal area with ASS in the Mekong River Delta of Vietnam. Widespread acidic pollution (pH lt;5) of surface water occurred at the beginning of the rainy season, while pH of the canal water remained high (7–8) at the end of the rainy season and during the dry season. The study identified canal embankment deposits, made of ASS spoils from canal dredging/excavation, as the main source of acidic pollution in the surrounding canal network. The findings suggested that there was a linkage between the amount of acidic loads into canal networks and the age of the embankment deposits. The most acute pollution (pH ~ 3) occurred in canals with sluggish tidal water flow, at 1–2 years after the deposition of excavated spoils onto the embankments in ASS. The amount of acidic loads transferred to the canal networks could be quantified from environmental parameters, including cumulative rainfall, soil type and age of embankment deposits. The study implied that dredging/excavation of canals in ASS areas must be carried out judiciously as these activities may increase the source of acidic pollution to the surrounding water bodies.
Canals / Statistical analysis / Soil properties / Acid sulphate soils / Acidity / Flow discharge / Water quality / Water management / Pollution / Environment
Record No:H046206
Work, education and out-migration among children and youth in upland Asia: changing patterns of labour and ecological knowledge in an era of globalisationAuthor(s): Punch, S.; Sugden, Fraser
Published year: 2013.
Journal: Local Environment: The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability Pages: Special Issue. 18(3):255-270
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DOI In the context of ecological and economic change, this paper identifies the impact of ongoing transformations in young peopleapos;s labour contribution in four natural resource-dependent regions in India, Vietnam and China. Childrenapos;s work is important to maximise household labour productivity, while also endowing them with the ecological knowledge necessary to sustain key productive livelihood activities. However, today, an increased emphasis on education and the out-migration of youth is reducing their labour contribution, particularly in the more economically developed case study communities in Northern Vietnam and China. While selective in its extent, these changes have increased the labour burden of older household members and women, while the economic opportunities young people aspire to following schooling or migration frequently prove elusive in a competitive liberalised economy. Another implication of young people diverting their labour and learning away from traditional natural resource-based livelihood activities is the loss of valuable ecological knowledge.
Living standards / Agriculture / Ecology / Education / Economic aspects / Women / Labour productivity / Households / Youth / Children / Globalization
Record No:H046674
Agriculture, irrigation and poverty reduction in Cambodia: policy narratives and ground realities comparedAuthor(s): de Silva, Sanjiv; Johnston, Robyn; Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali
Published year: 2013.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI); Canberra, Australia: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
Pages: 70
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Livestock / Private sector / Governance / Prices / Fertilizers / Smallholders / Institutions / Pumping / Soil quality / Geography / Hydrology / Rice / Climate change / Economic growth / Poverty / Water scarcity / Participatory approaches / Irrigation management / Irrigation schemes / Agricultural production / Agricultural development
Record No:H046294
Integrated groundwater use and management in vulnerable coastal zones of Asia-PacificAuthor(s): Villholth, Karen G.
Published year: 2013.
Pages: pp.317-342
Series: Coastal Research Library Volume 7More... Groundwater in coastal zones around the globe is a critical asset in securing water, food and general development for millions of people. Particularly, in the Asia-Pacific region, such resources are significantly depended on in rural as well as urban areas for a wide range of uses, often as the only water source, which is exemplified by small island states. Present and future stresses on these significant, but often vulnerable systems, from human development, urbanization, climate change, and extreme events call for better understanding and awareness of these resources, their protection and best management approaches. The present chapter deals with the current level of knowledge of coastal groundwater systems in continental and island settings in the Asia-Pacific, their uses, vulnerabilities and hazards from various sources. The objective of the paper is to propose through an integrated framework approach how sustainable and resilient groundwater management can be promoted and enhanced. The work is partially based on the case of the tsunami in eastern Sri Lanka and the immense challenges but also opportunities it entailed for local and higher level groundwater management.
Rural areas / Suburban areas / Wells / Aquifers / Deltas / Salt water intrusion / Coastal area / Water resources / Water quality / Water management / Water use / Groundwater
Record No:H046285
Modelling to support land and water management: experiences from the Mekong River Delta, VietnamAuthor(s): Hoanh, Chu Thai; Phong, N. D.; Trung, N. H.; Dung, L. C.; Hien, N. X.; Ngoc, N. V.; Tuong, T. P.
Published year: 2012.
Journal: Water International Pages: 37(4):408-426. (Special issue on quot;How hydrological models support informed decision making in developing countriesquot; with contributions by IWMI authors)
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DOI By comparing the successful story of a hydrodynamic model (based on its contribution to policy changes, management options and livelihood improvement) with other modelling cases in the Mekong River Delta, five success factors are identified. These are (1) simulated phenomena relevant to and understandable by policy makers; (2) response to the needs of policy setting; (3) developed and handled by national modellers with direct links to the policy process; (4) availability of input data; and (5) long application history. These success factors provide higher opportunities for engaging modelling activities with policy setting.
Aquaculture / Salinity control / Flood control / Canals / Water quality / Hydrodynamics / Policy making / Optimization / Simulation models / Deltas / Rivers / Land use / Land management / Water use / Water management
Record No:H045027
Hydrological models bring clarity and consensus to challenging policy issuesAuthor(s): Smakhtin, Vladimir; Johnston, Robyn
Published year: 2012.
Journal: Water International Pages: 37(4):357-361. (Special issue on quot;How hydrological models support informed decision making in developing countriesquot; with contributions by IWMI authors)
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DOI
Stakeholders / Models / Water policy / Water resources / Water management / Hydrology
Record No:H045024
Quantification and modelling of water flow in rain-fed paddy fields in NE Thailand: evidence of soil salinization under submerged conditions by artesian groundwaterAuthor(s): Hammecker, C.; Maeght, J.-L.; Grunberger, O.; Siltacho, S.; Srisruk, K.; Noble, Andrew
Published year: 2012.
Journal: Journal of Hydrology Pages: 456-457:68-78
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DOI Water flow and solute transport in soils forms an essential part in many groundwater hydrology studies. This is especially true for Northeast Thailand, where the agricultural land is affected by the soil salinity, which is a widespread and an increasing phenomenon affecting 25% of the agricultural land. Salinization appears as scattered discrete patches of 10–100 m2 in the lowlands, illustrated by white efflorescences during the dry season and bare soil during the cropping season. A field study was undertaken in farm plots to measure the water flow and solute transport within the soil surface and the vadose zone, both inside and outside a saline patch. The water flow was measured on the soil surface with lysimeters and infiltration rings, and was derived in the soil from the hydraulic gradients measured with tensiometers placed at different depths. The salt transport was evaluated with water traps also placed at different depths, where the soil water’s electrical conductivity was measured throughout the rainy season. Field study results demonstrated that the accumulation of saline solutions in rain fed paddy fields, occurred mainly during the rainy season while the soil surface remained flooded. During this period the saline water table rose towards the soil surface independently of infiltration into the soil. It happened in specific places where the compacted soil layer, generally ubiquitous in the area at a depth of 40–50 cm, is interrupted. Therefore salinity appeareds in discret points as patches. Artesian upward flow already described in this area (Haworth et al., 1966; Williamson et al., 1989; Imaizumi et al., 2002) is most probably responsible for this water table rise, thereby affecting crop productivity. Numerical modelling of water flow using HYDRUS-3D further supported these results and showed that managing the depth of flooding within the plot can significantly reduce the outbreak of these saline plumes.
Models / Water budget / Saline soils / Paddy fields / Rainfed farming / Soil water / Surface water / Flow discharge
Record No:H045009
Growing more food with less water: how can revitalizing Asia’s irrigation help?Author(s): Mukherji, Aditi; Facon, T.; de Fraiture, Charlotte; Molden, David; Chartres, Colin
Published year: 2012.
Journal: Water Policy Pages: 14(3):430-446
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DOI Asia accounts for 70% of the world’s irrigated area and is home to some of the oldest and largest irrigation schemes. While these irrigation schemes played an important role in ensuring food security for billions of people in the past, their current state of affairs leaves much to be desired. This paper takes forward the IWMI–FAO–ADB (Asian Development Bank) recommendation of a five pronged approach for revitalizing Asia’s irrigation and provides a region specific road map for doing this. The underlying principle of these multiple strategies is the belief that the public institutions at the heart of irrigation management in Asia need to give up comfortable rigidity and engage with individual users’ needs and the demands placed by larger societal chang.
Public-private cooperation / Irrigated farming / Water rates / Water demand / Irrigation schemes / Irrigation systems / Groundwater irrigation
Record No:H044973
Analyzing economic tradeoffs of water use in the Nam Ngum River Basin, Lao PDRAuthor(s): Bartlett, R.; Baker, J.; Lacombe, Guillaume; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Jeuland, M.
Published year: 2012.
Publisher(s): Durham, NC, USA: Duke University. Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
Pages: 37
Series: Duke Environmental Economics Working Paper SeriesMore... |
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This paper develops a hydro-economic optimization modeling framework to assess the economic consequences and potential trade-offs of various infrastructure development and policy pathways in the Nam Ngum Basin (Lao PDR). We considered whether large shifts in water resource demands in a relatively water abundant basin could induce meaningful economic trade-offs among water uses, including hydropower generation, irrigation expansion, flood control, and transboundary water transfer objectives. We constructed a series of sensitivity scenarios under dry, average, and wet hydrologic conditions with varying levels dam development, irrigated agricultural expansion, agricultural returns, flood control storage restrictions, and water diversions to Northeast Thailand. We also considered how flows into the Mekong would be affected by these collective developments. In general, results indicate that tradeoffs between hydropower production, irrigation, and flood control are modest. Hydropower and agricultural expansion are found to be complimentary under high levels of water availability, even with the most ambitious level of irrigation expansion. Allowing for flood control by maintaining reduced storage levels in the reservoir that is largest and furthest downstream on the Nam Ngum (NN1) has a minimal effect on economic output and decreases total system hydropower by less than 1%. However, economic outcomes are highly dependent on water availability and economic returns to irrigated agriculture. System hydropower was greatly reduced, and inter-basin transfer projects induced large economic costs under dry conditions. These results on seasonal impacts illustrate the importance of accounting for climate variability and potential hydrologic change in cost-benefit analysis of infrastructure projects, even in watersheds that are relatively water abundant.
Data / Models / Flood control / Irrigated farming / Irrigated sites / Dams / Water power / Energy generation / Economic development / River basins / Water use / Water management
Record No:H045852
Determining spatial and temporal patterns of submergence in rice with MODIS satellite dataAuthor(s): Chemin, Yann; Phuphak, S.; Asilo, S.; Hijmans, R. J.
Published year: 2012.
Journal: International Journal of Geoinformatics Pages: 8(2):1-12
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Rice submergence is the condition by which the water level rises above the rice crop canopy. In general, rice plant response to submergence is to elongate its shoots above the rising water level. This costs in energy and eventually has a direct impact in terms of reducing yields. A specific gene, called Sub1, when introgressed into popular rice varieties by Marker Assisted Back-crossing, nearly stops the natural elongation process and permits a given local rice variety to sustain submerged conditions for a generally recognized period of about 2 weeks. Plant breeders now look for well-identified and location-accurate submergence areas in order to disseminate such improved local rice varieties. Remote sensing is proposed to provide surface water maps at high temporal resolution, determining a percentage of occurrences of surface water for a given pixel. Occurrence is defined as the count of days of identified surface water within a given period, returned in a percentage on that period. Rice area maps and knowledge of crop calendars are proposed to add to the assessment of submergence prone areas in two study areas, the Northeastern Thailand and Nueva Ecija in North Central Philippines.
Drought / Flooding / Surface water / Satellite surveys / Remote sensing / Canopy / Crop management / Rice
Record No:H044965
Economic contribution and the potential use of wood charcoal for soil restoration: a case study of village-based charcoal production in Central LaosAuthor(s): Mekuria, Wolde; Sengtaheuanghoung, O.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Noble, A.
Published year: 2012.
Journal: International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology Pages: 19(5):415-425
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DOI Wood charcoal production provides affordable energy in many developing countries and has substantially contributed to the economy through the provision of rural incomes. In several countries, charcoal production leads to overexploitation of forests due to inefficiencies in processing. This study was undertaken in central Laos to (1) examine and document traditional charcoal production systems; (2) investigate the production capacity, recovery efficiencies and economic gains of existing traditional charcoal production methods; (3) characterize the chemical properties of wood charcoal and investigate the potential for soil restoration and (4) investigate local charcoal producers’ perception on forest degradation and their species preferences. Through a socio-economic survey, a cost-based method for economic valuation was undertaken on a range of charcoal production methods currently being used. Laboratory chemical analyses were performed on wood charcoal samples. Results indicated that the traditional mud charcoal mound was used by the majority (82%) of charcoal producers. Total charcoal production per production cycle varied between 400 (produced from 2.7 m3 of wood) and 1600 kg (produced from 18 m3 of wood), with a mean of 938 kg (120) for traditional mud charcoal mounds. The volume of the traditional mud charcoal mounds correlated positively and significantly with total charcoal production (R2 = 0.45, p = 0.03), whereas correlated negatively and significantly with the recovery efficiency (R2 = 0.58, p = 0.01). On average, the local producers receive a total net benefit of 457,272 Lao kip (USD 57.2) in 17 days. We also identified a rice husk mound method of charcoal production, which may not encourage further deforestation while producing rice husk biochar that can be used for soil restoration. Furthermore, we found that there are significant differences (p lt; 0.05) between the sampled wood charcoals in chemical properties, indicating that the potential of using wood charcoal for the restoration of degraded soils varies from charcoal to charcoal.
Income / Rural areas / Developing countries / Forestry / Water availability / Soil improvement / Energy consumption / Biomass / Profitability / Economic aspects / Chemicophysical properties / Production possibilities / Case studies / Fuelwood / Charcoal / Trees / Wood
Record No:H044884
Correlations, causes and the logic of obscuration: donor shaping of dominant narratives in Indonesia’s irrigation developmentAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana; Mollinga, P. P.
Published year: 2012.
Journal: Journal of Development Studies Pages: 48(7):1-16
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DOI This article analyses policy trends in Indonesian irrigation, particularly during the last five decades, from the perspective of dominant narratives, as authored, suggested and pushed by international donors. It argues that international donors’ adherence to ‘deferred maintenance’ as the core element of irrigation policy problem framing does not match with farmers’ and the irrigation agency staff perceptions and practices. The logic of obscuration and the discursive manoeuvers that maintain it are analysed. The article concludes that there is space for more profound conceptual contestation and for alternative actions pathways even within the ‘dominant paradigm’ to address management problems more effectively.
