Water Supply Management

In the MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) region, over 60% of water sources cross boundaries between countries, and all countries share at least one of their water stores. Why does this matter?

If not managed properly, there is the risk of some countries not budgeting the water effectively, using more of their 'fair share' of water and even restricting access to water for other countries. It is predicted that, instead of oil, the next major wars will be focused in part on the supply of water.

Case Study: The South-North Water Transfer Project

The South-North Water Transfer Project is an infrastructure megaproject aiming to channel fresh water from the South to the North of China through three channels. The routes are the Eastern route which runs through a series of lakes, the central route, and the Western route to the Yellow River. The benefits of this project would be less abstraction of groundwater, a boost in economic development and a reduction in the risk of water shortages in Beijing. However, this project would submerge 370km² of land and require at least 330,000 people to relocate.¹ Other risks would be draining too much water from the South of China and the fact that the Eastern route is industrial which could risk further pollution.

Case study: Colorado River

The Colorado River runs along the southwestern side of the US and northern Mexico. It supplies water for 36 to 40 million people for agricultural and domestic needs. It has over 29 major dams and provides irrigation of water to 4 million acres. The river drain encompasses seven US states and two Mexican states and had numerous agreements to allocate water to the areas.

The Colorado Compact, an agreement made in 1922 when the population was lower and the average rainfall higher, is out of date and there is pressure to create a new agreement with the changes acknowledged. The agreement was made with the intention of dividing water between the seven US the Colorado River runs through; Wyoming, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. In 1944, another treaty was drawn up to include water allocation to Mexico.

There is much criticism of the compact including water designation for indigenous people and the little allocation of water to Mexico. It also failed to include any protection for the environment.

A new agreement was made in 2007 which changed sharing the amount of water to dividing up the shortages. The amount available determined how much a state would get. Due to this agreement California reduced the amount it received by 20%. In 2012, there was an agreement known as Minute 139 signed by the International Boundary and Water Commission of the United States and Mexico. This allowed Mexico to store some of the Colorado River Water in Lake Mead and water providers to purchase the water which was conserved through Mexico's improved canals and storage infrastructures.

Case Study: The Three Gorges Dam

The Three Gorges Dam is a mega dam that was built in China between 1994-2003 to control flooding in the Yangtze and to improve water supply by regulating the river flow. It also generates hydroelectric power (HEP) and makes the river navigable.

While the Three Gorges Dam has proven to be successful in regulating water supply and generating power, it has also been a source of controversy. This is because:

• 632km² of land has been flooded to make the reservoir
• 1.3 million people have had to be relocated as a result of the dam
• There have been ecological problems such as higher risks of landslides and waste entering the reservoir from the nearby industries and farms.

Case study: Israel's Desalination Project

In 2002, five desalination plants for reverse osmosis along the Mediterranean were approved for construction by the Israeli government. By 2015, all five were constructed. At present, 55% of Israel's domestic water supply comes from the desalination of seawater and brackish groundwater.² There are disadvantages to this technique and negative environmental impacts, such as the disposal of the salt that is extracted, which is a major issue. The brine that is discharged during the process changes the salinity and lowers the amount of oxygen in the disposal site which could kill animals that cannot tolerate the high levels of salt.³ That being said, Israel has previously been susceptible to water shortages because of a low freshwater supply. This provides an alternative and reduces the risk of water shortage across the country.

Case study: Urban water management in the UK

The UK has a series of systems labelled as SUDS (sustainable urban drainage systems). These systems aim to take a holistic view on drainage, and manage the water in such a way that water supply management can be heightened and sustainable by nature. There are many different ways that this can be achieved through SUDS. Some examples include the use of rainwater butts, the reintroduction of permeable surfaces and the provision of stores below. All of these components assist in managing rainwater, reducing flood risks and ensuring that water reaches stores where it can be treated accordingly.

Case study: Holistic water supply management in Singapore

Without an independent source of freshwater, Singapore has historically been reliant on importing water from Malaysia. Moreover, Singapore's level of water loss is at one of the lowest in the world at 5%. Singapore is putting in efforts to become self-sufficient by 2061 when its long-term water supply agreement with Malaysia expires. This includes:

• Campaigns to conserve water: These campaigns have reduced consumption of water from 165 litres a day per person in 2003 to 155 litres in 2009.
• Alteration of the price of water: Water prices go up when water use surpasses a specified threshold. However, there will be subsidies to protect people living on lower incomes.
• The creation of a diverse range of water supplies: For example, rainfall catchment areas creating artificial reservoirs, reclaimed water and seawater desalination will all be used to supply Singapore with water. This spreads out the risk of water shortage and hopefully will allow the supply of water to remain relatively stable.