Session 3

Decision Support Tools for IWRM

Integrated Water Resources Management
Dr. Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos
Workshop on Engaging stakeholders and Decision Support Tools for Integrated Water Resources
Management in Chindwin River Basin
6th 7th Nov, 2014

Objectives
Introduce the concept of Integrated Water
Resource Management (IWRM)
Understand how Decision Support Tools (DST)
can help in IWRM

Contents

What is IWRM
What are DSTs
Use of DST models to integrate aspects in IWRM
Functions of a DST
Examples of DSTs
Practical use of DSTs in IWRM

What is IWRM?
Goals

Economic
Growth
Water Management

Management of other
resources linked to Water Cycle
Ex:
Land Use and Vegetation
Fishery
Energy
Mineral Resources

Maximize
Social
Well-being

Maintaining
environmental
sustainability

Reference: IWRM at a Glance. Global Water Parnership GWP.

(http://www.gwp.org/Global/The%20Challenge/Resource%20material/IWRM%20at%20a%20glance.pdf)

In an Equitable manner!

Society

IWRM principles
1. Water is finite and
vulnerable resource
2. Participatory approach
3. Role of women
4. Social and economic
value of water
5. Integrating three Es economic efficiency,
social equity and
ecosystem sustainability
Source : http://www.gwp.org/en/The-Challenge/What-is-IWRM/IWRM-Principles/

Reference: A Water Secure World. Global Water Partnership GWP (http://www.gwp.org/en/Press-Room/A-Water-Secure-World/)

IWRM Cycle
Setting
Goals

Monitoring &
Evaluation

Analyze Gaps

Implementation

Assessment

Strategy and
action plan

What are Decision Support Tools - DST?

Interactive procedures, software and
databases to assist in making informed
decisions

How can DST support the IWRM Cycle?

Setting
Goals

Monitoring &
Evaluation

Analyze Gaps

Implementation

Assessment

Strategy and
action plan

DST to understand the integration

in the natural systems:
between land and water
between rainfall, surface water and
groundwater
between water quantity and quality
between upstream and downstream
between the freshwater system and the
coastal waters
Reference: IWRM at a Glance. Global Water Parnership GWP.
(http://www.gwp.org/Global/The%20Challenge/Resource%20material/IWRM%20at%20a%20glance.pdf)

DST to understand the integration

between Natural and Human system:
Water Demand
Trade off between water energy food
Economic effects of water scenarios

Functions of DST
Organize data (databases)
Visualize data
Analyze
System Modeling

Communication

Examples of DST
Geographical
Information Systems
Hydrological
Modelling
Climate Models

Spatial
Analysis
of flow Accumulation
in Ayeyarwady
In: Theilen-Willige, B., &
WEAP
andR.MODFLOW
Available
at: and Delta.
Johnston,
et al. 2010.modelling.
Climate change,
water
agriculture in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
Pararas-Carayannis,
G. (2009). Natural hazard assessment of SW Myanmar-a contribution of
http://www.bgr.bund.de/EN/Themen/Wasser/Projekte/abgeschlossen/TZ/Acsad_dss/dss_fb_e
Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute. 60p. IWMI Research Report 136.
remote
sensing and GIS methods to the detection of areas vulnerable to earthquakes and
n.html
doi:10.5337/2010.212
tsunami/cyclone flooding. Science of Tsunami Hazards, 28(2), 108

Reference: National Institute of Hydrology. Decision Support System Planning DSS (P) for Integrated River Basin Planning & Management.
Awareness Workshop January 28 29, 2014. (slideshare.net/hydrologyproject2/tools-for-water-resources-planning-decision-support-systemplanning-dss-p-nih)

Water Quality Reports Department of

Environmental Quality Idaho - USA

Reference: http://mapcase.deq.idaho.gov/wq2012/

Practical use of DST in IWRM

Will there be some

climate change?

If we change the crop, what is the

effect on river sediments?
If we deforest an area, what is the
effect on river flow and sediments?

And if we build a new water

infrastructure, what are the
benefits and costs?
What happens if we add an
irrigation project?
Considering the expected city growth, When will
there be conflict with upstream water use?

Reference: eWater Source Australia's national hydrological modelling platform (http://www.ewater.com.au/products/ewater-source/)

Lets keep these questions in mind

What are the main planning, management and
decision contexts where information could be
useful in Chindwin Basin?
What kind of information is useful in such
contexts? How it could be supplied by DST?

Thank you very much

Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos, Ph.D.

vitor.vasconcelos@sei-international.org