Aura Salmivaara

China's southbound transboundary river basins: a case of asymmetry

An overview is presented of the contemporary societal and environmental development situation in the six major transboundary river basins that drain south from China: the Red River, Mekong, Salween, Irrawaddy, Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Indus. The overall societal and environmental vulnerability of the basins is assessed using multidimensional river basin vulnerability analysis. The analysis shows that while China has a fairly low level of vulnerability in these basins, its downstream influence is substantial. This setting offers a plethora of opportunities for transboundary cooperation and calls for a high level of responsibility from the upstream riparian countries.

Using Global Datasets to Create Environmental Profiles for Data-Poor Regions: A Case from the Irrawaddy and Salween River Basins

The increasing availability of spatial data inspires the exploration of previously less-studied, yet regionally and nationally important areas, such as the Irrawaddy and Salween River Basins in Southeast Asia. This article documents our experience using global datasets to create environmental basin profiles in these two basins. Our approach draws on the concepts of freshwater vulnerability assessments that guided the selection of indicators. Data on land use, population distribution and fertilizer load were used. The unit of analysis was chosen to distinguish areas with similar bio-geographical characteristics, such as the critical delta areas. Results were further discussed for sub-areas that experience relatively the most pressure in terms of examined indicators within the studied area. The river mouths of both rivers had the most intensive land use and high population density. They are also home to important ecosystems and are sensitive to changes in upstream areas. Our study presents a concise and spatially distributed view of the environmental basin profiles of the Irrawaddy and Salween River Basins. The analysis also provides some interesting methodological insights about the potential of public macro-scale datasets for environmental assessment. The spatial approach allowed the analysis of different indicators, providing a platform for data integration as well as a visually powerful overview of the study area. Yet, the use of macro-scale datasets entails challenges. Despite improvements, the assessment process tends to be driven by the availability and quality of data, rather than by the actual research and management needs. The greatest utility of macro-scale datasets lies—at least in data-poor areas—in larger scale comparative analyses between the basins and their different sub-areas.

Global Change: Impacts on Water and Food Security

“Globalization is here to stay and it is no use spending resources to stop it, instead it must be examined and harnessed to improve water and food security”, the reader might be thinking after reading this book. Three institutions, in collaboration with CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food, organized a workshop in 2005 on the issues related to globalization and trade that resulted in the publication of this book. Recent food and financial crises have increased the need to understand the impacts of global change to ensure that measures can be taken for the poor to have access to water and food. In addition, other trends, such as climate change and biofuel policies, together with water sector financing, cause impacts that need to be considered. The book concerns current and future trends in water and food security and provides an overview of different impacts on both. Four research questions are set: (1) what are the key drivers and emerging issues affecting water and food security for the poor; (2) what are the impacts of these key drivers on water and food security and on the livelihoods of the poor; (3) how to harness the forces of globalization to improve the situation; and (4) which policies and investments can improve water and food security for the poor, and how can they be financed? The 22 contributors from leading research institutions ensure that numerous aspects of water and food security are covered, such as water resources management and policy issues, water resources legislation, agricultural economics, financial and economic aspects of water, and climate change related to both water and agriculture. The book has a global and regional scale approach, with some national and river basin scale examples. The aim is to increase understanding of the impacts of policies and investments on water resources and food systems at both global and national scales. Further goals are better policy making and improved investment for water and food security to avoid long-term harm to the poor. The twelve chapters are divided into four parts, with two parts especially addressing the situation of the poor. The first part sets the scene by describing the current status of water and food security. It identifies the trends, the emerging issues and the key drivers affecting both, or, as Rosegrant et al. have stated, the ABC of future megatrends (aquaculture, biotechnology, and climate change). Climate change is further discussed by Aggarwal & Singh, who sum up the current understanding of climate change impacts on the