Deep perils

EDITORIAL
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

THE PROPOSAL to create a so-called Super Ditch in the Lower Arkansas Valley shows some promise, but there are also some Grand Canyon-deep perils if it is fashioned carelessly.

The idea was first promulgated by Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo. who also has served as the state’s natural resources director, among other positions. The proposal has been embraced by the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District, which has been piecing together a plan which appears still far away in the future from being ready for fruition.

That concept is for the irrigation canal companies in the Lower Valley join forces collectively to lease a portion - perhaps 25 percent - of their water to other entities. The idea is to give farmers cash payments for fallowing a portion of their lands on a rotating basis.

Lower Ark District Chairman John Singletary has stated in the past there are enough users in this river basin to pay for the leased water. But the real fear is that the leased water would end up leaving this basin.

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The maxim in Colorado is that water flows uphill to money. And areas like Aurora and Douglas County are wealthy enough to outbid potential customers in this basin.

Northern Colorado's water demand may grow at least 50 percent by 2030

Bill Jackson, (Bio) bjackson@greeleytribune.com
September 16, 2007
It's such a simple task: Turn the faucet, out comes water. But as northern Colorado continues to grow, the availability of that water, particularly to agriculture, continues to dwindle.

One acre-foot of water -- enough water to cover a football field with a foot of water -- is needed to supply two households with a year's supply of water. That's water to drink, irrigate the lawn and garden, take showers and flush the toilet.

About 80 percent of Colorado's surface water supply comes from snow in the Rocky Mountains. When drought conditions ushered in the 21st century, Colorado farmers were hit hardest. And that drought, combined with growth, has put additional stress on water supplies to meet the demands of a steadily increasing population.

The two are also putting additional stress on water providers, who take that snowflake and turn it into a drop of water that comes out of a faucet several miles from the mountains.

It's not an easy proposition, and it won't get any easier.

State officials estimate that in the next 23 years, the population of the South Platte River Basin alone will nearly double. The water demand by the year 2030 is expected to increase by at least 50 percent in the South Platte basin because of population growth, agricultural water needs and an increased focus on recreational and environmental uses.

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Halve use of water to save Darling

Asa Wahlquist, Rural writer | September 08, 2007

THE extraction of water by irrigators on one of the Murray-Darling Basin's least developed tributaries would need to be halved by 2030 to ensure the Darling River received its minimum mandated flow.

The results of the CSIRO survey into the Warrego River, the first of a series on the basin, is alarming because it suggests that more developed river systems, like the Condamine-Balonne, will face serious problems.

By 2030, climate change and water use will see a 7 per cent reduction in the amount of water that flows out of the Warrego, in southwest Queensland, into the Darling.

Water extraction would have to be halved on the second-least developed river in the basin for the Warrego's water- sharing plan, which specifies 89 per cent of its flows should reach the Darling.

The Murray-Darling Basin Commission reports there is less than 12 gigalitres (billion litres) of private water storage built along the Warrego, compared with 1333GL on the Condamine-Balonne. In 2005-06, 25GL passed through Cunnamulla on the Warrego, while the total flow through St George, on the Balonne, was 123GL.

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World Bank to deepen engagement with poor states in India

Washington, Sept. 6 (PTI): The World Bank has said it will deepen its engagement in poor states such as Orissa and Bihar in India, the country which borrowed the biggest sum of 3.75 billion dollars globally during 2006-07.

The bank said it will focus on cross-cutting reforms such as governance and fiscal management, and continue addressing deficiencies in the South Asian region's investment climate, such as weak infrastructure, red tape and corruption.

"We will also deepen our engagement in states where poverty is increasingly concentrated, such as Orissa and Bihar in India and Sindh in Pakistan," it said in a media release.

The World Bank's programme in India focuses on providing basic services such as access to clean water and education, improving infrastructure for rural areas, and employment.