Farmers / Water user associations / Crop production / International cooperation / Policy / Canals / Privatization / Irrigation management
Record No:H044803
A framework for analysing transboundary water governance complexes, illustrated in the Mekong RegionAuthor(s): Dore, J.; Lebel, L.; Molle, Francois
Published year: 2012.
Journal: Journal of Hydrology Pages: 466-467:23-36
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DOI In this paper we present a framework for analysing transboundary water governance complexes, illustrated in the Mekong Region. In this region, the sharing of waters between countries adds a critical dimension to decision making about producing food and energy, maintaining vital ecosystems, and sustaining livelihoods. Hydropower, dams, diversions, expanding cities and irrigation schemes are all in the mix. The key elements of the framework are: context, drivers, arenas, tools, decisions and impacts. The use of deliberation, technical and advocacy tools is explored and normative governance improvements are suggested.
Dams / Ecosystems / Decision making / Water resources development / Impact assessment / Water governance / International waters
Record No:H045624
Remote sensing of planet earthAuthor(s): Chemin, Yann
Published year: 2012.
Publisher(s): Rijeka, Croatia: InTech
Pages: 240
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Water vapour / Environmental effects / Models / Snow cover / Tsunamis / Land use / Land classification / Land cover / Time series analysis / Analytical methods / Data / Image processing / Image analysis / Satellite imagery / Satellite surveys / Lakes / Wetlands / Monitoring / Mapping / Surface Water / Water resources / Vegetation / GIS / Remote sensing
Record No:H044692
Strategies of the poorest in local water conflict and cooperation – evidence from Vietnam, Bolivia and ZambiaAuthor(s): Funder, M.; Bustamante, R.; Cossio, V.; Huong, P. T. M.; van Koppen, Barbara; Mweemba, C.; Nyambe, I.; Phuong, L. T. T.; Skielboe, T.
Published year: 2012.
Journal: Water Alternatives Pages: 5(1): 20-36
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Media stories often speak of a future dominated by large-scale water wars. Rather less attention has been paid to the way water conflicts play out at local levels and form part of people’s everyday lives. Based on case study studies from Vietnam, Bolivia and Zambia, this paper examines the strategies of poor households in local water conflicts. It is shown how such households may not only engage actively in collaborative water management but may also apply risk aversion strategies when faced with powerful adversaries in conflict situations. It is further shown how dependency relations between poor and wealthy households can reduce the scope of action for the poor in water conflicts. As a result, poor households can be forced to abstain from defending their water resources in order to maintain socio-economic and political ties with the very same households that oppose them in water conflicts. The paper concludes by briefly discussing how the poorest can be supported in local water conflicts. This includes ensuring that alternative spaces for expressing grievances exist and are accessible; facilitating that water sharing agreements and rights are clearly stipulated and monitored; and working beyond water governance to reduce the socio-economic dependency-relations of poor households.
Natural resources management / Villages / Reservoirs / Irrigation systems / Pipes / Households / Case studies / Non governmental organizations / Cooperation / Conflicts / Water sharing / Water governance / Water resources / Poverty
Record No:H045505
Project politics, priorities and participation in rural water schemesAuthor(s): van Koppen, Barbara; Rojas, V. C.; Skielboe, T.
Published year: 2012.
Journal: Water Alternatives Pages: 5(1):37-51
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Governments, NGOs and financers invest considerable resources in rural domestic water supplies and irrigation development. However, elite capture and underuse, if not complete abandonment, are frequent. While the blame is often put on apos;corrupt, lazy and indisciplinedapos; communities, this article explores the question of how the public water sector itself contributes to this state of affairs. Four case studies, which are part of the research project Cooperation and Conflict in Local Water Governance, are examined: two domestic water supply projects (Mali, Vietnam); one participatory multiple use project (Zambia); and one large-scale irrigation project (Bolivia). It was found that accountability of water projects was upward and tended to lie in construction targets for single uses with already allocated funding. This rendered project implementers dependent upon the village elite for timely spending. Yet, the elite appeared hardly motivated to maintain communal schemes, unless they themselves benefited. The dependency of projects on the elite can be reduced by ensuring participatory and inclusive planning that meets the project’s conditions before budget allocation. Although such approaches are common outside the water sector, a barrier in the water sector is that central public funds are negotiated by each sector by profiling unique expertise and single livelihood goals, which trickle down as single use silos. The article concludes with reflections on plausible benefits of participatory multiple use services for equity and sustainability.
Case studies / Women / Canals / Pumps / Equity / Irrigation programs / Irrigation schemes / Non governmental organizations / Pipes / Multiple use / Water supply / Domestic water
Record No:H045503
Water productivity in context: the experiences of Taiwan and the Philippines over the past half-centuryAuthor(s): Barker, R.; Levine, G.
Published year: 2012.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 25
Series: IWMI Research Report 145More... |
DOI |
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As we enter an era of increasing water scarcity, there is a growing interest to find ways to capture and put water to more productive uses. Substantial increases in the productivity of water in agriculture are needed to meet the demands for food and ensure environmental security, and to satisfy the demands for non-agricultural uses. However, increasing water productivity in rice-dominated agriculture is a function of the irrigation infrastructure, advances in rice-plant breeding, and the physical, institutional and socioeconomic environments. This paper first describes the potential ways in which increased water productivity can be achieved in the context of rice production in Asia. It then illustrates the ways in which the differences in the environmental context affect the ability to increase water productivity, the approaches used and the incentives to do so. This is explained using two ‘case studies’ reflecting the experiences of Taiwan and the Philippines over the past half-century.
Land consolidation / Rice / Crops / Irrigated farming / Rotation irrigation / Irrigation systems / Irrigation development / Institutions / Participatory management / Irrigation management / Water saving / Water productivity / Water management
Record No:H045273
Balancing-out floods and droughts: opportunities to utilize floodwater harvesting and groundwater storage for agricultural development in ThailandAuthor(s): Pavelic, Paul; Srisuk, K.; Saraphirom, P.; Nadee, S.; Pholkern, K.; Chusanathas, S.; Munyou, S.; Tangsutthinon, T.; Intarasut, T.; Smakhtin, Vladimir
Published year: 2012.
Journal: Journal of Hydrology Pages: 470-471:55-64
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DOI Thailand’s naturally high seasonal endowment of water resources brings with it the regularly experienced problems associated with floods during the wet season and droughts during the dry season. Downstream-focused engineering solutions that address flooding are vital, but do not necessarily capture the potential for basin-scale improvements to water security, food production and livelihood enhancement. Managed aquifer recharge, typically applied to annual harvesting of wet season flows in dry climates, can also be applied to capture, store and recover episodic extreme flood events in humid environments. In the Chao Phraya River Basin it is estimated that surplus flows recorded downstream above a critical threshold could be harvested and recharged within the shallow alluvial aquifers in a distributed manner upstream of flood prone areas without significantly impacting existing large-medium storages or the Gulf and deltaic ecosystems. Capturing peak flows approximately 1 year in four by dedicating around 200 km2 of land to groundwater recharge would reduce the magnitude of flooding and socio-economic impacts and generate around USD 250 M/year in export earnings for smallholder rainfed farmers through dry season cash cropping without unduly compromising the demands of existing water users. It is proposed that farmers in upstream riparian zones be co-opted as flood harvesters and thus contribute to improved floodwater management through simple water management technologies that enable agricultural lands to be put to higher productive use. Local-scale site suitability and technical performance assessments along with revised governance structures would be required. It is expected that such an approach would also be applicable to other coastal-discharging basins in Thailand and potentially throughout the Asia region.
Economic analysis / Surface water / River basins / Agricultural development / Water scarcity / Aquifers / Water storage / Groundwater / Drought / Water harvesting / Flooding
Record No:H045260
Jalagelem avadanama pahatha helema. In SinhaleseAuthor(s): Chartres, Colin
Published year: 2012.
Journal: Vyaparika Handa Pages: 2(3):34-35
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User charges / Environmental services / Models / Climatic change / Disaster risk reduction / Flood control / Natural disasters
Record No:H047271
The potential role of soil-based interventions in increasing maize yield: a case study of organic and clay-based soil amendments in Central Laos. [Abstract only]Author(s): Mekuria, Wolde
Published year: 2012.
Pages: 1
More... Soil management practices that produce optimal grain yields while preserving the ecosystem services of agricultural systems are essential in the face climate variability. This study was undertaken in central Laos to investigate the impacts of organic and clay-based soil amendments, and their combination on maize yield. Structured field experiments were established at Veunkham and Naphok sites with 10 treatments each in Randomised Complete Block Design with three replications in 2011. The treatments were rice husk biochar (applied at a rate of 10 t ha-1), Bentonite (10 t ha-1), compost (4 t ha-1), claymanure compost (10 t ha-1), rice husk biochar compost (10 t ha-1), and their combinations. Significantly (p lt; 0.05) higher maize yield was detected in soils amended with organic and clay-based soil amendments when compared to untreated control. At Veunkham, differences between the control and amended soils in maize yield ranged from 1.5 to 5.8 t ha-1 whereas differences at Naphok were varied between 0.4 and 3.6 t ha-1. The sizeable differences between the control and amended soils in maize yield can be logical consequences of nutrient use efficiency and soil properties improvements resulting from organic and clay-based soil amendments. Interestingly, soils amended with rice husk biochar compost showed maize yield increase of 72 and 45% against soils amended with rice husk biochar at Veunkham and Naphok respectively. Our results demonstrated that organic and clay-based soil amendments have a significant positive effect on the improvement of maize yield and thereby contributes to the improvement of crop water productivity.
Land degradation / Climate change / Case studies / Yields / Maize / Agricultural production
Record No:H045104
Water and bioenergy – a case study from the Thai ethanol sectorAuthor(s): Amarasinghe, Upali; Damen, B.; Eriyagama, Nishadi; Soda, W.; Smakhtin, Vladimir
Published year: 2012.
Pages: pp.37-42
Series: Regional Conference for Asia and The Pacific (RAP) Publication 2012/14More... Modern bioenergy systems are attracting increasing attention from governments in Asia as a potential solution to a range of policy problems related to energy security and sustainable development. Despite growing interest in bioenergy systems, there is still a limited understanding of how their expansion could impact on natural resources such as water. This paper aims to shed some light on the relationship between modern bioenergy development and water depletion using a case study on the biofuel sector in Thailand. This case study also includes an assessment of the impact of biofuel developments on water quality in water systems proximate to bioenergy production facilities in Thailand.
Water quality / Water depletion / Water resources / Ethanol / Case studies / Biofuels / Bioenergy
Record No:H045194
Spatio-temporal patterns of rice submergence in north-eastern Thailand with TERRA-MODISAuthor(s): Chemin, Yann; Phupak, S.
Published year: 2012.
Pages: 8
More... |
Download Rice submergence is the condition by which the water level rises above the rice crop canopy. In general,rice plant response to submergence is to elongate its shoots above the rising water level. This costs in energy andeventually has a direct impact in terms of reducing yields. A specific gene, called Sub1, when introgressed intopopular rice varieties by Marker Assisted Back-crossing, nearly stops the natural elongation process and permits agiven local rice variety to sustain submerged conditions for a generally recognized period of about 2 weeks. Plantbreeders now look for well-identified and location-accurate submergence areas in order to disseminate suchimproved local rice varieties. Remote sensing is proposed to provide surface water maps at high temporalresolution, determining a percentage of occurrences of surface water for a given pixel. Occurrence is defined as thecount of days of identified surface water within a given period, returned in a percentage on that period. Rice areamaps and knowledge of crop calendars are proposed to add to the assessment of submergence prone areas in theNortheastern Thailand.
Water levels / Surface water / Remote sensing / Yields / Submergence / Rice
Record No:H045584
The International Water Management Institute’s work on climate change and possibilities for Myanmar: seeking solution for the measure of adaptation and mitigation against the impactAuthor(s): Inada, Yoshiaki
Published year: 2012.
Pages: pp.73-77
More... As water is perhaps the most important element in climate change adaption, in particular as related to agriculture, IWMI has focused considerable resources on the topic of climate change and has been at the forefront of climate change science as related to agricultural adaption in the developing world. IWMI’s climate work has been focused on 1) better information to understand the impacts of climate change on farmers, 2) understanding the range of storage options-from natural wetlands, groundwater aquifers, and ponds to large scale dams-that can help farmers adapt to changing water supply as well as extreme events, and 3) understanding how changes in water governance can increase farmer options and improve outcomes. Of particular relevance is work conducted in the Mekong Delta on issues associated with changing salinity as a consequence of sea level rise, and a recent synthesis of the relationship between climate change, water and agriculture in the Mekong sub-region. This paper will highlight how existing work can be applied to the issues of Myanmar and promising directions for future work, especially as related to the Ayeyarwady Delta.
Deltas / Saline water / Water storage / Agricultural production / Climate change / Research institutes
Record No:H045576
Water productivity responses and adaptation to climate change in the Lower Mekong BasinAuthor(s): Mainuddin, M.; Kirby, M.; Hoanh, Chu Thai
Published year: 2012.
Journal: Water International Pages: 37(1):53-74
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DOI A crop growth simulation model was used to study the impact of climate change for the period 2010–2050 on water productivity of rainfed rice. In general, the results suggest that water productivity of rainfed rice may increase significantly in the upper basin in Laos and Thailand and may decrease in the lower basin in Cambodia and Vietnam. Significant net increases in water productivity can be achieved by applying simple adaptation options such as shifting the planting dates, applying supplementary irrigation, and increasing fertilizer inputs.
Simulation models / Food security / Yields / Rice / Rain / Rainfed farming / River basins / Evapotranspiration / Adaptation / Climate change / Water productivity
Record No:H044678
Multi-year variability or unidirectional trends?: mapping long-term precipitation and temperature changes in continental Southeast Asia using PRECIS regional climate modelAuthor(s): Lacombe, Guillaume; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Smakhtin, Vladimir
Published year: 2012.
