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With the rapid advance of industrialization and urbanization and the intensified impact of global climate change, the contradiction between the global water shortage and economic growth has become prominent. This paper, taking Henan province as an example, analyzed the influence of water resource policy on regional economic growth through a calculable general equilibrium model and further discussed the relevant policy recommendations. The results showed that the improvement of water supply, water efficiency and water technology could promote the growth of the regional economy and result in a positive effect on regional GDP, employment and resident income. However, the rise of water price has a negative impact on regional economic development, mainly reflected in regional GDP, employment and household income. The improvement of water price, water efficiency and water conservancy technology would lead to a decrease in regional water consumption, while only the increase of the water supply would lead to an increase in water consumption. Accordingly, the paper puts forward policy suggestions, such as accelerating the improvement of water conservancy facilities, establishing a reasonable water price mechanism and actively exploring experience in water conservation and emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving high-quality economic development under the new development pattern has become an inevitable requirement for China’s economic development. Correctly calculating the value of water resources and optimizing the price mechanism of water resources is one of the important guarantees for promoting the high-quality development of the regional economy. Based on this fact, this paper takes Hubei Province as an example to construct a coupling relationship model between water resources and economic high-quality development and to evaluate the coupling coordination between the two. And then, the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model is used to evaluate the value of water resources in Hubei Province, and recalculate its water price. The results show that Hubei province now is a lagging development of water resources, and the current water price is far lower than assessed. The government should improve the mechanism of water price which should be driven by innovation to adjust the water use structure, finally achieve high-quality economic development of Hubei Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Droughts are current challenges to the economic, social and environmental development of a region, as reflected in European Union (EU) water policies. In addition, the impacts of droughts can be aggravated by climate change effects, adding pressure to already water stressed areas in the EU. This paper presents a general overview of drought management policies in the EU and in Spain. The paper studies the specific case of Spain, where drought management policies have evolved from traditional emergency actions to Drought Management Plans (DMPs). Historical droughts and the main drought episodes occurring over the last 30 years in Spain, together with the actions taken and the effects produced, are analysed. The National Indicator System for Droughts has played a significant role in drought management since 2005, serving to declare drought situations, and also to apply measures and actions to be carried out by the Spanish Administration. In addition, DMPs for all River Basin Organisations (RBOs) were approved in 2007, and they have represented strategic tools with positive results in drought impact mitigation and have stressed the importance of public participation in the decision-making process for drought events. These plans must be updated in 2017 and are now being revised, taking into account the experience acquired since their approval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity is a serious concern in emerging economies, as it impacts human development, livelihoods, environment and economic growth. Policies should be formulated in a way that reflects the problem of water scarcity and is oriented towards providing solutions. The science-policy interface can play a key role in translating scientific knowledge into policy action and in mitigating water scarcity of emerging economies like that of India. Hence, the paper aims to review scientific knowledge on water scarcity in India, and analyze the extent to which this knowledge is reflected in the water policies - to understand the science-policy interface. This has been done by extensive review of various scientific approaches used to assess water scarcity at the national and state level. The analysis indicates that Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat in the north-west, and Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the south experience high water scarcity. To analyze whether this scientific knowledge has been translated into policy, existing water policies were critically reviewed. The paper, by identifying key policy areas, discusses challenges and opportunities for strengthening the science-policy interface, in the context of water scarcity mitigation. The paper argues that translating scientific knowledge into policy action continues to be a major challenge in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ownership of development processes has been high on the international agenda since the Paris Declaration of 2005. There is, however, much discussion about whether highly aid-dependent governments can really 'own' policy reforms in their countries. In this paper, we argue that the ownership of policy reforms is the outcome of an interaction between individual agency and structural conditions. Taking the implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Burkina Faso (since 1996) and Mali (since 2004) as an entry point, the paper describes the interplay between national policy makers, international organizations and dominant development discourses in the shaping of water policy reforms in both countries over the past 15 years. Despite the apparent uniformity of the global 1WRM paradigm, a qualitative comparison of water policy changes in the two countries shows that policy reforms, as well as the extent to which they are 'owned' by national policy makers, are significantly distinct. This can be explained by different forms of individual agency and diverse structural conditions at a national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current lack of knowledge about small towns, the great diversity of such settlements and the pressure to 'scale up' interventions make it difficult for policy makers and practitioners to develop models which are suitable for these towns. Currently, principles and practices informing models for water services in urban and rural areas