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Collaboration Between Local and Central Government ‘Key Factor’ in Meeting Global Goals on Water

On the final day of the World Water Forum in Mexico City, 2006, governments recognised the role played by local authorities in water management in the final declaration and attached the Local Government Declaration on Water as a formal outcome document. Paragraph 9: Governments ‘Recognize the importance role that parliamentarians and local authorities are playing in various countries to increase sustainable access to water and sanitation services as well as to support integrated water resource management. An efficient collaboration with and between these actors is a key factor to meet our water related challenges and goals.’ Paragraph 10: Governments ‘Note with appreciation the work of stakeholders at the regional preparatory process towards the 4th WWF as well as during the Forum itself, and take note of the documental output of the said regional preparatory stakeholder process, included as annex to this declaration. As appropriate, this output can be used as source of information for our tasks. We also thank participating parliamentarians and local authorities for their valuable views and opinions expressed during our joint working session at the Fourth World water Forum, and note of their statements included as annex to this declaration.’

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The Role of Water Policy in Mexico: Sustainability, Equity, and Economic Growth Considerations

Water resources management is one of Mexico’s most urgent environmental and resource problems, and one that imposes heavy costs on the economy. The country is slightly less than 2 million km2 in size and the population has quadrupled from 25 million in 1950 to over 106 million in June 2005. Population growth has occurred nationwide, but because of internal migration it has been greater in the semi-arid and arid north, northwest, and central regions, which are precisely the regions with greater economic activity and where water is scarce. The resulting increased demand for water, combined with more intensive use of water (stimulated in part by price distortions and relatively weak monitoring and enforcement arrangements), has led to insufficient water availability to support natural ecosystems, and seriously constrains growth in many areas.

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The 2nd United Nations World Water Development Report: 'Water, a Shared Responsibility'

The triennial UN World Water Development Report is a joint undertaking of 24 UN agencies comprising UN-Water in partnership with governments and other stakeholders, and coordinated by WWAP. It presents a comprehensive picture of freshwater resources in all regions and most countries of the world as it tracks progress towards the water-related targets of the UN Millennium Development Goals and examines a range of key issues including population growth and increasing urbanization, changing ecosystems, food production, health, industry and energy, as well as risk management, valuing and paying for water and increasing knowledge and capacity. Sixteen case studies look at typical water resource challenges and provide valuable insights into different facets of the water crisis and management responses. Finally, the report outlines a set of conclusions and recommendations to guide future action and encourage sustainable use, productivity and management of our increasingly scarce freshwater resources. WWDR2 is aimed at a wide audience, including all those interested or directly involved in the formulation and implementation of water-related policies, as well as managers, researchers, teachers, students and, of course, water users themselves.

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Asia Pacific Water Forum

Water is crucial to life and all forms of social, economic, and environmental development. According to the UN Task Force on Water and Sanitation (2005), safe water and sanitation is a prerequisite for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and for sustaining good health and quality of life. At Fourth World Water Forum (4th WWF), regional documents coordinated by Japan Water Forum (JWF) and 5 sub-regional coordinators (Korea Water Forum, Global Water Partnership (GWP) South East Asia, GWP South Asia, GWP CACENA and the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC)) together with regional water stakeholders reported on the Asia-Pacific region’s formidable water related challenges. These include the need for increased access to improved water supplies and sanitation(*1) through investments in infrastructure and capacity building, the protection and restoration of river basins as the fundamental provider of freshwater resources through Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), and the need to drastically reduce the vulnerability of human populations to water-related disasters(*2). There are already a large number of stakeholders, from international institutions to local NGO’s, who are spearheading important activities and have achieved significant results throughout the Asia-Pacific region. For example, between 1990 and 2002, 35% of the total urban population (representing over 368 million people) gained access to improved drinking water. As recognised during the participatory regional consultation process that preceded the 4th WWF, such improvements can be further enhanced by harnessing the knowledge and experience of these stakeholders and creating a cooperative platform through which this growing knowledge base can be disseminated. Why an APWF? The Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF) was initially proposed by the participants during the 4WWF Regional Preparatory Process that was coordinated by the Japan Water Forum (JWF). During the Ministerial Meeting that lead to the Joint Declaration, the establishment of the APWF was supported by several agencies in the region, including ADB, UNESCAP, GWP, KWF, SOPAC, JBIC, MRC, FAO, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNISDR and IUCN.

