The Groundwater & Human Security Case Studies Project (GWAHS-CS)

Transcription

1 GEF-IWCAM Workshop on Coastal Aquifer Management in SIDS of the Caribbean, St Kitts, 11-12/10/2010 The Groundwater & Human Security Case Studies Project (GWAHS-CS) Fabrice Renaud Director a.i. (UNU-EHS) Bonn, Germany 0

2 THE UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY A Global Organisation The UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY (UNU) was established by the UN General Assembly in UNU serves as an international community of scholars; Bridge-function between the UN and the academic world; Think-tank for the UN system; Strengthens capacities relevant to promoting human security and development, particularly in developing countries; Platform for dialogue and ideas; UNU's Institute for Environment and Human Security is one of 14 Research and Training Centres and Programmes worldwide; Main goal of UNU is to contribute to global sustainable development. 1

3 UNU's Institutions Worldwide 2

4 Rationale and Priorities of UNU-EHS Three Lines of Activities: 1. Generation of policy-relevant, practical knowledge; 2. Capacity development: Postgraduate education (MSc and PhD programmes) Research training Networking and institutional support 3. Dissemination of knowledge-based information political and public awareness-raising efforts UNU-EHS explores threats to human security: Environmental degradation Natural and anthropogenic hazards Unsustainable land use practices 3

5 Programme History Joint programme of UNESCO-IHP and UNU History: Brainstorming workshop in January 06 Various meetings in 2006 and 2007 Inclusion into respective programmes First concrete project started in January 08 IHP Network QVA UNU Network 4

6 GWAHS-CS - Objectives To address (1) the threats to human security and well-being currently posed by water scarcity and water quality degradation and (2) the role of groundwater management and protection in alleviating such threats. Adaptation of existing vulnerability and resilience assessment frameworks Development of socio-environmental indicators of vulnerability and resilience Vulnerability and resilience assessment in the four case study areas Groundwater degradation as: A hazard to the communities An element of vulnerability when communities face other hazards Coupled socio-ecological system is the element of analysis 5

7 GWAHS-CS Partners UNESCO-IHP, UNU-EHS, UNU-INWEH, UNW-DPC Case studies: University of Alexandria, Egypt Fars Research Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, I.R. Iran Mekong Delta Research and Development Institute, Can Tho University, Vietnam Division of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology for the South of Viet Nam, Vietnam IGRAC, Kochi University of Technology (Japan) 6

8 Egypt - Wadi El Natroun Part of the Western Desert, adjacent to the Nile Delta Narrow depression - 23 m below sea level (90 km south of Alexandria) Salty surface water bodies 4 aquifers underlying the region, system also connected to Nile Rapid urbanization, development of agriculture and tourism GW for agriculture, domestic use, industry Increased pumping & pollution (sewage) Credit: Prof. Boshra Salem

9 I.R. Iran - Gareh-Bygone Plain 200 km south-east of Shiraz, within 192 km 2 Bisheh Zard Basin Low and highly variable rainfall Aquifers tapped for irrigation and drinking water in rural and urban areas High concentration of nitrates Artifical recharge Credit: Dr. Mehrdad Mohammadnia 8

10 Vietnam Tra Vinh Province In coastal areas, rainfall in the rainy season and ground water in the dry season are used for drinking water More people are turning to groundwater because surface water is increasingly contaminated (Danh, 2008) Underground water is mined to: irrigate crops dilute saline water for coastal shrimp farming From Tran Minh Thuan,

11 Vietnam - Binh Thuan Province Area of 8,000 km 2 and population of 1 million Driest region of Vietnam (R = 1,100 mm; E = 1,800) 70-80% runoff during rainy season Pressure on resource from household consumption, livestock and agriculture Groundwater recharge from rainwater (localised) Artificial recharge of sand dune from river to limit impact of drought periods Credit: Mr Bui Tran Vuong 10

12 The SUST Model Turner II et al A framework for vulnerability analysis in sustainability science. PNAS 100:

13 Selected Indicators Hazard Exposure Sensitivity Resilience GW quantity GW quality Dependence of pop on GW Dependence of eco sectors on GW GW supporting ecosystems Groundwater (DRASTIC) Pop density Household structure Access to alternative sources of water Access to knowledge of GW deg processes Access to info on GW management Well density Education level Institutions related to GW management Occupation Legislation Ethnicity Household income Access to savings / credit Years settled in the area GW infrastructure Out-migration Participation in social networks Type of house Type of provider system 12

14 Results from the MKD Case Study Social Map of My Long Bac Commune Khmer live along sandy banks Kinh live along canals and rivers Chinese live around the market Poor house H. Châu Thành S. Cổ Chiên A. HẠNH MỸ HL 5 UBND XÃ A. BẾN CÁT Rich house X. Mỹ Hòa Market A. MỸ THẬP A. BẾN KINH A. NHẤT A A BẾN ĐÁY B HL 9 TT. Mỹ Long X. Mỹ Long Nam Source: PRA, Cau Ngang district, 2008; Sahn,

15 Results from the MKD Case Study Land Use in My Long Bac Commune Land use Upland crop Shrimp Rice Soil type & irrigation related to land use Source: PRA, Cau Ngang district, 2008; Sahn,

16 Results from the MKD Case Study Characteristics of agricultural systems Source: PRA, Cau Ngang district, 2008; Sanh,

17 Results from the Egypt case study Generic Indicators (Hazard) Beni Assessment Salama Ratio of groundwater recharge to abstraction 1:2 Groundwater quality (as compared to drinking water standards) 100% Generic Indicator (Exposure) Beni Salama Assessment % of the population dependent on groundwater 100% % of major economic sectors dependent on groundwater 100% Dependence of ecosystem services on groundwater 100% Well density (indicative as may not give precise information on groundwater quantity and quality) 1 well / 100m 2 16

18 Results from the Egypt case study Sensitivity % economically active household members with alternative income sources 20% (health status insufficient reliable data in this study) - Resilience Small farmers in village Large farmers Stability of population (nonmigration) Access to alternative sources of water 85% 25% exposure to groundwater hazards is high in Beni Salama 2. the hazards are greatest for users of shallow groundwater 3. the smallest land-users are the most sensitive to the hazards 4. resilience is constrained by lack of knowledge to inform responses in the form of infrastructure and institutional development 17

19 Linking to the GWES Project: Groundwater in Tsunami Affected Sri Lanka Coastal groundwater resources under threat Peri-urban and rural communities rely on GW. After tsunami: Destruction of wells Salinisation of aquifers Other pollutants? Remediation increased problems in many cases 18

20 Linking to the GWES Project: Groundwater in Tsunami Affected Sri Lanka Some wells reclaimed Desalinisation & purification Water tanks: Water tankers Urban water supply Collecting water from unaffected sources Bottled water 19

21 Conclusions GWAHS-CS was mainly a research activity Selected indicators allowed to characterise vulnerbaility of people Needs to be complemented by other data indicators on their own are not enough Not all indicators are useful for all settings Case studies have also shown political buy-in, particlarly at the local level Way forward: Additional case studies to refine the approach Move to increased quantification 20

22 Conclusions Collins and Bolin (in press): Environmental Hazards doi: /j.envhaz

23 For further information: UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10 D Bonn, Germany Phone: (0) Fax: (0)