Tony Allan

The water–food–energy nexus: an introduction to nexus concepts and some conceptual and operational problems

This introduction sets the scene for the special issue compiled by Martin Keulertz, Eckart Woertz and Tony Allan.

Managing and allocating water resources: Adopting the integrated water resource management approach

Publisher Summary Global, regional and local water resources are subject to increasing demands. Implicit in the management of all water is the task of allocation. Allocation between uses that have become competing because of the rising overall demand will be contentious. This chapter shows that the information that underpins such contention is not just based on well-observed hydrology and rational economics. It has been shown that it is normal for identities, beliefs, and long established water using practices to have more weight in political discourses that mediate allocative outcomes than science. Public knowledge is constructed through discursive politics where scientists hold only marginal sway, unless they strategize like other interested actors. Hydrology, hydraulics, and economics will always have an important potential place in the way systems of integrated water resource management are developed, but science-based information can easily be overwhelmed by the arguments of water using interests who have a life and death stake in “who gets what, when and how.” Coalitions of the users of big volumes of water can easily build coalitions with flow up-hill to money and power. The issue of integrated water resource management is high amongst the concerns of the water science community and of water management professionals at the millennium because of a number of forces at work in the hydro-political complex.

Economic and political adjustments to scarce water in the Middle East

The acceptability of a price for water to its users is not relared to the real ‘value’ of the water. Throughout the world there is a very strong traditional tendency to regard water as a free good and where water is plentiful the approach may be reasonable. In regions where water is scarce, however, the belief that unlimited supplies of water ‘should’ be available is very dangerous as it reinforces already very economically and ecologically unsound allocative and management practices. Markets for water in the Middle East and northern Africa are therefore undeveloped and even more problematical is the general absence of regulatory mechanisms to limit water use. In a pure market with well developed institutions prices are useful allocarive instruments since, if they closely relate to the real value of the resources entering trade, they force consumers, in the case of this discussion, users of water, to examine their utilisation of scarce resources and to cost inputs in relaaon to returns. It also causes them to consider substitutes for scarce resources, for example for water, in achieving a satisfactory economic and social outcome for water using activities. The paper will examine the possible role of establishing prices for water at the international, the national as well as at the local and farm levels. It will be shown that governments, officials and farmers operate without any awareness of the real cost of delivering water or of its value, yet at the same time massive adjustments. economic and political, have been made which are in accord with the real economy of water allocation and use. The scale of the adjustments augurs well for the region with respect to its inescapably constrained water resource future.

Energy And Water: Interdependent Production And Use, The Remediation Of Local Scarcity And The Mutuality Of The Impacts Of Mismanagement

Societies face major problems in managing their water and energy because Natures processes and many of our economic systems are invisible to society individually and collectively but they determine environmental and economic outcomes. The purpose of the chapter will be to highlight some ways that the two strategically important natural resources – energy and water – are linked. These linkages will be analysed with respect to security and sustainable management. The analysis will also show that the two resources have a number of similarities vis-a-vis politics and management but many differences vis-a-vis their provenance and renewability. The analysis introduces the idea of ‘three weddings and avoiding two funerals’. The three weddings are – water from energy; energy from water; and economic diversification and trade. It is argued that these weddings could help society to avoid the two funerals. The first funeral is the depletion and degradation of the environmental services of water. The second is the degradation of atmospheric services. Two main conclusions emerge. The first is the importance of shifting the production of energy to renewable and clean technologies to achieve energy, water and environmental security. The second is that the mindsets of consumers of energy and water determine whether we shall have secure water and energy futures. Both the big spending consumers in rich countries and the irrigating farmers in poor countries play key roles. The former need to want clean energy. The latter need to be helped to be more productive in their use of water.

Water Resources and Conflict in the Middle East

The Middle East is a region of international concern and political unrest. This book forms a complete reference to both the hydrological as well as the social, economic, political and legal issues in the region and shows how water shortages threaten the renewal of military conflicts and disruption in the area. With resources over-extended due to natural and human causes, the book analyses the river basins of the Euphrates, Tigris, Nile and Jordan and provides detailed study of the hydrology, hydrography and geography of these river basins; it also analyses the needs of the economies and societies of the countries bordering these basins. Conclusions on likely areas of conflict are set within the legal framework of the Helsinki and International Law Commission Rules.

Remote Sensing in Hydrology

Keywords: Applications ; hydrologie ; teledetection Reference Record created on 2005-06-20, modified on 2016-08-08