Journal: Climatic Change Pages: 113(2):285-299
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DOI The subject of change detection in climate time series has recently received greater interest as the perception of a human-induced change in the climate is now widely accepted. However, changes in regional precipitation and temperature remain uncertain. This study characterizes projected fine-scale changes in precipitation and temperature in continental Southeast Asia over the period 1960–2049. Twenty four annual variables were derived from grid-based daily precipitation and temperature produced by the PRECIS regional climate model under A2 and B2 scenarios. These time series, capturing precipitation intensities (classified as low, medium and high), seasonality and extremes in precipitation and temperature, were subjected to the modified Mann-Kendall trend detection test accounting for long-term persistence. The results indicate that temperature increases over the whole region with steeper trends in higher latitudes. Increases in annual precipitation, mainly restricted to Myanmar and the Gulf of Thailand, result from increases in high precipitation during the wet season. Decreases are observed mainly over the sea and caused by a reduction of low precipitation. Changes in the occurrence of the monsoon affect the low-latitude sea areas only. By showing that significant precipitation change are minor over land areas, these results challenge most of the previous studies that suggested significant precipitation changes over Southeast Asia, often mixing up multi-decadal variability and long-term unidirectional trends. Significant changes in precipitation and temperature may induce higher agricultural yields as steepest temperature and precipitation increases will predominantly affect the coldest and driest land areas of the region.
Rain / River basins / Models / Precipitation / Temperature / Climate change
Record No:H044657
From local watershed management to integrated river basin management at national and transboundary levels. [Technical report]Author(s): Bach, H.; Clausen, T. J.; Trang, D. T.; Emerton, L.; Facon, T.; Hofer, T.; Lazarus, K.; Muziol, C.; Noble, Andrew; Schill, P.; Sisouvanh, A.; Wensley, C.; Whiting, L.
Published year: 2011.
Publisher(s): Vientiane, Laos: Mekong River Commission
Pages: 42
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Financing / Economic aspects / Institutions / River basin management / Watershed management
Record No:H044160
Implementing integrated river basin management in the Red River Basin, Vietnam: a solution looking for a problem?Author(s): Molle, F.; Hoanh, Chu Thai
Published year: 2011.
Journal: Water Policy Pages: 13(4):518-534
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DOI Several water policy principles considered to be modern and internationally sanctioned have recently been adopted by Vietnam. This article focuses on the establishment of the Red River Basin Organization but expands its analysis to the wider transformations of the water sector that impinge on the formation and effectiveness of this organization. It shows that the promotion of integrated water resource management icons such as river basin organizations (RBOs) by donors has been quite disconnected from existing institutional frameworks. If policy reforms promoted by donors and development banks have triggered changes, these changes may have come not as a result of the reforms themselves but, rather, due to the institutional confusion they have created when confronted with the emergence of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE). For the MoNRE, the river basin scale became crucial for grounding its legitimacy and asserting its role among the established layers of the administration, while for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, RBOs became a focal point where power over financial resources and political power might potentially be relocated at its expense. Institutional change is shown to result from the interaction between endogenous processes and external pressures, in ways that are hard to predict.
Environmental effects / Political aspects / Water policy / Government departments / Institutional reform / Organizations / River basin management / Water management
Record No:H044206
A decision-support-system (DSS) framework for linking livelihoods with reservoir operation: experiences from MK1 case studies in the Mekong Basin. [Abstract only]Author(s): Hoanh, Chu Thai; Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali; Joffre, O.; McCartney, Matthew; Lacombe, Guillaume; Kam, S. P.; Baran, E.; Reis, J.; Metzger, L.; Teoh, Shwu; Yen, B. T.; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Keophoxay, Anousith; Douangsavanh, L.; Xayachack, S.; Toan, T. D.; Phuong, N. D.
Published year: 2011.
Pages: 2
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Development projects / Agriculture / Aquaculture / Impact assessment / River basins / Case studies / Reservoirs / Water power / Decision support systems
Record No:H044565
Mapping the irrigated rice cropping patterns of the Mekong delta, Vietnam, through hyper-temporal SPOT NDVI image analysisAuthor(s): Nguyen, T. T. H.; De Bie, C. A. J. M.; Ali, A.; Smaling, E. M. A.; Hoanh, Chu Thai
Published year: 2011.
Journal: International Journal of Remote Sensing Pages: 33(2):415-434
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DOI Successful identification and mapping of different cropping patterns under cloudy conditions of a specific crop through remote sensing provides important baseline information for planning and monitoring. In Vietnam, this information is either missing or unavailable; several ongoing projects studying options with radar to avoid earth observation problems caused by the prevailing cloudy conditions have to date produced only partial successes. In this research, optical hyper-temporal Satellite Pour l’Observation de la Terre (SPOT) VEGETATION (SPOT VGT) data (1998–2008) were used to describe and map variability in irrigated rice cropping patterns of the Mekong delta. Divergence statistics were used to evaluate signature separabilities of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) classes generated from the iterative self-organizing data analysis technique algorithm (ISODATA) classification of 10-day SPOT NDVI image series. Based on this evaluation, a map with 77 classes was selected. Out of these 77 mapped classes, 26 lasses with prior knowledge that they represent rice were selected to design the sampling scheme for fieldwork and for crop calendar characterization. Using the collected information of 112 farmers’ fields belonging to the 26 selected classes, the map produced provides highly accurate information on rice cropping patterns (94% overall accuracy, 0.93 Kappa coefficient). We found that the spatial distributions of the triple and the double rice cropping systems are highly related to the flooding regime from the Hau and Tien rivers. Areas that are highly vulnerable to flooding in the upper part and those that are saline in the north-western part of the delta mostly have a double rice cropping system, whilst areas in the central and the south-eastern parts mostly have a triple rice cropping system. In turn, the duration of flooding is highly correlated with the decision by farmers to cultivate shorter or longer duration rice varieties. The overall spatial variability mostly coincides with administrative units, indicating that crop pattern choices and water controlmeasures are locally synchronized. Water supply risks, soil acidity and salinity constraints and the anticipated highly fluctuating rice market prices all strongly influence specific farmers’ choices of rice varieties. These choices vary considerably annually, and therefore grown rice varieties are difficult to map. Our study demonstrates the high potential of optical hyper-temporal images, taken on a daily basis, to differentiate and map a high variety of irrigated rice cropping patterns and crop calendars at a high level of accuracy in spite of cloudy conditions.
Data / Indicators / Vegetation / Image analysis / Deltas / Mapping / Remote sensing / Crop management / Irrigated rice
Record No:H044487
Climate change adaptations for food security in the Mekong. [Abstract only]Author(s): Mainuddin, M.; Kirby, M.; Hoanh, Chu Thai
Published year: 2011.
Pages: pp.332
More... There is growing concern about the potential effects of climate change on the natural resources of the Lower Mekong River Basin (LMB). It is therefore no surprise that climate change adaptation has become one of the focal points of current development discussions in the region. Here we examine the impact of climate change on the rice cultivation of the LMB and its consequences for overall food security and possible adaptation options. Rice is the main staple food for the population and the demand for food is expected to grow due to increase in population. Variability in water cycle driven by climate change is considered likely to impact rice production in the near future. Thus, rice cultivation faces greatly increased demands for food on the one hand, and several threats to production due to climate change on the other. Against this background, it is important to examine the adaptation options to reduce the vulnerability of Mekong food security to impact of climate change and population growth.We have assessed the impact on the productivity of rice grown in the basin using a crop simulation model – AquaCrop. In general, the results suggest that productivity of main rainfed rice, predominant crop in the basin, may increase significantly in the upper part of the basin in Laos and Thailand and may decrease in the lower part of the basin in Cambodia and Vietnam. Irrigated rice may not be affected by climate change if increased irrigation requirements are met. We have tested widely used adaptation strategies such as shifting planting date, supplementary irrigation and reduction of fertility stress and found that negative impact on the yield can be offset and net increase in yield can be achieved. Hence food security of the basin is unlikely to be threatened by the increased population or climate change.
Irrigated rice / River basins / Food security / Adaptation / Climate change
Record No:H044502
Adaptation to climate change for food security in the lower Mekong BasinAuthor(s): Mainuddin, M.; Kirby, M.; Hoanh, Chu Thai
Published year: 2011.
Journal: Food Security Pages: 3(4):433-450
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DOI Variability in water cycles driven by climate change is considered likely to impact rice production in the near future. Rice is the main staple food for the population in the lower Mekong Basin and the demand for food is expected to grow due to increase in population. This paper examines the impact of climate change on rice production in the lower Mekong Basin, evaluates some widely used adaptation options, and analyses their implications for overall food security by 2050. Climate change data used in the study are the future climate projection for two IPCC SRES scenarios, A2 and B2, based on ECHAM4 General Circulation Model downscaled to the Mekong region using the PRECIS (Providing Regional Climates for Impact Studies) system. In general, the results suggest that yield of rainfed rice may increase significantly in the upper part of the basin in Laos and Thailand and may decrease in the lower part of the basin in Cambodia and Vietnam. Irrigated rice may not be affected by climate change if increased irrigation requirements are met. Negative impact on the yield of rainfed rice can be offset and net increase in yield can be achieved by applying widely used adaptation options such as changing planting date, supplementary irrigation and increased fertilizer input. Analysis of the projected production, considering population growth by 2050, suggests that food security of the basin is unlikely to be threatened by the increased population and climate change, excluding extreme events such as sea level rise and cyclones.
Models / Yields / Irrigated rice / Rainfed farming / Adaptation / River basins / Food security / Climate change
Record No:H044499
Is there enough water in the Vientiane Plain? a water balance assessment of the Lower Nam Ngum Basin. Project report prepared by IWMI for CSIRO - AusAID Research for Development Alliance under the project 'Exploring Mekong Region Futures'Author(s): Lacombe, Guillaume; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Thepphavong, B.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Bounvilay, B.; Noble, Andrew; Ongkeo, O.; Johnston, Robyn; Phongpachith, C.
Published year: 2011.
Publisher(s): Vientiane, Laos: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 25
More... In Lao PDR, one of the less developed countries, water represents a valuable natural resource via the development of hydropower dams and irrigation schemes. In the lower part of the Nam Ngum River Basin, the Vientiane plain is one of the largest food production areas of the country and the largest irrigated area in Lao PDR. While food demand is expected to continue to increase in the future, hydropower dams are under rapid development in the upper part of the basin, modifying the seasonal distribution of the river flow regimes. This study aims at assessing the current water supply and agricultural water demand in the Vientiane Plain and concluding whether the water resource is or may become a limiting factor for food production. The agricultural water demand is assessed from two types of data (characteristics of large-scale pumping stations and official statistics on irrigated areas) and using remote sensing analyses. Flow measurements of the Nam Ngum River were used to quantify the water supply. A 43-year time series (1962-2004) of daily river discharge was reconstructed from actual discontinuous data recorded in the river reach where most of the pumping stations are found. Distinctions in the water resource assessment were made between pristine conditions (before the construction of the hydropower dams) and current conditions of water infrastructure development. A comparison of the water supply and demand indicates that during the 4 driest months of the year (January to April) when the river reaches its minimum level and the irrigation water demand is the highest, pumped volumes represent less than 30% of the river discharge. This ratio should decrease as new hydropower dams are built, storing and releasing more water during the wet and the dry season, respectively. These figures indicate that the availability of water in the Nam Ngum River is not a limiting factor for irrigation, even during the dry seasons of exceptionally dry years. The water demand could exceptionally exceed the water supply in the case of an extreme scenario of irrigation development with irrigated areas 3-fold larger than the current ones. Next analyses will consist in assessing how this water balance will be altered by the development of new hydropower dams and irrigation projects. Possible uses of water surplus will be prioritized, depending on their economic viability and benefits.
Time series analysis / Pumping / Irrigated land / Dams / Water power / River basins / Water supply / Water demand / Assessment / Water balance
Record No:H044647
Early warning systems and monitoring tools for agricultural adaptations to climate change. [Abstract only]Author(s): Lacombe, Guillaume
Published year: 2011.
Pages: 1
More... In Southeast Asia, agricultural production is highly constraint by climate cycles typically characterized by the regular alternation of the wet and dry seasons, and by unpredictable droughts or rain storms. For hundreds of decades, farmers have adapted to these climate vagaries by growing various cultivars, mainly during the rainy season, with different cropping calendars, thus limiting the risk of total agricultural losses in the case of extreme events. In response to increased population and food demand, cropped land and inhabited zones are expanding to flood- and drought prone areas, resulting in higher frequency of flood and drought related damages. Climate change may magnify the severity of agricultural losses with more contrasted seasons and more extreme climate events (longest droughts and flashier floods). Communities living in flood and drought prone areas are generally the poorest and therefore the most vulnerable to natural disasters. Reducing the vulnerability of these people to the negative impacts of floods and droughts should improve their standard of living and assist them to climb out of poverty. One solution consists in forecasting and characterizing extreme climate events through the use of “early warning systems” and “monitoring tools”, giving time for the population to take appropriate actions in order to minimize damages and possible casualties. The Flood Management and Mitigation Center of the Mekong River Commission is a good example of successful early warning system although some improvements, especially at the action/local levels are required. The monitoring of droughts and the prevention of their negative effects on agricultural yields is more difficult to implement as droughts are occurring at large spatial scales, affecting the society as a whole. However, recent progresses in remote sensing technologies and telecommunication systems are promising at the conditions that institutional and management supports strengthen, especially when trans-boundary coordination is required.
Climate change / Adaptation / Monitoring / Natural disasters / Early warning systems
Record No:H044666
The rehabilitation of tropical soils using compost and vermicompost is affected by the presence of endogeic earthwormsAuthor(s): Jouquet, Pascal; Plumere, Thierry; Doan Thu, T.; Rumpel, C.
Published year: 2010.
Journal: Applied Soil Ecology Pages: 46:125-133
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DOI As soil engineers, earthworms play a key role in soil organic matter turnover and ecosystem functioning. Numerous studies have shown their positive influence on plant growth and soil quality. At the same time, organic matter inputs in compost or vermicompost, produced in the presence of earthworms, are valuable soil amendments that may increase plant growth. However, whether the combination of earthworm activity and organic matter amendments can be a successful approach for soil rehabilitation remains insufficiently studied. The aim of the present study was to determine the interactions between Dichogaster bolaui , an endogeic earthworm species, and compost or vermicompost produced by Eisenia andrei , an epigeic earthworm species, in a degraded tropical soil. We assessed nutrient availability and natural vegetation recovery. Treatments with and without D. bolaui earthworms were compared. The incorporation of both types of organic matter improved soil quality (i.e., higher pH, more C and nutrients) and led to the recovery of vegetation growth (i.e., development of seedlings and higher above- and belowground biomass). Mineral nutrients, on the other hand, had no effect on vegetation development and led to more pollution of groundwater (i.e., higher concentrations of N-NH 4 +, N-NO 3 - , K and P). Although we could not draw definite conclusions about whether vermicompost had a more positive effect on plant growth than compost, this substrate improved soil chemical properties compared with compost. Dichogaster bolaui enhanced leaching of N-NH 4 + , N-NO 3 - and K when mineral nutrients were used. However overall, D. bolaui had a neutral impact on plant growth when combined with compost, but a negative effect when in combination with vermicompost inputs. In conclusion, this experiment demonstrated that organic matter amendment is an interesting alternative for the rehabilitation of tropical soils. However, negative interactions can occur between local endogeic earthworms and vermicompost.
