Skip to main content

Towards Integrated River Basin and Water Management?

As mentioned by the previous blog post, the Bakolori Dam failed to take into consideration the needs of multiple different users of the basin, whether that be the upstream, downstream or irrigation zone users. Integrated river basin and water management (IRBWM), however, seeks to manage water resources in a comprehensive and holistic way, by considering it from several different dimensions. The aims of the IRBWM are really reflected in each of the terms used. It aims to integrate all water resource demands, manage this across time and space using data across the whole basin and considering how changes to the upstream may have an impact downstream (Savenije & Van der Zaag, 2008). 

Admittedly, this does seem to be a very ambitious task, but it is something that should be committed towards resolving difficulties (Van der Zaag, 2005), as seen in the case of the Bakolori Dam. Africa’s implementation of the IRBWM, however, has been comparatively lower than the global average. 



Figure 1 - Map showing implementation status of aquifer or basin management plans across Africa (AMCOW, 2018) 

Figure 1 presents that 55% of African countries have no basin or aquifer management plans or are currently developing these. Further research also shows that 71% of African countries are in the medium-low to very-low categories of implementation of IWRM. This projects to around three-quarters of African countries being unable to meet the global SDG of integrated water resources management at all levels unless progress is significantly accelerated (AMCOW, 2018).

IWRM in Cameroon 

Agriculture is significant for the economy and livelihoods of Cameroonians, just like for many other developing countries. The problem for Cameroon is not necessarily the availability of water, but the poor management of water resources. This maps out to conflict, as high irrigation demands for agriculture means less freshwater for drinking and industrial use. Polluted drainage flows from agriculture result in polluted river flows and will threaten ecosystems. But if water is left in rivers to protect fisheries and ecosystems, less can be used for crops. As Cameroon faces these issues and is a member of seven international/transboundary river basins, the IRBWM should be integral (Ako et al, 2010). 

The basis for such sustainable management includes the use of data for water resource assessments. Whilst there are huge volumes of data in the US and UK due the high prevalence of gauging stations, this data is not widely available for many African countries as “the capacity of hydrological offices in many developing countries, particularly in Africa, has been declining when it comes to the operation, maintenance and extension of hydrological networks'' (UNESCO, 2012). This shows the difficulty in being able to access hydrometeorological data that vitally underpin such water assessments that are needed to inform IWRM. 

To conclude, IWRM is vital to ensure that water demands are met in a sustainable and holistic way. The issues of methods to help manage food and water demands such as irrigation, groundwater extraction and dam-building is that they are not inclusive to all due to various reasons, such as cost. They even have adverse impacts to water users across temporal and spatial scales, such as reducing agricultural crop yield downstream in the case of dams. Although IRBWM is relevant, it is an elusive and fuzzy concept. As Figure 1 suggests, Central Africa needs more practical support  (awareness-raising and capacity development in particular) to accelerate water policy and water law reform processes and IWRM planning, and should foster inclusive multi-stakeholder participation and the establishment and/or consolidation of relevant water management institutions (AMCOW, 2018). 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is Virtual Water Capable of Becoming Policy?

Previous blog posts have focused on more tangible methods to tackle the water and food scarcity issue, such as desalination, drip irrigation and extracting groundwater. But what if we did not have to employ these more tangible methods, and still work towards achieving food security?  Virtual water is a term coined by Allan (1997) ; it is used to address the water that is used in the production of any commodity. When this commodity is traded, water is also traded as water is embedded in the commodity (Zeitoun et al, 2010) . This applies to agricultural commodities, as the water used in the production of food staples is significant. For instance, 1,000 cubic metres of water is required to produce a ton of grain (Allan, 2003). Therefore, if it is food that is traded, virtual water can globalise the problem of water scarcity and allow countries that are facing this issue to import water intensive crops. The bluewater used for irrigated agriculture is a net drain on water resources and...
1 comment
Read more

The Potential of Using Groundwater

The potential of groundwater Groundwater has received much recent attention due its potential to meet the increasing demand for water, particularly for those who do not have surface waters nearby. Whilst Asia has a long tradition of groundwater use for agriculture (30% of rural households in China and 50% in India may be using groundwater for crop production) (Giordano, 2006) , could Africa also divert towards this? Comparatively, only 1.5% of rural households in Africa use groundwater for crop production, so evidently figures show that Africa has missed this ‘groundwater revolution’.  Groundwater is of drinkable quality, thus does not need excessive or expensive treatment, and when in demand allows scaled development with infrastructure that is of lower cost compared to surface water infrastructure (Taylor et al, 2009) . Groundwater is a way to take advantage of the changes induced by climate change, such as the increased variability of surface water resources and soil moisture. E...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wrapping Things Up...

Unfortunately, we have reached the end of the blog posts! When starting this blog, I was drawn to understand the complex water and food scarcity issue. My mother, who spent the first nineteen years of her life in Sylhet would tell me stories about the long distances she would travel to bring water back to the home just so the family could cook and wash their dishes. Circumstances in the villages are now changing, with more access to efficient technology so people have a more reliable access to water. Of course, Bangladesh is becoming increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change which has led to difficulties.  I was keen to understand more of what was being done in different countries regarding the consequences of population growth and climate change on food security, particularly for a continent that I knew relatively little about. Through these blog posts, I was able to engage with a large variety of sources that have taught me more about the complexities and individua...
Post a Comment
Read more