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Assessing River Basin Development Given Water‐Energy‐Food‐Environment Interdependencies
- Source :
- Geressu, R, Siderius, C, Harou, J J, Kashaigili, J, Pettinotti, L & Conway, D 2020, ' Assessing river basin development given water-energy-food-environment interdependencies ', Earth's Future, vol. 8, no. 8, e2019EF001464 . https://doi.org/10.1029/2019EF001464, Earth's Future, Vol 8, Iss 8, Pp n/a-n/a (2020)
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2020.
-
Abstract
- Many river basins in the Global South are undergoing rapid development with major implications for the interdependent water‐energy‐food‐environmental (WEFE) “nexus” sectors. A range of views on the extent to which such natural‐human systems should be developed typically exists. The perceived best investments in river basins depend on how one frames the planning problem. Therefore, we propose an approach where the best possible (optimized) implementations of different river basin development scenarios are assessed by comparing their WEFE sector trade‐offs. We apply the approach to Tanzania's Rufiji river basin, an area with multiple WEFE interdependencies and high development potential (irrigation and hydropower) and ecosystem services. Performance indicators are identified through stakeholder consultation and describe WEFE sector response under scenarios of river basin development. Results show considerable potential exists for energy and irrigation expansion. Designs that prioritize energy production adversely affect environmental performance; however, part of the negative impacts can be minimized through release rules designed to replicate the natural variability of flow. The reliability of monthly energy generation is more sensitive to environmental‐oriented management than the cumulative annual energy production. Overall results highlight how sectoral trade‐offs change depending on the extent of development, something that may be difficult to regulate in the future, and that there are important basin‐scale interdependencies. Benefits and limitations of the approach and its application are discussed.
- Subjects :
- evolutionary many objective optimization
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
media_common.quotation_subject
0207 environmental engineering
Drainage basin
interdependencies
02 engineering and technology
01 natural sciences
Ecosystem services
lcsh:QH540-549.5
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
Production (economics)
Scenario analysis
020701 environmental engineering
river basins
lcsh:Environmental sciences
Hydropower
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
General Environmental Science
media_common
lcsh:GE1-350
water-energy-food-environment nexus
geography
geography.geographical_feature_category
business.industry
Environmental resource management
scenario analysis
hydropower
Interdependence
water‐energy‐food‐environment nexus
GB Physical geography
Environmental science
lcsh:Ecology
Performance indicator
business
Nexus (standard)
GE Environmental Sciences
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 23284277
- Volume :
- 8
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Earth's Future
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....09dc899af7c4896404611a215318a732