Vermicomposting / Composts / Earthworms / Soil improvement
Record No:H043190
Analysing decentralised natural resource governance: proposition for a “politicised” institutional analysis and development frameworkAuthor(s): Clement, Floriane
Published year: 2010.
Journal: Policy Sciences Pages: 43(2):129-156
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DOI There has often been a gap between policy intentions and outcomes in the field of natural resource governance. Analysing the factors for these discrepancies requires multi-level approaches that relate policy decisions formulated at the national and international level with the decisions of local resource users. A key asset of the Institutional Analysis and Development framework is precisely its ability to link multiple governance levels. Yet most commons literature has been limited to the study of collective action among local communities without considering higher institutional and government levels. To overcome this limitation, I posit for a methodological development of the framework, which bridges the gap between institutional analysis, power-centred and historical approaches, and discourse analysis. The application of the extended framework to the study of state afforestation policies in Vietnam highlights the need to simultaneously consider institutions, the politico-economic context and discourses across governance and government levels. As illustrated in this paper, such a framework does not only facilitate the analysis of policy shortcomings but also supports the design and dissemination of policy recommendations.
Policy / Institutions / Decentralization / Governance / Natural resources management
Record No:H034817
Policy, planning and management at the land-water interfaceAuthor(s): Szuster, B.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Kam, S. P.; Ismail, A. M.; Noble, Andrew D.; Borger, M.
Published year: 2010.
Pages: pp.1-12
Series: Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture Series 9More... |
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Climate change / Income generation / Households / Sluices / Salinity / Rice / Shrimp culture / Water management / Land management / Coastal area
Record No:H043046
Tropical deltas and coastal zones: food production, communities and environment at the land-water interfaceAuthor(s): Hoanh, Chu Thai; Szuster, B. W.; Kam, S. P.; Ismail, A. M; Noble, Andrew D.
Published year: 2010.
Publisher(s): Wallingford, UK: CABI; Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI); Penang, Malaysia: WorldFish Center; Los Banos, Philippines: International Rice Research Institute (IRRI); Bangkok, Thailand: FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific; Colombo, Sri Lanka: CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF)
Pages: 477
Series: Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture Series 9More... |
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Food security / Food production / Salinity / Cropping systems / Coastal area / Rice / Fisheries / Aquaculture
Record No:H043045
Aquatic resources and environmental variability in Bac Lieu Province (southern Vietnam)Author(s): Baran, E.; Chheng, P.; Warry, F.; Toan, V. T.; Hung, H. P.; Hoanh, Chu Thai
Published year: 2010.
Pages: pp.13-32
Series: Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture Series 9More... |
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The dynamics of aquatic resources in the canals of Bac Lieu Province, in southern Vietnam, are detailed and synthesized in this study. Nekton and eight environmental parameters were monitored in this province between 2004 and 2006, at 14 sites sampled three times a year. The study area, located along the coastal zone, is characterized by a variable environment subject to saline, freshwater and acidic pulses. The spatiotemporal dynamics of aquatic resources and their relationships with environmental parameters are detailed. The dominance of either freshwater or estuarine fauna, the dynamics of assemblages and the catches of fishers appear to be largely influenced by the management of sluice gates built along the coastal zone.
Coastal area / Sluices / Salinity / Fisheries / Aquatic organisms / Aquatic environment
Record No:H043038
Integrated management of aquatic resources: a Bayesian approach to water control and trade-offs in southern VietnamAuthor(s): Baran, E.; Jantunen, T.; Chheng, P.; Hoanh, Chu Thai
Published year: 2010.
Pages: pp.133-143
Series: Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture Series 9More... |
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The BayFish–Bac Lieu model presented in this chapter is a Bayesian model that aims to identify optimal water control regimes and trade-offs between water uses in order to improve management of water-dependent resources in the inland coastal area of Bac Lieu Province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The model was developed between 2004 and 2007 and integrated local databases, outputs from the Vietnam River Systems and Plains (VRSAP) model and stakeholder consultations. The model facilitates analyses of the consequences of different water management scenarios (quantitative and qualitative) on rice, fish, crab and shrimp production in the province. However, beyond production, trade-offs between household income, food security or environmental protection were also identified during the model development process. Subsequently, the BayFish–Bac Lieu model allows detailing of: (i) annual production probabilities in the case of a baseline scenario; (ii) outcomes of four different sluice gate operation modes; and (iii) trade-offs between household income, food security and environment outcomes for each scenario. The model shows that through improved shrimp farming and fish production, total household income benefits directly from open sluice gates allowing saline intrusion. However, this has the opposite effect on rice production, and on food security. Results suggest that a suitable compromise involving at least one sluice gate open at all times should be adopted for optimized outcomes.
Household food security / Shrimp culture / Water quality / Sluices / Coastal area / Water control / Models
Record No:H043037
Effects of earthworms on soil properties and rice production in the rainfed paddy fields of Northeast ThailandAuthor(s): Choosai, C.; Jouquet, Pascal; Hanboonsong, Y.; Hartmann, Christian
Published year: 2010.
Journal: Applied Soil Ecology Pages: 45(3):298-303
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DOI Earthworms play an important role in soil fertility because of their effects on soil properties, and especially the creation of casts that usually have different properties than the surrounding soil. If the influence of earthworms on soil properties and plant growth has been extensively studied in aerobic ecosystems, their effects remain largely unknown in partially flooded environments such as paddy fields. The aim of this study was to describe the potential influence of earthworms on soil properties and rice yield in Northeast Thailand.Westudied the abundance of aboveground casts produced by Drawida beddardi in two paddy rice systems (transplanting: TP and direct seeding: DS) and we measured the soil physicochemical properties of casts and their influence on rice growth and yield. Cast abundance was low (250 casts per ha) and not different in TP and DS. Casts appeared as patches of fertility with more fine particle sizes and organic matter contents, a higher CEC, as well as a much higher concentrations of mineral elements (N, P and K). As a consequence, our results suggest that earthworm activity lead to a significant higher rice yield. These results stress the importance earthworms could have in the regulation of rice productivity in paddy fields. More research is now needed to understand the ecological mechanisms that regulate earthworm abundance and activity in these environments.
Rainfed farming / Productivity / Rice / Paddy fields / Soil fertility / Soil properties / Earthworms
Record No:H042968
Wastewater reuseAuthor(s): Drechsel, Pay; Evans, Alexandra
Published year: 2010.
Journal: Irrigation and Drainage Systems Pages: 24(1-2). 153p. (Special issue with contributions by IWMI authors)
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Water reuse / Sanitation / Water quality / Models / Risks / Wastewater irrigation
Record No:H042877
Utilization of Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) to quantify the impact of earthworms on soil and carbon erosion in steep slope ecosystem: a study case in northern VietnamAuthor(s): Jouquet, Pascal; Henry des Tureaux, Thierry; Mathieu, J.; Doan Thu, Thuy; Toan, Tran Duc; Orange, Didier
Published year: 2010.
Journal: Catena Pages: 81(2):113-116
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DOI This work focuses on a new approach to quantify the effects of above-ground earthwormapos;s activity on soil erosion in steep slope ecosystems such as in Northern Vietnam. In these areas and in many others in the world, soil erosion becomes a major issue while the factors that determine it are still misunderstood. Earthwormapos;s activity is believed to influence soil erosion rate, but we are still unable to precisely quantify their contribution to soil erosion. In this study, we used Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) to quantify the proportion of soil aggregate in eroded soil coming from earthworm activity. This was done by generating NIRS signatures corresponding to different soil surface aggregates (above-ground soil casts produced by earthworms vs. surrounding topsoil). In order to test the proposed approach, we compared the NIRS-signature of eroded soil sediments to those of earthwormsapos; casts and of the surrounding soils. Our results strongly supported that NIRS spectra might be used as “fingerprints” to identify the origin of soil aggregates. Although earthworms are generally assumed to play a favorable role in promoting soil fertility and ecosystem services, this method shows that cast aggregates constitute about 36 and 77% of sediments in two tropical plantations, Paspalum atratumand Panicum maximum plantations, respectively. In light with these results, we estimated that earthworms led to an annual loss of 3.3 and 15.8 kg of carbon ha-1 yr-1, respectively in P. atratum and P. maximum agroecosystems.
Case studies / Ecosystems / Earthworms / Erosion / Carbon / Soil
Record No:H042814
Commune agroecosystem analysis to support decision making for water allocation for fisheries and agriculture in the Tonle Sap Wetland SystemAuthor(s): Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali; Mith, S.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Johnston, Robyn M.; Baran, E.; Dubois, M.; Soeun, M.; Craig, I.; Nam, S.; Smith, L.
Published year: 2010.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF)
Pages: 58
Series: CPWF Project Report 71More... |
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This report synthesizes findings from the CPWF project number 71 titled “Commune Agroecosystem Analysis to Support Decision Making for Water Allocation for Fisheries and Agriculture in the Tonle Sap Wetland System.”
The Project on Commune Agroecosystem Analysis to Support Decision Making for Water Allocation for Fisheries and Agriculture in the Tonle Sap Wetland System was undertaken with the aim of improving fisheries considerations in the Commune Agroecosystem Analysis (CAEA) process undertaken in Cambodia, to facilitate better planning at the commune level. Under this project a number of changes were made to the CAEA tools and process and pilot tested in an adaptive, iterative manner in four communes – two that had conducted a CAEA previously and two that had not. Results and analyses indicated that the project had significantly strengthened the manner in which livelihoods, water resources and fisheries are now addressed by CAEA. The revised CAEA guidance manual has also shown potential for having wider uptake, and a number of tools have been used by several other projects within Cambodia.
Gender / Community involvement / Development projects / Wetlands / Decision making / Water allocation / Analysis / Fisheries / Agroecosystems
Record No:H043638
Multiple sources of water for multiple purposes in northeast ThailandAuthor(s): Penning de Vries, F.; Ruaysoongnern, S.
Published year: 2010.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 29
Series: IWMI Working Paper 137More... |
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Many farms in tropical countries suffer from droughts in the dry season and sometimes even in the rainy season. In order to significantly increase the capacity to store water, the grassroots Farmer Wisdom movement in Northeast Thailand innovated pond construction on homesteads. This Working Paper first documents how pond water is mainly used to irrigate crops and fruit trees, and is also used for livestock or fish, and for domestic uses, even if ample piped water is available. Households were also found to harvest rainwater from roofs; take water from canals and streams; lift water manually from shallow wells and with electric pumps from deep wells; channel run-off from roads to paddy fields; use precipitation as green water on fields; and buy bottled water. Most households combine at least six of these nine water sources. The second part describes scenarios and some outcomes of a new simulation model, BoNam. This model provides guidelines for the optimal size and site of such ponds according to biophysical factors (weather, soil and crops), socioeconomic factors (prices, availability of labor and off-farm income) and household aspirations.
Supplemental irrigation / Decision making / Simulation models / Surveys / Rural development / Farm size / Households / Farmers attitudes / Farm ponds / Water supply / Multiple use / Water use
Record No:H043565
Villains or heroes?: farmers’ adjustments to water scarcityAuthor(s): Molle, Francois; Venot, Jean-Philippe; Lannerstad, M.; Hoogesteger, J.
Published year: 2010.
Journal: Irrigation and Drainage Pages: 59(4):419-431
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DOI Although farmers are often seen as wasting water and getting a disproportionate share of water, irrigation is losing out in the competition for water with other sectors. In cases of drought, water restrictions are overwhelmingly imposed on irrigation while other activities and domestic supply are only affected in cases of very severe shortage. All over the world, farmers have been responding to the challenge posed by both short- and long-term declining water allocations in many creative ways, but these responses have often been overlooked by policy makers. This paper examines how farmers have adapted to water scarcity in six different river basins of Asia and the Middle East. It inventories the different types of adjustments observed and shows not only their effectiveness in offsetting the drop in supply but also their costs to farmers and to the environment and their contribution to basin closure. The conclusion calls for a better recognition of the efforts made by the irrigation sector to respond to water challenges and of its implications in terms of reduced scope for efficiency gains in the irrigation sector.
Irrigation efficiency / Irrigation water / River basins / Conjunctive use / Farmers / Drought / Water scarcity
Record No:H042656
Water pollution monitoring and management: a review of BangkokAuthor(s): Ali, G.; Nitivattananon, V.; Ahmad, Waqas; Nawaz, R.
Published year: 2010.
Pages: 13
More... An increasing amount of scientific information is available on water pollution and its effect. Water pollution management for pollution control seldom considers the scientific information. The main objective of this paper is to review the water pollution management in Bangkok and link the entire process to the cause and effects of water pollution. Existing approaches for water pollution control primarily focuses on enforcing various standards. Respective local authorities in Bangkok have also set their own surface water quality requirement. However, the entire management approach requires further analysis in line with the present situation. This paper attempts to review the entire management approach and suggests reduction strategies, control measures/treatment systems and some preferred solutions to the water pollution management. It also covers other important measures for control. The conclusion proposes some policy recommendations on reducing pollution through effect management approach.