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Making Every Drop Count

By 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world’s population could be living under water stress conditions, FAO said today. Water use has grown at more than twice the rate of population increase over the last century, making sustainable, efficient and equitable management of scarce water resources a key challenge for the future, according to FAO's Pasquale Steduto, current Chair of the United Nations coordination mechanism, UN-Water. Coping with water scarcity This year, FAO is also the coordinating agency within the UN system for World Water Day, which is observed every year on 22 March. This year’s theme, “Coping with Water Scarcity”, highlights the need for increased cooperation at international and local levels to protect global water resources. Coping with water scarcity requires addressing a range of issues, from protection of the environment and global warming to equitable distribution of water for irrigation, industry and household use. Even people in areas with plenty of freshwater experience water scarcity when they are unable to gain access to enough water for their basic needs. Worldwide, 1.1 billion people do not have access to adequate clean water to meet their basic daily needs and 2.6 billion do not have proper sanitation.

Corps to increase water flow to state

Releases to rise by 129 million gallons daily

Saturday, July 21, 2007

STAN DIEL

News staff writer

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will increase the amount of water released daily from Allatoona Lake in Georgia, sending hundreds of millions of gallons more downstream to Alabama, authorities said Friday.

The corps will increase its releases from the lake by an average of 200 cubic feet per second - more than 129 million gallons a day - said E. Patrick Robbins, a corps spokesman.

Gov. Bob Riley, who on Tuesday accused the Corps of Engineers of illegally holding water in the lake while Alabama suffered from a 100-year drought, lauded the decision.

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Water commission angers Murray-Darling irrigators

Tuesday, 17/07/2007

Irrigators are angry at plans by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission to buy 20 gigalitres of water for the environment as the farm sector faces tough shortages.

The commission has been directed by the Basin's Ministerial Council to buy the water as part of efforts to deliver 500 gigalitres to six sites along the Murray River by 2009.

First Mildura Irrigation Trust's Jim Belbin says it will push up market prices for farmers trying to buy more water.

"They're going into the market for a very short period of time and during that particular period of time they'll be forcing the price of permanently traded water up, which will impact on anybody else who is wanting to buy water," he said.

The Murray-Darling Basin Commission says it is only a small amount of water and will not hurt farmers because the water will not be delivered while it is not available.

And the Federal Assistant Water Minister John Cobb says it will not affect farmer's access to water this year.

"They're going into the market for a very short period of time and during that particular period of time they'll be forcing the price of permanently traded water up, which will impact on anybody else who is wanting to buy water," he said.

Water Conflict : Farm Vs Environment

Water commission angers Murray-Darling irrigators

Tuesday, 17/07/2007

Irrigators are angry at plans by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission to buy 20 gigalitres of water for the environment as the farm sector faces tough shortages.

The commission has been directed by the Basin's Ministerial Council to buy the water as part of efforts to deliver 500 gigalitres to six sites along the Murray River by 2009.

First Mildura Irrigation Trust's Jim Belbin says it will push up market prices for farmers trying to buy more water.

"They're going into the market for a very short period of time and during that particular period of time they'll be forcing the price of permanently traded water up, which will impact on anybody else who is wanting to buy water," he said.

The Murray-Darling Basin Commission says it is only a small amount of water and will not hurt farmers because the water will not be delivered while it is not available.

And the Federal Assistant Water Minister John Cobb says it will not affect farmer's access to water this year.

"They're going into the market for a very short period of time and during that particular period of time they'll be forcing the price of permanently traded water up, which will impact on anybody else who is wanting to buy water," he said.