Management strategies water

• REDD


  UN programme to protect tropical forests
• Organisations involved in REDD

  • UN
  • World Bank
  • Other organisations
• REDD programme covers nearly 1.2 million km2 of the Amazon Basin
• REDD programme has promoted strictly protected areas and resulted in a 75% decrease in deforestation from 2000-2012
• REDD programme has significant benefits, including 1.4 billion tonnes of carbon stabilisation and offsetting of the regional water cycle
• REDD programme also promotes ecotourism, protects plant species, and supports indigenous peoples
• REDD programme promotes selective logging of smaller areas rather than clear felling of huge areas
• Agriculture


  By far the biggest consumer of water, at 90% of consumption
• Wastage of water occurs through evaporation and seepage due to inefficient water management and over-irrigation
• Improved water management techniques

  1. Mulching

  2. Reduced soil disturbance

  3. Drip irrigation
• Reducing water run-off on slopes

  1. Terracing

  2. Contour planting

  3. Vegetable strips
• Better water harvesting with storage ponds or reservoirs can provide farmers with extra water
• Water management strategies


  • Recycling
  • Recovery
  • Allocation
• Wastewater recycling and recovery is feasible but little used in the developing world
• Water allocation helps ensure fair distribution and promote efficient use
• Conflicts could arise over water allocation
• Drainage basin planning


  Concerns the impact on ecosystems and the environment
• Adopting an integrated management approach can accommodate the conflicting demands of different water users
• Water users


  • Agriculture
  • Industry
  • Domestic
  • Wildlife
  • Leisure
• Water use impacts water quality, river flow, groundwater levels, wildlife habitats, and biodiversity
• Reducing rapid run-off


  1. Reforestation in upland catchments

  2. Reducing artificial drainage

  3. Extending permeable surfaces
• Improving surface water storage


  Conserving and restoring wetlands
• Maintaining groundwater levels


  1. Limiting abstraction

  2. Artificial recharge
• Improved water management can help reduce flood risk, protect water quality, and support wildlife and groundwater levels
• Implementing improved water management strategies could involve significant costs and require extensive resources
• Coordinating and managing water planning presents challenges