This paper reports the formulation and application of a framework of catchment-level water resource management indicators designed to integrate environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainability. The framework of nine indicators was applied to the River Dee and River Sinos catchments in Scotland and Brazil, respectively, following an indicator selection process that involved inputs fr...

Owing to increased demands on ground water accompanied by increased drawdowns, technologies that use recharge options, such as aquifer storage recovery (ASR), are being used to optimize available water resources and reduce adverse effects of pumping. In this paper, three representative ground water flow models were created to assess the impact of hydrogeologic and operational parameters/factors...

With the rapidly increasing demands on water resources, fresh water shortage has become an important issue affecting the economic and social development in many countries. As one of the main technologies for producing fresh water from saline water and other wastewater sources, reverse osmosis (RO) has been widely used so far. However, a major challenge facing widespread application of RO techno...

There is a gradual decline in soil fertility due to its continue use in farming. This necessitates developing new strategies of management programs to recharge soil with nutrients. From review it has been found that reuse of industrial effluents (wastewater) in agriculture can be a good mode to conserve soil nutrients. It may offer a way to fulfill irrigation water demands also. The major chall...

It is widely recognized that forest and water resources are intricately linked. Globally, changes in forest cover to accommodate agriculture and urban development introduce additional challenges for water management. The U.S. Southeast typifies this global trend as predictions of land-use change and population growth suggest increased pressure on water resources in coming years. Close attention...

There is no common understanding of the minimum per capita fresh water requirement for human health and economic and social development. Existing estimates vary between 20 and 4,654 l/c/d, however, these estimates are methodologically problematic as they consider only human consumptive and hygiene needs, or they consider economic needs but not the effects of trade. Reconsidering the components ...

Article 225 of the Brazilian Constitution establishes that all citizens have the right to an ecologically balanced environment, as a common good that is essential for a healthy life, and that the government and society have the duty to protect and preserve the environment for present and future generations. This article outlines a methodology for promoting social mobilization to address water s...

For 15 years Chile has been the leading international example of pro-market policies for water resources, and its 1981 Water Code has recently been touted as a model for other countries to follow. Water markets are controversial in both theory and practice: their potential benefits include greater efficiency and flexibility of water use and less state intervention and expenditure; while their d...

An interdisciplinary approach is often described as a valuable strategy to assist in overcoming the existing and emerging challenges to water resource management. The development of educational approaches to instil a culture of interdisciplinarity in the future generation of water resource professionals will help to meet this strategic need. The Vienna Doctoral Programme on Water Resource Syste...

Inter-basin water transfer projects (IBWTPs) offer one of the most important means to solve the mismatch between supply and demand of regional water resources. IBWTPs have impacts on the complex ecosystems of the areas from which water is diverted and to which water is received. These impacts increase damage or risk to regional ecological security and human wellbeing. However, current methods m...