are applied in small towns without question. This paper highlights how these principles that are engrained in the sector, may be pernicious for expanding water services in small towns as the realities of these towns may not be conducive for models incorporating these principles. Often these models are adapted to the realities of small towns to benefit water services provision. However, these adaptations are rarely documented. The little documentation of these adaptations is a consequence, we argue, of two main factors. First, such adaptations question the suitability of the models present in the sector and alter the principles on which these models are based. Secondly, the great range of adaptations linked to the diversity of small towns. Taking such adaptations seriously then limits the replicability of models, making them less suitable for scaling up interventions. As a result, certain dogmas underlying water services models continue to be reproduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustaining the water supply in megacities is an enormous challenge. To address this challenge, it is especially important to predict water demand changes in megacities. This paper presents a system dynamics model to predict the future water demands of different sectors considering multiple factors, including population, structure of the economy, and water supply and use technologies. Compared with traditional methods such as the time series method and structure analysis method, the proposed model takes into account the interconnections, non-linear relationships and feedbacks between the various factors in a systems context. The model is applied to Beijing, a megacity with a population over 20 million and very limited water availability. It is found that the total water demand is likely to increase by at least 36.1% (up to 62.5%) by 2030 compared with that in 2011, and the water deficits vary from -0.36 × 109 to 1.80 × 109m3 in 2030. In addition, scenarios are designed to account for impacts associated with economic development, climate change and inter-basin water transfers. It is shown that climate change may have a large impact on the water supply reliability in Beijing. The water shortage problems can be alleviated via inter-basin water transfers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses two approaches to guiding the inclusion of the poor and vulnerable in clean water and sanitation programmes in the framework of Sustainable Development Goals. It proposes an operational and adapted participatory approach for identifying the poorest and most vulnerable, which has become a central interest for inclusive development policies worldwide post Millennium Development Goals. Then, it proposes an inclusive water poverty index for the inclusion of the poor and vulnerable. This index, with six components, materializes the spatial and temporal equity in the distribution of water and sanitation services through a given district or municipality, particularly in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a snapshot of the key findings of an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) review of flood risk prevention policies in the Paris metropolitan area. With an innovative flood risk assessment, the study shows that a major flooding of the Seine River, similar to the flood disaster of 1910, could affect up to 5 million residents in the greater Paris area and cause up to 30 billion (100) euros worth of damage. Economic growth, jobs and public finances could also be significantly affected at the national level. The OECD Review on Flood Risk Management of the Seine River--commissioned by the basin organisation Seine Grands Lacs with the French Ministry of Ecology and Ile-de-France regional council--recommends raising risk awareness among citizens and businesses, and improving the resilience of the metropolitan area to flood risks. Recent floods in Europe and New York City's Hurricane Sandy disaster in 2012 illustrated the vulnerability of today's ever-denser cities to flooding and the need to adapt critical infrastructure systems to be able to cope with extreme weather events. The OECD review suggests ways to minimise the risks and better prepare the Ile-de-France region. It notes that proposed projects to develop and expand the city's transport and logistics networks offer an opportunity to put some of its suggestions into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low agricultural water fee collection rates are a problem commonly faced by many developing countries and this is a problem faced by China as it enters the new century. There are two main problem-solving strategies used in different areas of China: increasing the water fee collection rate, or exempting people from paying the water fee. In those areas where the first strategy is pursued, local governments adopt multiple measures to improve collection rates, such as introducing water user associations and enhancing the transparency of irrigation management. Exempting people from paying a water fee is a new strategy, adapted to China's rapid economic growth and social transition. In those areas that are exempting people from paying water fees, the financial sustainability of irrigation facilities has to be taken seriously and new farmer-level water-saving mechanisms need to be explored. In this paper, China's agricultural water fee collection dilemma is analysed from both a practical and a theoretical perspective. It is argued that China should not simply adopt a single agricultural water fee collection model and that each local government should explore policies that are appropriate for the local situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns related to the governance of water that have emerged at the global scale have created pressure for, and an increase in, water policy reform in many countries. Simultaneously, Indigenous governance movements related to self-determination are undergoing an immense period of growth and change worldwide; the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has been a milestone of this growth. These movements are significant because of Indigenous peoples' asserted rights to lands, waters, and natural resources. In this paper, we explore the extent to which water policy reform efforts recognize concepts of Indigenous governance and self-determination. The extent to which these concepts are recognized is critical because water policy reform often occurs in the asserted traditional territories of Indigenous peoples. Using an empirical case study of water policy reform in British Columbia (BC), Canada, we demonstrate why in Indigenous traditional homelands, water policy reform efforts should have regard for the main tenets of Indigenous governance. The findings indicate that, problematic assumptions exist regarding the role of