Socio-hydrological Assessment of Water Security
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Case Studies
Socio-hydrological assessment of water security in canal irrigation systems: A conjoint quantitative analysis of equity and reliability
Afreen Siddiqi, James L. Wescoat Jr. and Abubakr Muhammad
Abstract
This paper offers a socio-hydrological assessment of water security that compares canal irrigation entitlements with water deliveries using a conjoint analysis of system reliability and equity. We develop a set of definitions and metrics to quantitatively characterize reliability and equity using newly available datasets of 10-daily canal deliveries from 2007–2017 in the Punjab canal command areas in the Indus Basin Irrigation System of Pakistan, where emphasis has shifted from distributing historically-defined volumetric supplies to improving irrigation efficiencies and crop yields in order to achieve greater aggregate water and food security. Our analysis reveals stagnation and oscillation over time in system-level equity and reliability. We reflect on the potential to positively affect canal irrigation performance and water security through a socio-hydrological approach.
Highlights
- Reliability and equity need conjoint socio-hydrologic analysis to improve water security.
- Median reliability of canals in Punjab was 56–97% in summer and 32–96% in winter.
- Irrigation system equity was worse in winter on average by 26% as compared to summer.
- Equity and reliability of canals was stagnant and oscillatory during 2007–2017.
- Canal system water security can be increased with improved forecasting and management.
Water Security, August–December 2018, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasec.2018.11.001
Source: Science Direct
Taxonomy
- Agriculture
- Basin Irrigation
- Canals
- Drip Irrigation
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Saline Water Irrigation
- Irrigation
- Irrigation and Drainage
- Micro Irrigation
- Future Irrigation Systems
- Water Treatment & Control
- Water Control
- Water Loss Control
- Irrigation Agronomy
- Irrigation Projects
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Irrigation Design
- Water Resources Management
- Irrigation Systems
- Precision irrigation
- Irrigation & Water Management
- Irrigation and Drainage