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«Complex and Dynamic Implementation Processes: Analyzing the Renaturalization of the Dutch Regge River» is a new book by Cheryl de Boer and Hans Bressers, University of Twente. They have assembled the results of over two years of research about the renaturalization efforts of the Regge River in the Twente region (NL). The authors provide a careful evaluation of the many different projects over the last decade as part of the long term vision for the River Regge.
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This four-year PhD position is offered within the department of Physical Geography at Utrecht University, the Netherlands, in collaboration with the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment – RIVM in Bilthoven (the Netherlands) and the Soil Quality section at Wageningen University (the Netherlands). The PhD project is part of the RIVM-funded «Climate Cascades» project that involves two parallel PhD projects.
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A new FAO report profiles the state of the natural resource base upon which world food production depends. The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture (SOLAW) notes that – while the last 50 years witnessed a notable increase in food production – »in too many places, achievements have been associated with management practices that have degraded the land and water systems upon which food production depends«. Today a number of those systems »face the risk of progressive breakdown of their productive capacity under a combination of excessive demographic pressure and unsustainable agriculture use and practices«, the report continues. No region is immune: systems at risk can be found around the globe, from the highlands of the Andes to the steppes of Central Asia, from Australia’s Murray-Darling river basin to the central United States.
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In January 2011, UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP) – together with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) and the World Bank – initiated a new project on Groundwater Governance: A Global Framework for Country Action. This three-year project is working closely with the Member States, the main actor in the management of groundwater resources. Under the responsibility of UNESCO’s IHP network, the Regional Consultation Workshops (RCW) are a fundamental component of the Groundwater Governance project.
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The United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Bank and the World Resources Institute have released the World Resources Report 2010–2011: «Decision Making in a Changing Climate». The publication explores challenges and offers recommendations for national-level government officials to make informed and effective decisions to respond to the changing climate.
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A brand new book about sustainable land management, the development of water buffers and the business case underneath it. As part of the discussion on the green economy it shows that investments in natural resource management make sense business-wise. While the parameters for investments in land, water and vegetation cover may be different – and returns may not always be immediate – both the financial payback and the economic dividend of investments in integrated landscapes, when done properly, are rewarding. As investments in sustainable land and water buffers will transform lives and economies, the social impact will become important. A buffer gives a sense of security and the reassurance that one’s livelihood is secured – something sought-after in a world of growing stress and climate change risks.
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USAID, the United States Agency for International Development has awarded a $2.95 million grant to UNESCO’s Institute for Water Education (IHE-Delft) for the creation of a “collaborative knowledge network” aimed at improving the management of groundwater in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region. The MENA region includes Lebanon, Tunisia, Jordan, Algeria, the Palestinian Territories, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, Yemen, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.
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With support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Sana’a, Yemen, a documentary study on models of traditional irrigation systems and methods of water harvesting in the Hadramout and Shabwah governorates in Yemen has been translated and reproduced. Man has long struggled with nature to obtain water for drinking and agriculture. Over time, he has developed expertise in harvesting water, and draining surface water for irrigation. Expertise that accumulated over thousands of years is now falling into neglect.
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Although we do not have a report for 2010, «The World’s Water», the ‘Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources’ ,promises again to be a very interesting and well-written publication if it is like the previous six volumes. We reviewed them all before and were excited each time about the quality of the chapters. Volume 7 features chapters on U.S. water policy, climate change and transboundary waters, and the effects of fossil fuel production on water resources, and other timely issues. Water briefs provide concise updates on topics including bottled water, The Great Lakes Water Agreement, and water and security. We expect that Peter Gleick and his team from the Pacific Institute have done a great job again.
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