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Environmental information in transboundary river basin policy-making and management: Selected European case studies
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This report contains seven case studies that describe and examine the role and use of environmental information in transboundary river or lake basin policy-making and management. The case regions studied are the Bug River, Neman River, Elbe River, Odra River, Spanish-Portuguese Rivers, Lake Constance, and Lake Neusiedl. Issues addressed are who design and specify information needs, what type of information is collected, what are the existing and future problems in this type of work and what are the theoretical frameworks that can be applied to analyse such issues.
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... The data was coded according to specific classes when applicable, while in other cases; the transcribed interview material was condensed into shorter sentences (qualitative interpretation). For each case, a case study report was written (Nilsson 2002a;Nilsson 2002b;Nilsson 2002c). With the case study reports as a basis, the material was analysed further. ...
... Additionally, a general aim of all studies has been to keep descriptions of the methods applied and the logic behind results and conclusions as clear and transparent as possible. In some cases, detailed descriptions of the studies can be found in background reports (Nilsson 2002a;Nilsson 2002b;Nilsson 2002c;Nilsson 2006a;Nilsson 2006b;Veidemane and Nilsson 2006), while in other cases enough details have hopefully been given in the papers as such. ...
Egypt will face water scarcity, a problem that can be partially alleviated using the non-conventional water resources. With limited freshwater, tapping into non-conventional land and water resources has become a necessity for the Sinai. First, this chapter presents the state of the art of non-conventional water resource management techniques, which includes drainage water and wastewater reuse, desalination of brackish and saline water, fossil or Paleolakes water, and water harvesting. The combined effects of increasing demand for water for irrigation and the difficulties facing the disposal of waste sewage and agricultural drainage water suggest that technological innovation and adaptation are relevant for effective and environmentally sustainable reuse. Therefore, innovations are important to increase the efficiency of water use. Satellite remote sensing approaches, in conjunction with geographic information systems (GIS) have been widely used and have been recognized as an effective and powerful tool in monitoring and assessment of non-conventional water resources. Second, this chapter evaluates the status of non-conventional soil resources. The Sinai’s soils are classified into different classes including saline soil, gypsiferous soil, sandy soil, steep slope soil, skeletal soil, and shallow soil. If these soils are used for agricultural purpose, then it may cause some severe effects on the ecology and environment. Upon proper soil management and amendments with specific attention, they can be converted for cultivation soils. Finally, this chapter also proposes a smart-based land and water resources system based on the key technologies: Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and smart sensors. Environmental sensors have been used in applications as per the need to build smart water resources management. Combining the Cloud, IoT, and sensors is vital, so that the sensing data can be stored or processed. The proposed system consists of the sensor layer, the transmission layer, the Cloud services layer, and the application layer. The system is a collection of platforms and infrastructures on which data is stored and processed, allowing farmers to retrieve and upload their data for a specific application, at any location with Internet access. Finally, advantages and the possible limitations of the proposed system are discussed.
First published in 1985, Mary Douglas intended Risk and Acceptability as a review of the existing literature on the state of risk theory. Unsatisfied with the current studies of risk, which she found to be flawed by individualistic and psychologistic biases, she instead uses the book to argue risk analysis from an anthropological perspective. Douglas raises questions about rational choice, the provision of public good and the autonomy of the individual.
The feasibility of implementing integrated river basin management in countries with strong federal structures such as Austria or Germany has always been questioned. The present systems of water management in two Austrian states are examined as case studies. The obstacles to integrated river basin management are analysed. A possible solution is suggested, involving all stakeholders within an institutional framework to be created under the federal water law. In addition, the implications of the proposed EU Water Framework Directive for a federal state within a large, politically diversified basin (Danube River Basin) are analysed. Future prospects for river basin management, despite the inherent difficulties, are bright.
Since the late 1960s and the environmental revolution, information and information systems have been an integral part of the environmental debate. In the decade that has passed since the Rio conference and the establishment of the sustainable development principle, there have been legislative and practical moves to open access to environmental information for all stakeholders that are involved in environmental decision making processes. In this paper, the origins of environmental information and public environmental information systems are explored and scrutinised. The paper questions the current state of the art in environmental information provision. and offers some directions for possible improvements.
The Elbe River is the third largest stream (behind the Danube and the Rhine) in Western Europe. Its catchment covers an area of 148.268 sq. km (Fig.1). It belongs to the international river basins, since it is shared between the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) (65.4%) and the Czech Republic (33.8%) (the area parts of Austria and Poland are less than 1% and can be neglected). The population living within the river basin totals 25.7 million people. The average population density is 173 per sq. km. Within the catchment, three cities with more than one million inhabitants are situated: Berlin (3.4 mio), Hamburg (1.6 mio) and Prague (1.2 mio). The national importance of the Elbe river can be demonstrated by the percentage of citizens living in both countries within the river basin: 60.9% of all Czechs and 24.6% of all Germans. In the past, the water policy was orientated to waste water removal instead of treatment and purification. As a result, the load of the Elbe river with organic nitrogen, heavy metals, slowly biodegradable and toxic substances damaged the ecosystem significantly and reduced the possibility for drinking water supply and irrigation along the river. In 1989, the water quality was comparable to the quality of the Rhine river in the early seventies, during its maximum pollution. The Elbe River can be seen as a victim of socialist environmental policy. The extensive utilization of this river as a sewerage for non-treated wastewater by the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Czechoslovakian Socialist Republic damaged the river seriously.