Water Productivity
Josephine Treacy
Abstract
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have predicted from the years 2000 to 2050 the industrial demand for water will increase by 400 %. This manuscript will discuss water stewardship as an aid to water productivity. The benefits of the integration of water stewardship and ...
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The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have predicted from the years 2000 to 2050 the industrial demand for water will increase by 400 %. This manuscript will discuss water stewardship as an aid to water productivity. The benefits of the integration of water stewardship and water productivity will be portrayed in this paper. The fundamentals of water productivity will be outlined. The stages of water stewardship namely operational, context, strategy and engagement will be introduced. The concept of the green economy and ecolabel products will be discussed. Other synergies including the life cycle analysis, water footprint assessment, multibarrier designs, citizen science and policy development as core needs within the integration will be outlined. The bigger goal of aiding the sustainable development goals (SDGs) to achieve clean water and water security as the main reason for society and corporate business to move in the direction of this integration will be highlighted. Water hydrology and catchment understanding are also the core benefits of the integration of water stewardship with water productivity. Improving water productivity by integrating water stewardship into its practices can improve business practices, environmental water flows, supply chain sourcing, policies, and water-efficient technologies. This manuscript highlights the range of different synergies that can strengthen the integration of water stewardship and water productivity. Water stewardship as an aid to water productivity can place water as a game changer for more eco-economical and environmental practices.
Climate Change
Samir A. Al-Gamal
Abstract
Climate change is probably going to affect groundwater resources, in Sub-Saharan ccountries (SSA) in Africa either directly, by means of changing precipitation patterns, or indirectly through the combination of changing precipitation patterns with evolving land-use practices and water request. West Africa ...
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Climate change is probably going to affect groundwater resources, in Sub-Saharan ccountries (SSA) in Africa either directly, by means of changing precipitation patterns, or indirectly through the combination of changing precipitation patterns with evolving land-use practices and water request. West Africa has, over the past few decades, experienced a sharp decline in rainfall and average annual flow of watercourses. A break in the rainfall pattern was observed around 1968-1972. 1970 is considered as the turning point after which the decline in average rainfall worsened from minus 15% to minus 30% depending on the zone. This situation led to the drifting of isohyets by about 200 km to the south. A 1°C increment in temperature could change overflow by 10%, expecting that precipitation levels stay consistent. Any reduction in groundwater recharge will intensify the impact of sea-level rise in coastal aquifers. For various reasons and at various levels, West African countries are dependent on one another. Over the past few decades, this interdependence has not only generated tension, but has also led to a dialogue and cooperation process. Only one country (Burkina Faso) are below the international standard for water scarcity (1,700 m3 of renewable fresh water per year per person); On the other hand, there are major problems in terms of availability at the desired time and place. According to the Global Water Partnership, the withdrawal level of renewable water resources in West Africa (excluding Cameroon and Chad) is currently at 11 billion m3 per year for an available 1,300 billion m3, which is less than 1%. Agriculture uses 75% of these withdrawals, domestic consumption 17%, and industry 7%. Although it is by far the highest in proportion, agricultural use of water resources is low. Out of the 75.5 million hectares of arable land in West Africa, only 1.2% (917,000 ha) is developed for irrigation, and 0.8% (635,000 ha) is used effectively.