First Nations. These assumptions have the potential to undermine the prospects for water policy reform. Revisiting these assumptions may be the basis for more effective, enduring policy changes. Implications for water reform processes around the world are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affordability of water services is a pressing water policy issue for both the developed and, in particular, for the developing world. Despite its well-known theoretical shortcomings, affordability analysis of water supply has, up to now, been widely based on the ratio of a household's water expenditure to its income, the Conventional Affordability Ratio (CAR). However, in the housing sector, alternative concepts for measuring affordability have been developed, among them being the 'Potential Affordability Approach' (PAA) and the 'Residual Income Approach' (RIA). Against this background, this paper compares these three prominent affordability measures (CAR, PAA, RIA) on the basis of an empirical case study of a peri-urban, low-income area in the second largest Mongolian city of Darkhan, using household data from a survey conducted in 2009. Thus we gain insight into both the water-related affordability situation of people in Mongolia, checking the World Bank's finding of an absence of water affordability problems in peri-urban areas in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar, as well as into the comparative functionality of different affordability measures. It is shown that affordability problems do occur but have to be distinguished depending on the economic causation. We argue that none of the regarded measures give a satisfyingly contoured notion of affordability properly distinguished from the adjacent problems of poverty and access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is one of the drivers of change in the Ganges River Basin, together with population growth, economic development and water management practices. These changing circumstances have a significant impact on key social and economic sectors of the basin, largely through changes in water quantity, quality and timing of availability. This paper evaluates the impact of water on changing circumstances in three sectors of the Ganges Basin - agriculture, ecosystems and energy. Given the inherent interconnectedness of these core sectors and the cross-cutting impact of changing circumstances on water resources, we argue that adaptation should not be viewed as a separate initiative, but rather as a goal and perspective incorporated into every level of planning and decision making. Adaptation to changing circumstances will need to be closely linked to water resource management and will require significant collaboration across the sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past two decades, the world has experienced deep changes in terms of globalization of goods and people, the emergence of new economic powers, political turmoil, and a sustained growth of an increasingly urban global population. These and other factors have deep implications for global water and food security, and make discussion of ethical values - often implicit in global debates - more pertinent. An understanding of the ethical issues underlying water and food security is key to formulating solutions that truly contribute to their achievement. This is particularly true when considering that water and food security is strongly intertwined with human security and environmental security, and these cannot be addressed separately. This paper argues that solving water and food problems is not only a technical challenge but also a problem of fundamental ethical values and political will. It showcases three technological advances (desalination, information technology, and modem groundwater abstraction technology) and one concept (virtual water) that could contribute to secure water and food for a growing population, thus shedding light on the lack of concerted political will to face global and water food securities. In this context, trade has the potential to help countries manage water security in a globalized world, provided that global trade is revisited and undergoes a process of deep reform in the light of ethical considerations. Water and food are not isolated from general socio-economic and political trends. Therefore the drivers resulting in the present economic crisis also affect water and food, and add further complexity to the search for solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses cross-national data from 2002 and 2004 to assess the effects of key institutional variables on the improvement of access to safe water and sanitation. Two key variables of specific interest are a country's commitment to 'quality regulation' and the country's long-term development path. The evidence for the impact of those factors on expanding or contracting access to water and sanitation is mixed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the macroeconomic and institutional sources of environmental development in Israel's water sector, for example changes in drinking-water quality, sewage treatment and aquifer depletion trends. It is shown that Israel's economic growth process was, by and large, accompanied by environmental improvements in the water sector; but it is the institutional approach which provides a cohesive explanation of how environmental changes took place. Implementing reforms in Israel's water sector without adequately addressing the institutional aspect might thus undermine the success of such plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the value of an improved domestic water supply was investigated for economic development and gender relations in rural households in a drought-prone area. A comparative study executed with participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methods with groups of women from 11 micro-enterprises in ten villages and five control villages showed that,when an improved domestic water supply does not function, the entrepreneurs groups have a statistically higher loss of the economic use of water and time than the control groups. The extra income that women gain when the supply works and is used economically helps poor families to bridge the dry season. It could further be quantitatively proven that male female gender relations were significantly better in the entrepreneurs group. This was not so for mother-daughter relationships, which gave new insights into the need to address gender equality issues with the women themselves and with SEWA, the supporting agency. These findings support the view that rural poverty and the status of women would receive a significant boost if policy makers focused on providing employment opportunities for women along with improved water supplies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]