Download or read book Rapid Assessment of Water Availability and Appropriate Technologies written by Andrew Keller and published by IWMI. This book was released on 2014-12-17 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Limited access to water is a key reason why millions of poor farmers struggle to grow enough food and marketable crops to improve their lives. Public sector agencies, civil society organizations and donors seeking to improve small-scale farmers’ access to water resources face limited data on the location and accessibility of water resources. This paper addresses this gap by providing a tested method to assess water resources that small-scale farmers can access affordably and sustainably. This paper also supports the selection of appropriate water access and application technologies for available water resources. The method described is rapid and relatively inexpensive; it uses a phased approach to assess a broad-scale area (e.g., a country or region); and then gathers more information in locations that have higher potential for affordable water access by small-scale farmers.

Download or read book A framework to Understand Gender and Structural Vulnerability to Climate Change in the Ganges River Basin written by Fraser Sugden and published by IWMI. This book was released on 2014-01-01 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As climate change becomes accepted as a reality in the scientific community, it is critical to continue to understand its impact on the ground, particularly for communities dependent on agriculture and natural resources. This report reviews the extensive literature on the vulnerability to climate change in South Asia, with a focus on gender. It highlights how vulnerability is intricately connected to existing social structures. With respects to gender inequalities, the report reviews how men and women are affected in different ways by climate shocks, while differing access to resources and cultural ideologies mean that their capacity to ‘adapt’ is also not equal. The report also notes the importance of other axes of inequality (caste, class and ethnicity) in shaping gendered vulnerability. It concludes by offering insights into potential ways forward to promote more equitable adaptation to change through improved policies and practices.

Download or read book Hydrogeology of the Eastern Ganges Basin an overview written by Rajmohan, N. and published by IWMI. This book was released on 2013-02-06 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Ganges Basin is a part of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) River Basin and is one of the most populated (600 million) river basins in the world. This study focuses on the Eastern Ganges Basin (EGB) and covers India (Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal), Bangladesh and the Nepal Terai. Poverty is acute in the EGB, where household incomes are low, food security is not assured and devastating floods (and also water shortages) occur too often. The EGB is underlain by one of the most prolific aquifers in the world. Yet, farmers struggle to cope with dry spells and droughts because of their inability to access groundwater. Huge untapped groundwater, surplus surface water, and enormous plains and fertile lands highlight the requirement of proper planning for groundwater management and governance to reduce poverty and assure food security. The aim of this report is to assist planners/policymakers in the planning and management of groundwater resources in the EGB. This report mainly discusses about hydrogeology, groundwater potential and challenges, and groundwater quality issues in the EGB. Moreover, it is an attempt to form a base for future work related to groundwater development, management and modeling in this basin.

Download or read book Review of Literature on Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology CKDu in Sri Lanka written by Andrew Noble and published by IWMI. This book was released on 2014-05-16 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This manuscript undertakes a review of current published information (peer-reviewed and grey literature) on Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka. It attempts to provide an overview of the possible environmentally-induced causal factors that have been implicated in the development of the disease, and identifies the gaps in research and recommends potential areas for future research. The review specifically captures the potential role that agriculture and water resources may play as causal factors in the development of the disease, and calls for a systematic approach and stresses the need for an integrated multi-disciplinary research effort to address the problem.

Download or read book Extent of Arsenic Contamination and Its Impact on the Food Chain and Human Health in the Eastern Ganges Basin written by N. Rajmohan and published by IWMI. This book was released on 2014-01-01 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exposure to arsenic and the use of arsenic-contaminated groundwater in agriculture causes serious health issues. Complete or partial contamination of groundwater is reported worldwide, especially in the Eastern Gangetic Basin (EGB). This study aims to create an overall assessment of arsenic contamination in the EGB based on existing literature, demarcate the extent of the affected area, highlight the impacts on the food chain and human health, and hopes the research will help in the better planning and management of groundwater. Although several studies have evaluated arsenic contamination of groundwater in the EGB, (a) there is no proper long-term monitoring being done in affected areas; (b) there is a debate to identify the exact source and transport processes of arsenic occurrence in this region; (c) there is no comprehensive method to estimate the level of arsenic contamination in soil, water and the food chain; and (d) Arsenic contamination in Bihar and Nepal is not evaluated systematically, especially arsenic accumulation in the food chain and human health issues. Data scarcity and accessibility are the major challenges in this region. Thus, this review recommends systematic monitoring and analysis of arsenic contamination in groundwater, soils and food across the EGB.