Water pollution Control / Impact assessment / Water pollution
Record No:H043441
Growing biofuel demand in Thailand and Malaysia: water use and impacts. Project report submitted to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) under the project, “Comparative assessment of water usage and impacts arising from biofuel projects in South East Asian Countries”Author(s): Amarasinghe, Upali; Eriyagama, Nishadi; Soda, Wannipa
Published year: 2010.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 36
More... Report submitted to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) under the project, “Comparative assessment of water usage and impacts arising from biofuel projects in South East Asian Countries”, commissioned by the Letter of Agreement No LOA/RAP/2009/38.Thailand and Malaysia are two south East Asian countries with rapidly growing biofuel demand. Increasing use of biofuel envisages reducing dependence of petroleum products for transport and mitigating environmental impacts by reducing carbon emissions. It also expects to contribute to rural development and poverty reduction. However, the impacts of expanding production of feedstock for biofuel on water supply are not well understood. This paper assesses the water footprints and impacts of sugarcane molasses and cassava based bioethanol in Thailand, and palm oil based biodiesel in Malaysia. The water footprint of a commodity or service is the water depleted in its life cycle of its production or consumption.The total water footprints of sugarcane molasses and cassava bioethanol production in Thailand are estimated to be 1,646 and 2,304 m3/tonne, respectively, and of palm oil biodiesel in Malaysia is 3,730 m3/tonne. However, the contributions from irrigation are only a small fraction --9.0, 0.7 and 0.3%-- of the total water footprints of molasses and cassava bioethanol, and palm oil biodiesel respectively. In terms of irrigation water use,cassava is a better feedstock for bioethanol production than sugarcane molasses.In Thailand, the total annual irrigation water footprints in bioethanol production --54 million m3 (mcm) for molasses and 15 mcm for cassava-- is only 0.02% of the total renewable water resources. In Malaysia, total annual irrigation water footprint of palm oil biodiesel production is only 0.001% of the total renewable water resources. A significant spatial variation of irrigation water footprints of molasses based ethanol exists across provinces in Thailand, indicating potential for reducing water footprints.The total irrigation water footprints in biofuel production in the future in both countries will also be negligible in comparison to total water availability. However, the impact of wastewater generated in the production processes can have significant impacts on quality of local water resources. A part of the waste water, called ‘spent wash’, is applied as fertilizer, and over use of it can affect soil and neighboring water resources. The proposed plans on biofuel production in the future can generate more ‘spent wash’ than that can be used in crop fields as fertilizer. Spent wash has found to have high PH value, temperature, biological and chemical oxygen contents etc. The usual practice of storing spent wash in a pond for a long period near a plant can have detrimental impact on soil, streams’ and groundwater quality.In sum, this study concludes that from the perspective of quantity of irrigation water use, the increasing biofuel production does not pose a major problem in Thailand
Groundwater / Water pollution / Water use / Irrigation water / Ethanol / Palm oils / Cassava / Sugarcane / Water footprint / Biofuels
Record No:H043429
Strategies of the poorest in water conflict and cooperation: cases from Zambia, Vietnam and NicaraguaAuthor(s): Funder, M.; Cossio, V.; Huong, P. T. M.; van Koppen, Barbara; Mweemba, C.; Nyambe, I.; Phuong, L. T. T.; Skielboe, T.; Soto, L.
Published year: 2010.
Pages: pp.75-95
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Download As climate change unfolds, media stories often speak of a future dominated by large-scale water wars. Rather less attention has been paid to the way water conflict already plays out a local levels and form part of people’s everyday lives. Based on case study studies from Zambia, Vietnam and Nicaragua, the paper examines the strategies of poor households in local water competition. It is shown how poor households will engage actively in collaboration where possible, but that they may apply risk minimization strategies when faced with powerful adversaries in conflict situations. This includes refraining from explicit, direct opposition, drawing instead on other approaches such as relying on more influential parties to act in their interest. The paper further shows how dependency relationships between poor and wealthy households may limit the scope of action for the poorest, who are forced to refrain from defending their water resources in order to maintain wider socioeconomic ties with the very same households that oppose them in water conflicts. The paper concludes by briefly discussing the implications for local water governance from an equity perspective.
Case studies / Water rights / Villages / Irrigation water / Domestic water / Equity / Pipes / Water supply / Water governance / Households / Poverty / Water scarcity
Record No:H043402
Irrigation development for rice production in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: what’s next?Author(s): Hoanh, Chu Thai; Suhardiman, Diana; Tuan, L. A.
Published year: 2010.
Pages: 4
More... The Vietnamese Mekong River Delta (MRD) has a total area of four million hectares for more than 18 million inhabitants in 2009 with abundant water resources (Can, 2000). Due to high seasonal variation with over 90% of rainfall and surface water concentrated during the flood season from May to November, the great potential for agriculture and aquaculture production in the MRD is only exploited if flood is controlled and irrigation in the dry season is improved. Therefore an extensive network of canals comprises of over 14,000 km of principal and primary canals, 27,000 km of secondary canals and 50,000 km of tertiary canals, and more than 20,000 km of protection dykes were built in the last 300 years. In 1985 Vietnam was still a net rice importing country, but in 1989 and 1999 it exported 1.4 and 4.6 million tons, respectively, of which the contributed more than 90%. This remarkable increase in rice production is related to the rapid growth of rice planted area in the past 35 years aided by the expansion and increased density of the irrigation and drainage system.
Canals / Brackishwater aquaculture / Shrimp culture / Salt water intrusion / Irrigated farming / Rice
Record No:H043364
The green-to-blue water continuum: an approach to improve agricultural systems’ resilience to water scarcityAuthor(s): Vidal, Alain; van Koppen, Barbara; Blake, D.
Published year: 2010.
Pages: pp.66-72
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This paper explores two examples from the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food research on resilience along the green-to-blue water continuum. A threatened floodplain wetland of the Mekong Basin has been shown to provide many direct and indirect benefits and services that are more resilient and less vulnerable to shocks than externally introduced agricultural systems of various types and intensity occupying the same land–water interface. Multiple-use water systems (MUS) assessed in five large basins show that, wherever water is available, people use water for greater resilience, domestic and productive purposes, including livestock watering, horticulture, irrigation, tree growing or small-scale enterprise.
Floodplains / Wetlands / Multiple use / Water productivity / Water scarcity
Record No:H043341
Geographic structure of Plasmodium vivax: microsatellite analysis of parasite populations from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and EthiopiaAuthor(s): Gunawardena, S.; Karunaweera, N. D.; Ferreira, M. U.; Phone-Kyaw, M.; Pollack, R. J.; Alifrangis, M.; Rajakaruna, R. S.; Konradsen, F.; Amerasinghe, Priyanie H.; Schousboe, M. L.; Galappaththy, G. N. L.; Abeyasinghe, R. R.; Hartl, D. L.; Wirth, D. F.
Published year: 2010.
Journal: American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Pages: 82(2):235-242
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Genetic diversity and population structure of Plasmodium vivax parasites can predict the origin and spread of novel variants within a population enabling population specific malaria control measures. We analyzed the genetic diversity and population structure of 425 P. vivax isolates from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Ethiopia using 12 trinucleotide and tetranucleotide microsatellite markers. All three parasite populations were highly polymorphic with 3–44 alleles per locus. Approximately 65% were multiple-clone infections. Mean genetic diversity ( H E ) was 0.7517 in Ethiopia, 0.8450 in Myanmar, and 0.8610 in Sri Lanka. Significant linkage disequilibrium was maintained. Population structure showed two clusters (Asian and African) according to geography and ancestry. Strong clustering of outbreak isolates from Sri Lanka and Ethiopia was observed. Predictive power of ancestry using two-thirds of the isolates as a model identified 78.2% of isolates accurately as being African or Asian. Microsatellite analysis is a useful tool for mapping short-term outbreaks of malaria and for predicting ancestry.
Analysis / Satellite observation / Malaria / Waterborne diseases / Public health / Parasites / Plasmodium vivax / Genetic variation
Record No:H044535
Field and laboratory experiments to investigate infiltration processes and clogging effects from a ponding recharge system at Ban Nong Na, Bangrakum District, Phitsanulok Province, Lower Yom River Basin, ThailandAuthor(s): Nadee, S.; Srisuk, K.; Sarapirom, P.; Pavelic, Paul; Uppasit, S.
Published year: 2010.
Pages: 7
More... A small-scale field experiment consisting of surface infiltration tests was conducted at Ban Nong Na, located in Bangrakum District, Phitsanulok Province, situated in the Lower Yom River Basin. The shallow groundwater in this area has been heavily pumped for growing rice all year round, and within the past decade static water levels within the gravel, sand and silt aquifers have decreased to a depth of up to ten meters below the ground surface. Research is currently being conducted to investigate the feasibility of managed aquifer recharge by surface ponding methods in the Lower Yom River Basin. This study, which forms one component of the broader project, aims to assess infiltration processes and clogging effects at the laboratory (column) scale and at the small scale (25 m2) in the field. The laboratory experiment consisted of two main components: 1) physical, chemical and biological analyses of raw water and the ambient groundwater and 2) soil column testing under constant head conditions over a period of 100 hours. The field experiment consisted of three main components: 1) characterization of the physical and hydraulic properties of the unsaturated and saturated media 2) pretreatment design considering levels of turbidity removal using synthetic poly and sand filter, and 3) infiltration testing under constant head conditions over a period of 30 hours. These works are intended to provide the design criteria for establishing a larger scale (1,600 m2) pilot recharge system at the study site. Average infiltration rates for the laboratory experiment for source waters with mean turbidities of 0.5 and 100 NTU were found to be 3.27 and 0.15 m/d respectively. The infiltration rate from the field experiment with an average turbidity 50 NTU was 2.53 m/d; a magnitude commensurate with the lab study. Since infiltration rates in excess of 1 m/day are desirable for the pilot trial, the turbidity of the raw canal water used for recharge will be controlled to be less than 50 NTU. Whilst both the laboratory and field experiments were brief and longer test periods needed, more extensive investigations will be performed over the 2010 monsoon season during the full-scale pilot trial.
Experiments / Recharge / Aquifers / Groundwater / Clogging / Infiltration
Record No:H043328
Capturing the lessons of ASR failure from trials in unconsolidated aquifersAuthor(s): Pavelic, Paul; Dillon, P.; Chusanathas, S.; Barry, K.
Published year: 2010.
Pages: 5
More... In this paper the challenges in developing sustainable ASR operations in unconsolidated, low permeability aquifers, where operational problems such as well clogging tend to be more acute, are explored from the viewpoint of two case studies; one from Australia, the other from Thailand. Both studies were undertaken independently over different time-frames and brought together for comparative purposes. The Australian case study involved injection of wetland-treated urban stormwater into a low transmissivity, fine-grained siliceous aquifer; whereas the Thai case study involved injection of advanced-treated canal water into a colluvial/alluvial aquifer with high fines content. Although the design and execution pathways for the two trials were substantially different, ultimately the same endpoint (trial abandonment) was reached. This examination of the causative factors of failure, which were mainly related to poor recharge water quality for the Australian case, and poor hydraulic performance brought about by poor site selection for the Thai case study, lead to a number of key lessons being derived that could prove helpful to those considering ASR in similar environments.
Filtration / Water purification / Water delivery / Canals / Wetlands / Case studies / Water storage / Wells / Water quality / Recharge / Aquifers
Record No:H043326
Improving soils and boosting yields in ThailandAuthor(s): International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
Published year: 2010.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 2
Series: IWMI Success Stories 002More... |
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Yields / Vegetable growing / Crop production / Bentonite / Clay / Soil improvement
Record No:H043316
Long-term monitoring (1960–2008) of the river-sediment transport in the Red River Watershed (Vietnam): temporal variability and dam-reservoir impactAuthor(s): Dang, T. H.; Coynel, A.; Orange, Didier; Blanc, G.; Etcheber, H.; Le, L. A.
Published year: 2010.
Journal: Science of the Total Environment Pages: 408:4654-4664
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DOI The Red River (China/Vietnam, A=155,000 km²) is a typical humid tropics river originating from the mountainous area of Yunnan Province in China. Based on information on daily discharge (Q) and suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration between 1960–2008 for the SonTay gauging station (outlet of the River and entry to the Delta) provided by the National Institute IMHE-MONRE, the mean annual SPM flux was estimated at 90 Mt/yr, corresponding to a sediment yield of 600 t/km²/yr. The temporal variability of annual SPM fluxes (ranging from 24 to 200 Mt/yr) is strongly related to the interannual hydrological conditions. However, some years of high water flow were not associated with high sediment fluxes, especially after 1989 when the HoaBinh dam came into operation. Therefore, the median discharge pre- (3389 m3/s) and post 1989 (3495 m3/s) are similar indicating there was little or no change between both periods. Sediment rating curves (power law-type; SPM=aQb) were fitted for both periods (1960–1989; 1990–2008). The analysis of the pre- and post-1989 sediment rating parameters (a, b) suggests a downshift of b-parameter values after 1989, attributed to a decrease of the sediment supply due to the commissioning of the HoaBinh dam. A single sediment rating curve derived from 1960–1989 data was used to simulate the annual variability of former sediment delivery, generating excellent cumulative flux estimates (error ~1%). In contrast, applying the same rating curve to the 1990–2008 data resulted in systematic and substantial (up to 109%) overestimation. This suggests that the HoaBinh dam reduces annual SPM delivery to the delta by half, implying important metal/metalloid storage behind the HoaBinh dam.
Reservoirs / Dams / Monitoring / Sediment transport / Watersheds / Erosion / Rivers
Record No:H043301
Climate change, water and agriculture in the Greater Mekong subregionAuthor(s): Johnston, Robyn M.; Lacombe, Guillaume; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Noble, Andrew D.; Pavelic, Paul; Smakhtin, Vladimir; Suhardiman, Diana; Kam, S. P.; Choo, P. S.
Published year: 2010.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 52
Series: IWMI Research Report 136More... |
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The impacts of climate change on agriculture and food production in Southeast Asia will be largely mediated through water, but climate is only one driver of change. Water resources in the region will be shaped by a complex mixture of social, economic and environmental factors. This report reviews the current status and trends in water management in the Greater Mekong Subregion; assesses likely impacts of climate change on water resources to 2050; examines water management strategies in the context of climate and other changes; and identifies priority actions for governments and communities to improve resilience of the water sector and safeguard food production.
Sea level / Biofuels / Land use / Population growth / Water power / Ecosystems / Fisheries / Groundwater / Water quality / Water availability / River basins / Water resource management / Indicators / Adaptation / Climate change
Record No:H043300
Conflict, migration and land-cover changes in Indochina: a hydrological assessmentAuthor(s): Lacombe, Guillaume; Pierret, Alain; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Sengtaheuanghoung, O.; Noble, Andrew
Published year: 2010.
