Mechanizing water lifting through pumps: a case study in Sri Lanka
A reliable supply of water is critical for agricultural intensification and yield improvement. Technological devices that lift, transport and apply water contribute to increased yield from improved crop varieties and high input cultivation. The increasing use of motor pumps is a significant contribution to the development of small-scale irrigation.
Integrating the social, hydrological and ecological dimensions of freshwater health: the freshwater health index
Degradation of freshwater ecosystems and the services they provide is a primary cause of increasing water insecurity, raising the need for integrated solutions to freshwater management. While methods for characterizing the multi-faceted challenges of managing freshwater ecosystems abound, they tend to emphasize either social or ecological dimensions and fall short of being truly integrative. This paper suggests that management for sustainability of freshwater systems needs to consider the linkages between human water uses, freshwater ecosystems and governance.
Trade-offs in multi-purpose land use under land degradation
Land provides a host of ecosystem services, of which the provisioning services are often considered paramount. As the demand for agricultural products multiplies, other ecosystem services are being degraded or lost entirely. Finding a sustainable trade-off between food production and one or more of other ecosystem services, given the variety of stakeholders, is a matter of optimizing land use in a dynamic and complex socio-ecological system. Land degradation reduces our options to meet both food demands and environmental needs.
Shallow subsurface drainage for managing seasonal flooding in Ganges floodplain, Bangladesh
The impact of shallow subsurface drainage was investigated as a pilot study on a 0.13 ha plot of a farmer’s field located in Batiaghata, Khulna District, Bangladesh, in the floodplain of the Bay of Bengal. The drainage design differed from traditional subsurface tile drains in two respects: (i) the depth of drains was shallow (30 cm); and (ii) the design did not include a sump and accessories such as pumps (drainage outlets were tidal).
Establishing hybrid water use rights systems in Sub-Saharan Africa
Quantification of surface and groundwater resources in the Anyari watershed of the Upper East Region in Ghana
Evaluation of suitable water lifting and on-farm water management technologies for the irrigation of vegetables and fodder in Lemo district, Ethiopia
The Ganges River Basin: status and challenges in water, environment and livelihoods
Baseline 2004: Changing the way we manage water for food, livelihoods, health and the environment
There are many options for enhancing food production from fish in managed aquatic systems.The most appropriate technology, however, will vary from place to place, and the conditions under which one technology is prefered over another are still not well defined.
Conjunctive management of surface and groundwater in transboundary watercourses: a first assessment
Cooperative management of transboundary river basins is widely recognized as important. Emphasis on joint management of shared aquifers has also grown in recent years. Perhaps surprisingly, despite abundant focus on transboundary surface water and growing focus on shared groundwater, there is scant focus on their intersection.