Download or read book Characteristics of Urban and Peri urban Agriculture in West Africa written by Imogen Bellwood-Howard and published by International Water Management Institute (IWMI). This book was released on 2015-10-06 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The report summarizes key results from surveys carried out on urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in Tamale (Ghana) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) in 2013. The aim was to provide a broad overview of the state of UPA in the study cities and a basis for future research endeavors. The randomized sampling approach used aerial photography to identify 10 sites in different categories of farm in each city. Farmers provided information on their cropping and livestock-rearing activities. There were similarities between the cities, but the differences in the expression of UPA in Tamale and Ouagadougou were more intriguing, as in farm sizes, crops grown and livestock ownership. Farmers were particularly concerned about diminishing access to land in Tamale, where sales by chiefs to private investors were accelerating. In Ouagadougou, formal reallocation of land to homeowners by the state had similarly decreased available farmland. Water availability was a universal concern, and the quality of water used for irrigation was potentially more questionable in Ouagadougou than in Tamale. The results point to the need for further work on uncontaminated, perennial water sources and soil fertility management, alongside focuses on commercialization of animal production, and the legal, political and institutional context of UPA in different West African cities.

Download or read book Revitalizing Canal Irrigation Towards Improving Cost Recovery written by Ravinder P. S. Malik and published by IWMI. This book was released on 2014 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cost recovery from irrigation in almost all the countries presents a dismal picture. Low cost recovery coupled with declining government finances has led to the deterioration of both the quality of the built infrastructure and institutions managing and governing such infrastructure. This has created a vicious circle of low cost recovery, poor maintenance of infrastructure, inadequate and unreliable water supply, inefficient and corrupt institutions, and unwillingness of the farmers to pay. Breaking this vicious circle primarily requires identifying ways to improve availability of financial resources. Improving cost recovery from all users, including irrigators of the water, offers one of the most important avenues for raising financial resources. The present study examines some of the important issues that impinge on improving the cost recovery in canal irrigation, and assesses the feasibility of some of the efforts being made to improve cost recovery in irrigation to revitalize canal irrigation.

Download or read book Consumer Perceptions of Fruit and Vegetable Quality written by Keraita, B. and published by International Water Management Institute (IWMI). This book was released on 2015-10-06 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With increasing change of traditional diets, and the emergence of new supply and marketing chains, urban food consumers in low-income countries are faced with multiple food safety challenges, among which microbial contamination and pesticides are key concerns for fruits and vegetables sold on urban markets in West Africa. Although consumers have a genuine interest in healthy food, and are willing to pay premiums, their interpretation of food quality and risks deviates from scientific health risk assessments and does not translate into recommended risk mitigation behavior. To safeguard public health, alternative measures are needed to support consumers’ risk awareness and decision making. The review looked at common and less-common options to trigger and support behavioral change, including safety labeling (certification), corporate social responsibility models, incentive systems and social marketing of safe practices, to address potential food safety risks from farming in urban and peri-urban areas. Overall, it appears that regulatory measures for risk management, including certifications, will be – for now – less effective in the West African setup due to low educational levels in view of chemical and microbial risk, diverse and often informal food chains, poor safety supporting infrastructure and weak institutional capacities for compliance monitoring.

Download or read book Baseline review and ecosystem services assessment of the Tana River Basin Kenya written by Baker, Tracy and published by International Water Management Institute (IWMI). This book was released on 2015-06-01 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ‘WISE-UP to climate’ project aims to demonstrate the value of natural infrastructure as a ‘nature-based solution’ for climate change adaptation and sustainable development. Within the Tana River Basin, both natural and built infrastructure provide livelihood benefits for people. Understanding the interrelationships between the two types of infrastructure is a prerequisite for sustainable water resources development and management. This is particularly true as pressures on water resources intensify and the impacts of climate change increase. This report provides an overview of the biophysical characteristics, ecosystem services and links to livelihoods within the basin.