Journal: Ecohydrology Pages: 3(4):382–391
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Download The Indochinese section of the Mekong Basin has been subjected to major environmental disturbances over the last half century. The Vietnam War is invoked as a central explanation for the extensive deforestation in specific areas while conflictinduced exoduses caused the abandonment of cultivated lands, followed by forest regeneration. Although the socio-economical consequences of these episodes have been analysed, their hydrological impacts remain unknown. This paper investigates hydrological changes in two catchments of the lower Mekong Basin that were either heavily bombed (in southern Laos) or depopulated (in northern Laos). This analysis is based on the widely and independently recognized fact that vegetation, via evapotranspiration, is a central driver of basin water yield. The analysis of the most complete Vietnam War air mission database and of available hydro-meteorological data over the period 1960–2004 reveals a sharp runoff increase in the southern catchment when bombing climaxed in the early 1970s while no hydrological change is observed in the northern catchment over the same period. From 1995 onwards, the northern and southern catchment’s runoff productions are significantly lower and higher than in the pre-war conditions, respectively. Although causalities could not be ascertained because of data limitations, these short- and long-term hydrological shifts were found to be consistent, in terms of occurrence, spatial distribution and magnitude, with the expected changes in the vegetation cover, either denser in the north (in response to abandonment of cultivated lands) or sparser in the south (as a result of bomb-induced deforestation and soil degradations).
Models / Time series analysis / Rainfall-runoff relationships / Evapotranspiration / Forests / Land cover / River basins / Hydrology
Record No:H043213
Adaptation options to reduce the vulnerability of Mekong water resources, food security and the environment to impacts of development and climate change. Report to AusAIDAuthor(s): Mainuddin, M.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Jirayoot, K.; Halls, A. S.; Kirby, M.; Lacombe, Guillaume; Srinetr, V.
Published year: 2010.
Publisher(s): Collingwood, VIC, Australia: CSIRO. Water for a Healthy Country National Research Flagship; Vientiane, Laos: Mekong River Commission (MRC); Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 151
Series: Water for a Healthy Country Flagship Report SeriesMore... |
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The report aims to provide critical input to the Mekong River Commission’s (MRC) regional Climate Change and Adaptation Initiative (CCAI) which was launched shortly after the formulation of this project. The CCAI is a collaborative regional initiative designed to address the shared climate change adaptation challenges of LMB countries in response to the potential effects of climate change on the socio-economic characteristics and natural resources of the LMB region. MRC has identified need for a more informed understanding of the potential impacts from climate change. To contribute to this aim, the purpose of this report is: 1. To present the framework of climate change analysis and its application to the Basin Development Plan (BDP) Scenarios; 2. To present the results from the application of the Decision Support Framework (DSF) models of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) in order to analyse the impacts of climate change and selected BDP Scenarios on flow regimes; 3. To present climate change impacts on floods and fisheries in the LMB; 4. To present the impact of climate change on the productivity of major crops grown in the basin and their consequences on the overall food security of the basin considering future population growth. 5. To present the results of applying simple adaptation strategies related to agriculture and food security; and 6. To determine further studies necessary to identify suitable adaptation strategies for dealing with such impacts.
Impact assessment / Food security / Environmental temperature / Supplemental irrigation / Rainfed farming / Irrigated farming / Productivity / Maize / Rice / Crop production / Ecology / Fisheries / Salt water intrusion / Flooding / Precipitation / Irrigation programs / Dams / Development projects / Electrical energy / Water power / Adaptation / Analysis / Climate change / Models / Decision support systems / River basin development
Record No:H043268
Impacts of climate change and development on Mekong flow regimes. First assessment - 2009Author(s): Hoanh, Chu Thai; Jirayoot, K.; Lacombe, Guillaume; Srinetr, V.
Published year: 2010.
Publisher(s): Vientiane, Laos: Mekong River Commission
Pages: 83
Series: MRC Technical Paper 29More... |
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This paper aims to summarise in detail the results of the analysis under the CSIRO-MRC project of quot;Reducing vulnerability of water resources, people and the environment in the Mekong Basin to climate change impactsquot; by providing the basic findings on the impacts of climate change and development on the Mekong River flow regimes. The paper aims: To present the framework of climate change analysis and its application to the BDP Scenarios; To present the results from the application of the DSF models of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) in order to analyse the impacts of climate change and selected BDP Scenarios on flow regimes; To determine further studies necessary to identify suitable adaptation strategies for dealing with such impacts. The framework of the climate change scenario analysis is introduced in Chapter 2. A brief introduction to the DSF is presented in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 presents the processing of the PRECIS data for the provision of climate inputs for the analysis. The results of model runs for the Baseline Scenario with observed and PRECIS data are presented in Chapter 5. Changes in the flow regime due to both development and climate change are discussed in Chapter 6. Finally, conclusions and recommendations for further studies are presented in Chapter 7.
Irrigation programs / Development projects / Electricity generation / Salt water intrusion / Flooding / Flow / Environmental temperature / Runoff / Precipitation / Data processing / Hydrology / Simulation models / Decision support systems / Climate change / Water resources development / River basin development
Record No:H043262
Managing acidity movement in the coastal land with acid sulphate soils: a modeling approachAuthor(s): Phong, N. D.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Tuong, T. P.; Malano, H.
Published year: 2010.
Pages: pp.76-79 (Published on DVD)
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A new acidity module has been developed and coupled successfully into an existing hydraulic and salinity model for simulating acidity movement in canals under the controlled marine water intake in the coastal land with acid sulphate soil (ASS). The model allied with the Camau peninsula, Mekong Delta, Vietnam indicates that the most suitable option for improving the acidity condition is to open main sluice gates one day every week when difference of tide amplitude of between the East and West seas is highest and to widen the canals connected to the West sea.
Coastal area / Canals / Salinity / Control methods / Acidity / Simulation models / Acid sulphate soils
Record No:H043265
Land use and water quality along a Mekong tributary in northern Lao P.D.RAuthor(s): Ribolzi, O.; Cuny, Juliette; Sengsoulichanh, Phonexay; Mousques, Claire; Soulileuth, Bounsamai; Pierret, Alain; Huon, S.; Sengtaheuanghoung, O.
Published year: 2010.
Journal: Environmental Management Pages: 47(2):291-302
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DOI Improving access to clean water has the potential to make a major contribution toward poverty reduction in rural communities of Lao P.D.R. This study focuses on stream water quality along a Mekong basin tributary, the Houay Xon that flows within a mountainous, mosaic land-use catchment of northern Lao P.D.R. To compare direct water quality measurements to the perception of water quality within the riparian population, our survey included interviews of villagers. Water quality was found to vary greatly depending on the location along the stream. Overall, it reflected the balance between the stream self-cleaning potential and human pressure on the riparian zone: (i) high bacteria and suspended load levels occurred where livestock are left to free-range within the riparian zone; (ii) very low oxygen content and high bacteriological contamination prevailed downstream from villages; (iii) high concentrations of bacteria were consistently observed along urbanized banks; (iv) low oxygen content were associated with the discharge of organic-rich wastewater from a small industrial plant; (v) very high suspended load and bacteria levels occurred during flood events due to soil erosion from steep cultivated hill slopes. Besides these human induced pollutions we also noted spontaneous enrichments in metals in wetland areas fed by dysoxic groundwater. These biophysical measurements were in agreement with the opinions expressed by the majority of the interviewees who reported poor and decreasing water quality in the Houay Xon catchment. Based on our survey, we propose recommendations to improve or maintain stream water quality in the uplands of northern Lao P.D.R.
Surveys / Wastewater / Highlands / Rivers / Water pollution / Measurement / Water quality / Land use
Record No:H043454
Implementing integrated river basin management: lessons from the Red River Basin, VietnamAuthor(s): Molle, Francois; Hoanh, Chu Thai
Published year: 2009.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 25
Series: IWMI Research Report 131More... |
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The report focuses on the establishment of the Red River Basin Organization (RRBO) in Vietnam, but expands its analysis to the wider transformations of the water sector that impinge on the formation and effectiveness of this organization. A few reflections on the policy process are drawn from this analysis, albeit in a tentative form given the relatively limited period of time considered here. The report shows that the promotion of IWRM icons such as RBOs by donors has been quite disconnected from the existing institutional framework. However, the establishment of RBOs might eventually strengthen a better separation of operation and regulation roles. Institutional change is shown to result from the interaction between endogenous processes and external pressures, in ways that are barely predictable.
Participatory management / Development projects / Governance / Institutions / Organizational change / Institutional reform / Water policy / Water law / Legal aspects / Water resource management / River basin management
Record No:H042337
Climbing the water ladder: multiple-use water services for poverty reductionAuthor(s): van Koppen, Barbara; Smits, S.; Moriarty, P.; Penning de Vries, F.; Mikhail, M.; Boelee, Eline
Published year: 2009.
Publisher(s): Hague, Netherlands: International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC); Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI); Colombo, Sri Lanka: CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF)
Pages: 215
Series: IRC TP Series 52More... |
Download In low- and middle-income countries, people need water for drinking, personal hygiene and other domestic use. But they also use it for livestock, horticulture, irrigation, fisheries, brickmaking, and other small-scale enterprises. Multiple-use water services (MUS) are best suited to meeting people’s needs. However, most water services are designed only for domestic water or only for agriculture, and fail to reflect its real-life use. The action research project ‘Models for implementing multiple-use water supply systems for enhanced land and water productivity, rural livelihoods and gender equity’ developed case studies in eight countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, South Africa, Thailand and Zimbabwe) involving 150 institutions. The project analysed two models: homestead-scale and community-scale MUS and developed a ‘multiple-use water ladderapos; to show how better livelihoods flow from increased access to water. This book shows how livelihoods act as the main driver for water services and how access to water is determined by sustainable water resources, appropriate technologies and equitable ways of managing communal systems. Climbing the water ladder requires a small fraction of total water resources, yet has the potential to help people climb out of poverty. Local government can be the pivot to make this happen. But, it needs support to implement its mandate to meet multiple-use demand and to become more accountable to people in communities.
Case studies / Non governmental organizations / Local government / Costs / Appropriate technology / Water purification / Water storage / Runoff / Water harvesting / Wells / Rural areas / Gender / Poverty / Water governance / Irrigation water / Domestic water / Water supply / Research projects / Water productivity / Models / Multiple use
Record No:H042336
Economic gains of improving soil fertility and water holding capacity with clay application: the impact of soil remediation research in northeast ThailandAuthor(s): Saleth, Rathinasamy Maria; Inocencio, A.; Noble, Andrew D.; Ruaysoongnern, S.
Published year: 2009.
Journal: Journal of Development Effectiveness Pages: 1(3):336-352
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DOI Using survey data collected from 250 farmers, this paper evaluates the impact of the Soil Remediation Research Project (SRRP) undertaken by International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Northeast Thailand during 2002–2005. SRRP has demonstrated and promoted the application of clay as a quick and low-cost means for improving the fertility and water holding capacity of sandy soils. The impact evaluation suggests that the SRRP has a net present value (NPV) of US$0.7 million with a benefit–cost ratio (BCR) of 3.1 for the sample context and an NPVof US$99.5 million with a BCR of 317.7 for the larger context of the region.
Economic analysis / Cost benefit analysis / Statistical methods / Models / Sorghum / Rice / Vegetable crops / Crop yield / Soil management / Soil water relations / Water holding capacity / Impact assessment / Farming systems / Clay soils / Bentonite
Record No:H034809
Contested waterscapes in the Mekong Region: hydropower, livelihoods and governanceAuthor(s): Molle, Francois; Foran, T.; Kakonen, M.
Published year: 2009.
Publisher(s): London, UK: Earthscan
Pages: 426
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Water governance / Flood control / Irrigation schemes / Irrigation programs / Downstream / Environmental effects / Decision making / Political aspects / Economic aspects / Case studies / Fisheries / Models / Wetlands / History / River basins / Dams / Hydroelectric schemes / Water resources development
Record No:H042351
Potential and limitations of Payments for Environmental Services (PES) as a means to manage watershed services in mainland Southeast AsiaAuthor(s): George, A.; Pierret, Alain; Boonsaner, A.; Valentin, Christian; Orange, Didier; Planchon, O.
Published year: 2009.
Journal: International Journal of the Commons Pages: 3(1):16-40
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Download Based on two case studies conducted at local sites in Northern Thailand and Lao PDR, the objectives of this paper are (i) to assess whether conditions for the establishment of PES at the watershed level exist in the uplands of mainland SE Asia and (ii) to examine and discuss limitations that are likely to impinge on direct transfer of the PES concept as well as the institutional adaptations and support that are required for the successful implementation of PES markets in this regional context. The study’s main findings are that: (i) acceptance of PES principles and constraints are directly related to stakeholders’ perception of their land rights irrespective of their actual rights; (ii) willingness to pay (WTP) is very low among local stakeholders, making any PES market unlikely to emerge without external support; (iii) the classical scheme for watershed services hardly applies in its original form because environmental service (ES) providers and buyers are generally the same people; (iv) where potential ES buyers feel that ES providers are better-off or wealthier than them, they do not have any WTP for ES; (v) good governance, including a strong liaising at various levels between people and the authorities is a strong prerequisite for the successful establishment of PES markets, even without direct government funding.
Institutions / Case studies / Surveys / Water users / Highlands / Economic aspects / Social aspects / Poverty / Farmers / User charges / Environmental management / Erosion / Water quality / Reservoirs / Watershed management
Record No:H042327
Termite mounds and dykes are biodiversity refuges in paddy fields in north-eastern ThailandAuthor(s): Choosai, C.; Mathieu, J.; Hanboonsong, Y.; Jouquet, Pascal
Published year: 2009.
Journal: Environmental Conservation Pages: 36(1):71-79
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Download Paddy fields in north-eastern Thailand are heterogeneous agro-ecosystems that can be described as mosaics of paddy rice plots, dykes and termitemounds. The aim of this study was to determine if this heterogeneity influences soil macrofauna biodiversity. While biodiversity did not vary as a result of different rice management practices (direct seeding and transplanting), dykes and mounds were vital to the maintenance of soil macrofauna biodiversity. Diversity and density were higher in termite mounds and field dykes, compared to rice plots, especially during the rainy season. Consequently, termitemounds and dykes can be considered to be biodiversity hotspots that behave as refuges for other soilmacrofauna during the rainy and dry seasons, providing protection against flooding and dryness. The importance of these patches of biological activity in terms of ecosystem functioning and services are discussed.
Agroecosystems / Land management / Habitats / Isoptera / Biodiversity / Paddy fields
Record No:H042316
Drivers of afforestation in northern Vietnam: assessing local variations using geographically weighted regressionAuthor(s): Clement, Floriane; Orange, Didier; Williams, M.; Mulley, C.; Epprecht, M.
Published year: 2009.
Journal: Applied Geography Pages: 29:561-576
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DOI This article identifies drivers of forest transition in a province of Northern Vietnam between 1993 and 2000 by applying geographically weighted regression (GWR) analysis to remotely sensed and statistical data. The regression model highlighted the spatial variation of the relationship between the percentage of land afforested and its proximate causes. Factors identified as having a major impact on afforestation are: the presence or proximity of a wood-processing industry, the distance to highways, and land allocation to households. Whereas the two former variables are in most areas of the province positively correlated with afforestation, an unexpected negative correlation was observed for the latter. The analysis of these results, supported by an in-depth knowledge of the area and of the political context, leads to the conclusion that, during the time period considered, afforestation was largely driven by state organisations on protected state-owned land, and forestry was not a significant component of household economic activities.
Households / Land use / Forest policy / Models / Regression analysis / Remote sensing / Assessment / Forest cover / Afforestation
Record No:H042315
High latrine coverage is not reducing the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Hoa Binh province, VietnamAuthor(s): Yajima, A.; Jouquet, Pascal; Trung, D. D.; Cam, T. D. T.; Cong, D. T.; Orange, Didier; Montresor A.
Published year: 2009.
Journal: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Pages: 103(3):237-241
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DOI A baseline epidemiological survey for parasite infections was conducted between December 2007 and January 2008 in 155 villagers in a rural commune in Hoa Binh province, Vietnam. The prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm infection was 13.5%, 45.2% and 58.1%, respectively. At least one of the parasites was detected in 72.3% of the samples. We found no association between infection with A. lumbricoides or T. trichiura and engagement in agriculture, while hookworm infection was more prevalent in populations having frequent contact with soil. Agricultural use of human faeces was not correlated with any of the infections. We suggest that the consumption of vegetables that are commonly fertilized with human faeces in the community has led to the high infection rates with A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura, rather than the manipulation of faeces in farming activity. This also explains the high infection prevalence, despite high latrine coverage (98.1%) in the study population. The presence of latrines alone is not sufficient to reduce the prevalence of helminthiasis in a rural agricultural community if fresh faeces are used as fertilizer.
Record No:H042313
Economic gains of improving soil fertility and water holding capacity with clay application: the impact of soil remediation research in northeast ThailandAuthor(s): Saleth, Rathinasamy Maria; Inocencio, Arlene; Noble, Andrew D.; Ruaysoongnern, S.
Published year: 2009.
Publisher(s): Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 30
Series: IWMI Research Report 130More... |
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Declining productivity of agricultural soils in Northeast Thailand is a challenge facing land managers and farmers. A program was initiated in 2002 to investigate the potential role of incorporating clay-based materials into degraded soils as a means of enhancing productivity. This research report attempts to provide an ex-post assessment of the field level impact and economic viability of this approach, using the empirically derived estimates of the average income impacts that the application of bentonite or clay technology has generated among farm communities in Northeast Thailand. From an exclusive IWMI perspective, the impact evaluation suggests that the program has a net present value (NPV) of US$0.41 million with a benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 2.44 for the sample, and a NPV of US$21 million with a BCR of 75 for the region.
Economic aspects / Economic analysis / Cost benefit analysis / Statistical methods / Models / Sorghum / Rice / Vegetable crops / Crop yield / Farming systems / Soil management / Soil water relations / Clay soils / Water holding capacity / Sandy soils / Soil fertility / Research projects / Impact assessment / Soil improvement
Record No:H042267
International Water Management Institute success stories 2000-2009Author(s): Chartres, Colin J.
Published year: 2009.
Pages: 7
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Case studies / Maps / Water scarcity / Wastewater irrigation / Productivity / Irrigated farming / Groundwater management / Domestic water / Drinking water / Land management / Tanks / Water storage / Water harvesting / Farmers / Poverty / Soil conservation / Food security / Multiple use / Water use / Water resource management / Development projects / Research projects / Research institutes
Record No:H042257
Influencing policyAuthor(s): Dapos;Cruz, R.; de Silva, Sanjiv; Vervest, M. J.
Published year: 2009.
Pages: pp.119-127
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Development projects / Poverty / Water user associations / Social participation / Water resource management / Policy / Peatlands / Wetlands
Record No:H042246
Lessons from elsewhere: seven cases from around the worldAuthor(s): Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali; de Silva, Sanjiv; Nguyen Khoa, Sophie; Samarakoon, Jayampathy
Published year: 2009.
Pages: pp.65-77
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Food security / Conflict / Lagoons / Grasslands / Ecology / Income / Credit / Social aspects / Poverty / Development projects / Project management / Case studies / Wetlands
Record No:H042244
Irrigation in the Lower Mekong Basin countries: the beginning of a new era?Author(s): Hoanh, Chu Thai; Facon, T.; Thuon, T.; Bastakoti, R. C.; Molle, Francois; Phengphaengsy, F.
Published year: 2009.
Pages: pp.143-171
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Water policy / Cost recovery / Farmers / Participatory management / Modernization / Rehabilitation / Irrigation schemes / Irrigated land / Rice / Farming systems / Irrigation management / River basins
Record No:H042241
Hydraulic and water quality modeling: a tool for managing land use conflicts in inland coastal zonesAuthor(s): Hoanh, Chu Thai; Phong, N. D.; Gowing, J. W.; Tuong, T. P.; Ngoc, N. V.; Hien, N. X.
Published year: 2009.
Journal: Water Policy Pages: 11(Supplement 1):106-120
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DOI Tidal effect and salinity intrusion are two defining characteristics of inland coastal zones, causing, respectively, complex variations in water levels and flows in river and canal networks, and serious problems for agriculture and freshwater fishery, but bringing significant benefits for brackish water aquaculture. To evaluate these conflicts and synergies in the development of agriculture, fishery and aquaculture, this paper adopts a hydraulic and salinity modeling approach that simulates the tidal propagation and salinity intrusion, and evaluates the effects of water and land use management on these hydrology- and salinity-related phenomena in coastal zones. The paper presents the empirical results from the application of a hydraulic and salinity model specifically developed for the context of the Ca Mau peninsula, Mekong Delta, Vietnam, and also demonstrates how such a modeling approach can provide valuable policy-relevant information at different phases for water resource planning, development, operation, and management in hydrologically and environmentally sensitive coastal regions.
Brackish water / Aquaculture / Rice / Conflict / Case studies / Investment planning / Rivers / Water management / Land use / Canals / Models / Salt water intrusion / Water quality
Record No:H042169
Ascendiendo la escala del agua: servicios de abastecimiento de agua de usos multiples para la reduccion de la pobreza. In SpanishAuthor(s): van Koppen, Barbara; Smits, S.; Moriarty, P.; Penning de Vries, F.; Mikhail, M.; Boelee, Eline
Published year: 2009.
Publisher(s): Hague, Netherlands: International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC); Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI); Colombo, Sri Lanka: CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF)
Pages: 232
Series: IRC TP Series 52More... |
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Case studies / Non governmental organizations / Local government / Costs / Appropriate technology / Water purification / Water storage / Runoff / Water harvesting / Wells / Rural areas / Gender / Poverty / Water governance / Irrigation water / Domestic water / Water supply / Research projects / Water productivity / Models / Multiple use
Record No:H042917
Erosion and impact of human disturbance on sediment transport in the Red River, Vietnam. [Goldschmidt Conference Abstracts 2009]Author(s): Dang, T. H.; Coynel, A.; Orange, Didier; Blanc, G.; Etcheber, H.; Schafer, J.; Le, L. A.
Published year: 2009.
Journal: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Pages: 73(13) Supplement 1:A260
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Download Mechanical erosion and sediment transfers depend strongly on many natural parameters related to topography, climate and land cover [1]. Additionally, anthropogenic activities may affect sediment supplies to estuaries, deltas and the coastal zone [2]. The Red River (China/Vietnam, A=155 000 km²) is a typical tropical humid river originating from the mountainous area of the Yunnan Province in China. Based on daily discharges (Q) and suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations between 1960-2007 at SonTay gauging station (outlet of the river and entry to the Delta) provided by the national institute IMHE-MONRE, the mean annual SPM fluxes was estimated to 90 Mt/yr, corresponding to a sediment yield of 600 t/km²/yr, similar to the Ganges/Brahmaputra system [3], and probably due to same controlling factors. The temporal variability of annual SPM fluxes (ranging from 24 to 200 Mt/yr) is strongly related to the interannual hydrological conditions. However, some years of high water flow did not account for high sediment fluxes, especially after 1989 when the HoaBinh dam was operated. Sediment rating curves (power law-type; SPM=aQb) were fitted for both periods (1960-1989; 1990-2007). The analysis of the pre- and post-1989 sediment rating parameters (a, b) suggests a downshift of a-parameter values after 1989, attributed to decreased sediment supply [4]. A single sediment rating curve derived from 1960-1989 data was used to simulate the annual variability of former sediment delivery, generating excellent cumulative flux estimates (error lt;-5%). In contrast, applying the same rating curve to the 1986-2007 data resulted in systematic, important (up to 97%) overestimation. This suggests that the HoaBinh dam reduces annual SPM delivery to the delta by half, implying changes in nutrient and contaminant transport.
Erosion / Sedimentation / Hydrology / Rivers
Record No:H042657
Managing water and land resources for sustainable livelihoods at the interface between fresh and saline water environments in Vietnam and Bangladesh: CPWF project reportAuthor(s): Tuong, T. P.; Hoanh, Chu Thai
Published year: 2009.
Pages: 93
More... In summary, the project findings improved production systems that integrate agriculture, aquaculture, and fisheries in the coastal zones of Bangladesh and Vietnam for enhancing livelihoods in a sustainable manner. To achieve the great impacts of these production systems, the project provided methodologies, decision-support tools for analyzing the interactions among different components, and different spatial and temporal scales to ensure stakeholders’ full participation.
Households / Participatory rural appraisal / Decision support tools / Models / Salinity control / Water quality / Coastal area / Fisheries / Aquaculture / Rice / Canals / Irrigated farming / Farming systems / Impact assessment / Natural resources management
Record No:H042709
Analysing the outcomes of forest policies in northern Vietnam: the role of policy design. Draft paperAuthor(s): Clement, Floriane
Published year: 2009.
Pages: 14
More... Recent large-scale afforestation programmes in Vietnam have had a mixed success. Official statistics report a forest cover increase, but the programmesapos; contribution to poverty reduction has been limited and their actual benefits to the environment are questionable.I discuss in this paper to which extent policy design has contributed to these shortcomings. I focused on two state initiatives - a large national afforestation campaign, called the Five Million Hectare Reforestation Programme, and the recent allocation of upland to communities. I combined institutional and discourse analysis to assess how incentives, rules and discourses in the policy-making arena have affected outcomes on the ground. I also examined the role of evidence and the factors that have supported policy change.Findings highlight that policy flaws largely result from the characteristics of the policy-making arena at the central level. Discourses have played a significant role in the way they have shaped problem definition and beliefs. Black boxes have provided a means to neatly accommodate the diverse interests of policy-makers under consensus-based governance. I argue that revising policies might not result in improved outcomes as long as simplistic and biased narratives prevail. I conclude with a set of recommendations to bridge the gap between research and policy.
Land policies / Forest policy / Afforestation / Organizations / Institutions
Record No:H042677
The importance of context for pro-poor institutional change: the case of land-tenure reforms in Vietnam’s uplandsAuthor(s): Clement, Floriane; Amezaga, J. M.
Published year: 2009.
Pages: 47
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Download Rural development debates have largely focused on identifying which natural resource institutions can best contribute to poverty alleviation. We argue that it is equally important to understand under which context a given set of institutions can contribute to reduce poverty. The argument is applied to the case of post-collectivization land reforms in Vietnam. We discuss the role of context in policy shortcomings by analyzing simultaneously the fit between institutions and local contextual factors and the influence of the broader discursive and political-economic context under which policy changes operate.
Households / Forest land / Poverty / History / Legal aspects / Land policies / Land management / Land tenure / Institutions
Record No:H042528
Assessment of tillage erosion rates on steep slopes in northern LaosAuthor(s): Dupin, B.; de Rouw, A.; Phantahvong, K. B.; Valentin, Christian
Published year: 2009.
Journal: Soil and Tillage Research Pages: 103(1):119-126
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DOI In the hills of south-east Asia shifting cultivation is developing towards more permanent cropping systems. In association with short fallow periods, fields suffer from weed pressure and this, in turn, leads to more frequent and deeper manual tillage. Due to steep slopes these operations induce tillage erosion. Measurements of such soil losses under on-farm conditions are still scarce. In this study tillage erosion was assessed and a predictive model of tillage erosion was established based on slope angle and contact cover, i.e. basal crop area and weed cover. The experiments were conducted in the Houay Pano, Northern Laos. The farmers cultivate annual crops in rotation with 1–3 year fallow periods without external inputs and using only hand tools. Tillage erosion was assessed using the tracer method across nine slope classes (0.30–1.10 m m1) for two crops, upland rice and Job’s tears (Coix lacryma-jobi L.). Soil movement due to land preparation and weeding were assessed separately because different tools are used, a medium size hoe and a small curved hoe. A multivariate regression showed a highly significant relation (R2 = 0.83) between soil losses due to land preparation, slope gradient and contact cover. Predicting models of soil losses due to weeding were also highly significant (R2 = 0.79 for upland rice, R2 = 0.88 for Job’s tears), confirming the importance of tillage erosion on steep slopes (4, 6 and 11 t ha1 year1 on slopes with gradients of 0.30, 0.60 and 0.90 m m1, respectively). Tillage erosion has increased exponentially over the last 40 years because of weed invasion associated with short fallow periods; the initially no-till system has changed into a system heavily dependent on tillage to control weeds and this greatly contributes to soil degradation.
Subsistence farming / Sloping land / Farming systems / Weed control / Upland rice / Shifting cultivation / Erosion / Tillage
Record No:H041849
Managing aquifer recharge and discharge to sustain irrigation livelihoods under water scarcity and climate changeAuthor(s): Dillon, P.; Gale, I.; Contreras, S.; Pavelic, Paul; Evans, R.; Ward, J.
Published year: 2009.
Pages: pp.1-12
Series: IAHS Publication 330More... |
Download Decreasing mean annual rainfall, and the increasing rainfall intensity, temperature and evaporation, forecast for semi-arid parts of the world where water supplies are already stressed will require storage capacity to be increased or more stable resources to be harnessed to maintain security of water supplies at current levels. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) to enhance below-ground storage of water is considered a positive contribution to stabilising drinking water supplies in cities subject to climate change. However, this paper shows that in rural irrigation areas where groundwater levels are already dropping due to an imbalance between extraction and natural recharge, unless favourable conditions permit sufficient recharge enhancement, MAR will need to be supplemented by discharge management to be successful in sustaining irrigation supplies. In fractured rock aquifers with low storage capacity, the symptoms of excessive demand are accelerated. In some cases MAR may give false hope where the benefits only accrue to the wealthiest landholders with deepest wells, or landholders closest to recharge facilities. This paper contains theoretical examples and case studies from Australia and India to illustrate a spectrum of approaches involving different contributions of recharge enhancement and discharge management to reduce groundwater deficits. A model for farmer-led groundwater demand management in the Philippines is anticipated to be effective in constraining consumption and preventing coastal saline intrusion in northern Luzon where aquifers are at an early stage of development. Similarly, models are proposed to reduce demand on aquifers that are already showing advanced symptoms of stress, while equitably supporting livelihoods at their maximum sustainable value.
Farmer managed irrigation systems / Farmer-led irrigation / Case studies / Water supply / Climate change / Groundwater recharge / Aquifers / Water scarcity / Hydrogeology
Record No:H042539
Scoping study on natural resources and climate change in Southeast Asia with a focus on agriculture. Final reportAuthor(s): Johnston, Robyn M.; Hoanh, Chu Thai; Lacombe, Guillaume; Noble, Andrew D.; Smakhtin, Vladimir; Suhardiman, Diana; Kam, Suan Pheng; Choo, P. S
Published year: 2009.
Publisher(s): Vientiane, Laos: International Water Management Institute (IWMI) South East Asia Office, for Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)
Pages: 107
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Nutrient management / Policy / Rural poverty / Economic aspects / Water management / Food security / Fisheries / Livestock / Farming systems / Cropping systems / Crops / Agricultural production / Agroecology / Environmental effects / Natural resources / Climate change
Record No:H042414
Irrigation at M-POWER Annual Meeting 2008Author(s): Hoanh, Chu Thai
Published year: 2008.
Journal: M-POWER (Mekong Program on Water Environment and Resilience) Research Update 23 Pages: January-February 2008:2-3
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River basins / Policy / Water governance / Irrigation water
Record No:H041514
Runoff and sediment losses from 27 upland catchments in Southeast Asia: impact of rapid land use changes and conservation practicesAuthor(s): Valentin, Christian; Agus, F.; Alamban, R.; Boosaner, A.; Bricquet, J. P.; Chaplot, V.; de Guzman, T.; de Rouw, A.; Janeau, J. L.; Orange, Didier; Phachomphonh, K.; Phai, Do Duy; Podwojewski, P.; Ribolzi, O.; Silvera, N.; Subagyono, K.; Thiebaux, Jean-Pierre; Toan, Tran Duc; Vadari, T.
Published year: 2008.
Journal: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment Pages: 128:225-238
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Sloping land / Soil conservation / Farming systems / Shifting cultivation / Cassava / Maize / Upland rice / Erosion / Land use / Catchment areas / Sedimentation / Runoff
Record No:H041507
Duras Program, CropLivestock Project, IRD-Vietnam component: final technical - scientific report. IRD-IWMI, MSEC (Management for Soil Erosion Consortium) Team, SFRI (Soils and Fertilisers Research Institute), Hanoi, VietnamAuthor(s): Orange, Didier; Henry des Tureaux, Thierry; Phan Ha, H. A.; Clement, Floriane; Jouquet, Pascal; Van Dinh, P.; Van Thiet, N.; Nguyen, D. P.; Toan, T. D.
Published year: 2008.
Pages: 11
More... Part 1: Identification of spontaneous innovative practices through local community-based knowledge; Part 2: Environmental impact of fodder crop on sloping lands.
Soil management / Sloping land
Record No:H043031
Implementing integrated river basin management: lessons from the Red River Basin, Vietnam. Working paperAuthor(s): Molle, Francois; Hoanh, Chu Thai
Published year: 2008.
Publisher(s): Chiang Mai, Thailand: Mekong Program on Water Environment and Resilience (M-POWER); Montpellier Cedex, France: Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement (IRD); Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Pages: 51
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Participatory management / Development projects / Institutions / Institutional reform / Legal aspects / Governance / River basin management
Record No:H041494
Different interests, common concerns and shared benefitsAuthor(s): Orange, Didier; Toan, Tran Duc; Salgado, P.; Phuong, N. D.; Van Thiet, N.; Clement, Floriane; Binh, L. H.
Published year: 2008.
Journal: LEISA Magazine Pages: 24(2):12-13
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Download Getting farmers to adopt new technologies to address soil erosion and fertility problems is not easy. In Vietnam, a multidisciplinary research project to improve soil management in traditional mountainous agricultural farming systems managed to attract farmers’ interest and stop soil erosion. This success stems from encouraging farmers, extensionists and researchers to jointly define and implement the project. Their different aims could be followed simultaneously: scientific results for researchers, better agricultural practice for extension workers, and economic success and free choice for farmers.
Development projects / Fodder / Crop production / Farming systems / Farmer participation / Decision making / Sloping land / Land management / Villages / Control methods / Erosion / Soil management
Record No:H041495
Exploring the relevance and feasibility of PES approaches for producing environmental services through changes in agricultural practices: a case study in the Mekong Region: Vietnam caseAuthor(s): Orange, Didier; Nguyen Duy, P.; Loiseau, J. B.; Bui Tan, Y.; Henry des Tureaux, Thierry; Bardouin, L.; Rodriguez, C.; Bertrand, J.; Grandidier, E.; Jouquet, Pascal; Toan, T. D.
Published year: 2008.
Pages: 68
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Case studies / Irrigation operation / Water balance / Biogas / Biofuels / Composts / Farming systems / User charges / Environmental protection / Catchment areas / Watersheds / Highlands / Models / Runoff / Erosion
Record No:H043014
No-till farming systems. Special publication no.3Author(s): Goddard, T.; Zoebisch, M. A.; Gan, Y.; Ellis, W.; Watson, A.; Sombatpanit, S.
Published year: 2008.
Publisher(s): Bangkok, Thailand: World Association of Soil and Water Conservation; Penang, Malaysia: International Water Management Institute (IWMI), South East Asia Office; and others
Pages: 544
More... Thirty-four contributions from renowned experts and practitioners around the world provide a comprehensive review of the rapid growth of no-till, the barriers that have been overcome and the challenges that still lie ahead. Chapters cover current research and new directions as well as policy needs, adoption and extension.
Agroecology / Carbon sequestration / Cotton / Maize / Wheat / Crop production / Soil water / Infiltration / Rainfed farming / Case studies / Irrigated farming / Conservation tillage / Soil management / Soil properties / Soil fertility / Cropping systems / Livestock / Zero tillage
Record No:H041263
The fear of awful smell: risk perceptions among farmers in Vietnam using wastewater and human excreta in agricultureAuthor(s): Kundsen, L. G.; Phuc, P. D.; Hiep, N. T.; Samuelsen, H.; Jensen, P. K.; Dalsgaard, A.; Raschid-Sally, Liqa; Konradsen, F.
Published year: 2008.
Journal: Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health Pages: 39(2):341-352
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Download Vietnamese farmers’ health-risk awareness, knowledge, and practices related to their use of wastewater and human excreta was investigated in an anthropological study by a multidisciplinary team in peri-urban Hanoi and Nghe An Province. Farmers identified health risks associated with their use of excreta and wastewater, but they viewed these as unavoidable risks related to production. They perceived the health risks as different for the use of wastewater and human feces. They perceived health risks from wastewater as non-serious because it remained on the skin and only caused skin problems, but they considered health risks from non-composted smelly feces serious because it entered the body through ‘polluted’ air. Most farmers were more aware of threats to health from ‘dirt’ entering the domestic environment than of the health risks during their work. The concept of ‘dirt’ should be separated from understanding of germs, viruses, and parasites so that it is understood that things that carrying health risks cannot always be identified by their ‘dirtiness’ or smell. Farmers mainly considered hygiene and health as women’s issues. Men’s responsibility for the health and hygiene of the family should therefore be emphasized.
Fisheries / Women farmers / Hygiene / Fertilizers / Excreta / Health hazards / Wastewater irrigation
Record No:H041254
Ung Dung Phuong phap phan tich hinh anh de danh gia xoi mon dat. In VietnameseAuthor(s): Van Thiet, N.; Pomel, S.; Pham Quang, H.; Toan, T. D.; Orange, Didier
Published year: 2008.
Journal: Sciences and Technology Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development Pages: 7(7):42-46
More... Optical analysing technique is recently developed for soil erosion evaluation with high resolution digital camera with use of software programs such as Optilab Pro. This paper reports results from a study in Dong Cao (Luong Son, Hoa Binh, Vietnam). Results were obtained on digital images analysis from two Sub-Catchment (W2, W3) with 28 plots. The results indicated a range of soil loss of 937 to 1553 kg per ha for W2 and 1225 to 2050 kg per ha for W3. The difference of soil erosion was mainly due to the difference of cover crops. Linear regression was made and it showed a very closed correlation between conventional and optical methoda in soil erosion study. In terms of the absolute value, optical method showed a higher value than the conventional one. The reason may be due to the optical theoretical method calculated the maximum soil moved from the site (eroded) while the conventional experimental method measured the soil erosion collected in experiment weir. In long term, with more data, this optical method should be further checked and recalibrated for other types of soil covers and soil topography for the use in larger scales.
Catchment areas / Watersheds / Erosion
Record No:H042827
Different effects of earthworms and ants on soil properties of paddy fields in North-East ThailandAuthor(s): Jouquet, Pascal; Hartmann, C.; Choosai, C.; Hanboonsong, Y.; Brunet, D.; Montoroi, J. P.
Published year: 2008.
Journal: Paddy and Water Environment Pages: 6(4):381-386
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DOI As soil engineers, earthworms and ants play major roles in soil functioning, especially in modifying soil physical and chemical properties. This study was conducted in a very constraining environment, i.e., paddy fields which have anoxic conditions (approximately four months per year), and which are affected by soil salinisation during the dry period (approximately eight months per year). This study points out that despite those very adverse conditions, soil invertebrates must be taken into account in the dynamic of soil organic and mineral properties in paddy fields. The effects of one earthworm species, Glyphodrillus sp., and an ant species, Epelysidris sp., on soil physical and chemical properties were determined through elemental soil physical and chemical properties (texture, pH, conductivity, C and N contents) and near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) in order to evaluate their ability to influence soil organic matter quality. PCA processed with NIRS data clearly showed that biogenic structures (ant sheetings and earthworm casts) were separated from the control surrounding soil. Earthworms and ants affected differently soil properties. Glyphodrillus sp. increased the SOM content and decreased the pH on the surface of the soil. These effects were attributed to an increase in fine particle content (clay). Conversely, Epelysidris sp. only increased the content of coarse particles (sand) and did not influence either soil pH or SOM content. Soil conductivity was found to be very variable but was not significantly affected by soil invertebrates. These results show the potential of soil macro-fauna to create heterogeneity at small spatial scale and to modify the quality of surface soils even under adverse conditions like saline paddy fields.
Soil analysis / Soil properties / Paddy fields / Cats / Formicidae / Earthworms
Record No:H042766
Effect of fallow regrowth on stream water yield in a headwater catchment under shifting cultivation in northern Lao PDRAuthor(s): Ribolzi, Olivier; Thiebaux, Jean-Pierre; Bourdon, Emmanuel; Briquet, J. P.; Chaplot, V.; Huon, S.; Marchand, P.; Mouche, E.; Pierret, Alain; Robain, H.; de Rouw, Anneke; Sengtahevanghoung, O.; Soulileuth, B.; Valentin, Christian
Published year: 2008.
Journal: Lao Journal of Agriculture and Forestry Pages: Special issue no.17:52-71
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Water table / Land use / Groundwater depletion / Water uptake / Stream flow / Shifting cultivation / Water balance / Runoff / Water yield
Record No:H041774
The MSEC project in the Lao PDR at a glance: biophysical and socio-economic background and project experimental set upAuthor(s): Valentin, Christian; Lestrelin, Guillaume; Chanthavongsa, A.; Phachomphon, K.; de Rouw, Anneke; Chanhphengxay, A.; Chaplot, V.; Bourdon, Emmanuel; Briquet, J. P.; Marchand, P.; Pierret, Alain; Ribolzi, Olivier; Thiebaux, Jean-Pierre
Published year: 2008.
Journal: Lao Journal of Agriculture and Forestry Pages: Special issue no.17:32-50
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Social aspects / Shifting cultivation / Rice / Catchment areas / Crop production / Policy / Land use / Runoff / Erosion
Record No:H041777
No-till farming systems. Special publication no.3Author(s): Goddard, T.; Zoebisch, M. A.; Gan, Y.; Ellis, W.; Watson, A.; Sombatpanit, S.
Published year: 2008.
Publisher(s): Bangkok, Thailand: World Association of Soil and Water Conservation; Penang, Malaysia: International Water Management Institute (IWMI), South East Asia Office; and others
Pages: 544
More... |
Download Thirty-four contributions from renowned experts and practitioners around the world provide a comprehensive review of the rapid growth of no-till, the barriers that have been overcome and the challenges that still lie ahead. Chapters cover current research and new directions as well as policy needs, adoption and extension.
Agroecology / Carbon sequestration / Cotton / Maize / Wheat / Crop production / Soil water / Infiltration / Rainfed farming / Case studies / Irrigated farming / Conservation tillage / Soil management / Soil properties / Soil fertility / Cropping systems / Livestock / Zero tillage
Record No:H043633
Bureaucratic designs: the paradox of irrigation management transfer in Indonesia. ThesisAuthor(s): Suhardiman, Diana
Published year: 2008.
Publisher(s): Wageningen, Netherlands: Diana Suhardiman
Pages: 281
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Maintenance / Operations / Irrigation programs / Legislation / Water control / Water distribution / Water user associations / Rent seeking / Bureaucracy / Farmer participation / Participatory management / Political aspects / Policy / Privatization / Irrigation management
Record No:H040966