Download or read book Water Resources Assessment of the Volta River Basin written by Marloes Mul, Emmanuel Obuobie and published by International Water Management Institute (IWMI). This book was released on 2015-02-01 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Water Supply and Water Scarcity written by Vasileios A. Tzanakakis and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2020-11-04 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Book includes selected papers that has been published in the Water journal Special Issue (SI) on Water Supply and Water Scarcity. Moreover, an overview of the SI is included. The papers selected for publication in the SI include review and research papers on water history, on water management issues under water scarcity regimes, on rainwater harvesting, on water quality and degradation, and on climatic variability impacts on water resources. Overall, the issue identify and highlight the main challenges in water sector, and particularly in management and protection of water resources and in use of alternative (non-conventional) water resources, especially in areas with demographic change and climate vulnerability in order to achieve sustainable and secure water supply. Furthermore, general guidelines and possible solutions for an improved and sophisticated water management system are proposed and discussed, such as the adoption of advanced technological solutions and practices that improve water-use efficiency and the use of alternative water resources, to address the growing environmental and health issues and to reduce the emerging conflicts among water users.

Download or read book Rural Water Supply and Sanitation written by Prof. Elijah K. Biamah and published by Dolman Scott Publishers. This book was released on 2012-08-08 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This publication is expected to provide insights into the present water supply and sanitation in rural Kenya by identifying potential cost-effective sources of community water supply systems; determining the current water demand and assessing the capacity of existing water supplies; recommending possible and viable solutions to community sanitation problems; identifying existing structures for water development in rural communities and areas of collaboration with other players in the water sector; and determining the extent of environmental degradation in water catchments and recommending possible remedies. This publication will form the basis for effective planning, monitoring, and evaluation of water supply and sanitation development projects in rural Kenya. The focus of this publication is on the sustainability of water supply systems and sanitation that have been realized by water development projects in rural Kenya. It attempts to look into proposed and completed projects with a view to improving the implementation and sustainability of development project activities. It also attempts to look at sustainability through a transition strategy where the local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) community-based organizations (CBOs), faith-based organizations (FBOs) and Water Users Committees (WUCs) would take charge of water supply systems. An increased local capacity building through training, formulation and enforcement of water management by-laws would ensure the sustainability of the operation and maintenance of developed water sources."

Download or read book World Water Assessment Programme Sri Lanka Case Study written by K. A. U. S. Imbulana and published by IWMI. This book was released on 2002-04-07 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Case Study Workshop was organized with the objective of obtaining the necessary input the experts on different subject areas of water resources, subject those views and discussion among the stakeholder agencies, and synthesize the information to a report on the case study. The outcome of the Workshop would eventually transform into the contribution of Sri Lanka to the forst WWDR

Download or read book Assessment of the Fate and Effects of Toxic Agents on Water Resources written by I. Ethem Gonenc and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-04-06 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Water has become one of the potential targets of terrorists. This volume addresses the basic scientific concepts that must be integrated by decision-makers to minimize damages and optimize recovery operations in the aftermath of such an attack. It addresses the multidisciplinary approaches for rapid diagnoses and assessments, and offers a step-by-step treatment of all aspects of ecosystem processes, modelling and monitoring.

Download or read book Biological Assessment and Criteria written by Wayne S. Davis and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 1995-03-03 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biological Assessment and Criteria presents a state-of-the-art overview of the applications of biological assessments and biocriteria for water quality management in fresh waters. The book presents case studies which illustrate how bioassessment has been used to identify and diagnose water quality problems. It also provides examples of the use of qualitative and quantitative biocriteria as regulatory tools to complement water quality criteria and standards. The first book to present the technical foundation, rationale, program and policy relevance, and legal basis for the most accurate tools used to assess freshwater natural resource and regulatory efforts, this book provides useful and timely information for water quality managers.

Download or read book Fundamental Aspects of Appropriate Technology written by International Workshop on Appropriate Technology and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between 4-7 September 1979, an international workshop on Appropriate Technology (AT) was organized in Delft, Netherlands, by the Center for Appropriate Technology of the Delft University of Technology. Representatives of 24 AT organisations from allover the world held discussions on the role of AT as a factor in development. There were two main objectives of the workshop - to enlarge the understanding of, and knowledge about the processes and conditions essential for the introduction of AT in regional deve lopment programs. This was formally referred to as 'the implementation of the results of AT research'. -secondly, an evaluation of the theories and models which have been applied for the establishment of these regional development programs. This was formally referred to as 'an inventory of AT concepts.' The workshop discussions focussed essentially on three issue areas: technology and development, organisational framework, and education and research. A summary of the conclusions and recommendatjons made by the workshop can be found in Chapter One of this report of the proceedings. All participants were invited, prior to the workshop, to outline their ideas on the subjects listed above, in position papers. Condensed versions of these papers are presented in Chapter Three.

Download or read book Bulletin of the Pan American Health Organization written by and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 944 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: