An Overview of Inter-basin Water Transfer Projects in the World and Its Impact on Environmental, Economic and Social Factors

فصلنامه آب و توسعه پایدار

Article 7, Volume 9, Issue 2 - Serial Number 24, September 2022, Pages 57-68   

Document Type: Review Article

DOI: 10.22067/jwsd.v9i2.2202.1121

Author

Maryam Teymouri Yeganeh^*

Ph.D. Student, Water Structure, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

Uneven spatial and temporal distribution of water, imbalances between water supply and demand (especially increased water demand due to limited water resources), and high water losses in urban and agricultural water systems have complicated the management of large-scale water resources. Therefore, proper control and use of available water resources are essential. Water transfer between basins is an example of the solutions used to address water scarcity, especially in the drinking water sector in arid regions and countries. Hence, it has created various challenges for the sustainable management of basins. The present study, by examining the specifications of 4 inter-basin water transfer projects at the international level, in order to increase awareness about the environmental, economic, and social effects of these projects. The results showed that inter-basin water transfer schemes directly affect the management of the source and destination basin and although in the short term will reduce water shortage problems in the destination basin, in the long term It weakens the environmental, economic, and social conditions in one of the two basins. This issue is especially evident in arid and semi-arid countries where water transfer projects are carried out with the aim of supplying drinking water, agriculture, and industry. For this purpose, it is necessary to apply UNESCO criteria in the implementation of water transfer projects between basins.

Keywords

Inter-basin Water Transfer; Environmental Factors; Social Factors; Economic Factors

References

جدانمردی، م. 1394. انتقال آب بین حوضه‌‏ای و چالش‏‌های اقتصادی-اجتماعی و امنیتی در استان خوزستان. دهمین سمینار بین‌‏المللی مهندسی رودخانه. دانشگاه شهید چمران اهواز، اهواز، ایران.
حلبیان، ا.ح.، شبانکاری، م. 1389. مدیریت منابع آب در ایران (مطالعه موردی: چالش‌های انتقال آب از بهشت‌آباد به زاینده‌رود). چهارمین کنگره بین‌‏المللی جغرافی‌‏دانان جهان اسلام. دانشگاه سیستان و بلوچستان، سیستان و بلوچستان، ایران.
دانشنامه‌آزاد.http://fa.wikipadia.org/visited(11December 2021) i
رافی، ی.، شوریان، م. و عطاری، ج. 1394. طراحی ابعاد سیستم انتقال آب بین حوضه‌ای با لحاظ شاخص‌های تصمیم‌گیری در حوضه‌های آبریز مبدﺃ و مقصد. نشریه تحقیقات منابع آب ایران، 11(1): 49-60.
قبادیان، ع. 1369. سیمای طبیعی فلات ایران در ارتباط با بهره برداری کشاورزی، احیاء بازسازی منابع طبیعی کشور. جلد1. انتشارات دانشگاه شهید باهنر. چاپ1. کرمان، ایران. 
کلاهی، م. 1399. گروداران منابع طبیعی. نشریه آب و توسعه پایدار، 8(1): 19-30.
معصومی، ک. 1400. شرح کلی خدمات مطالعات اجتماعی طرح‏های انتقال آب بین حوضه‏ای. وزارت نیرو، شرکت مدیریت منابع آب ایران. دفتر توسعه نظام‏های فنی، بهره‏برداری و دیسپاچینگ برقآبی. تهران.
Abrishamchi A, and Tajrishi M. 2005. Interbasin water transfer in Iran. Paper presented at the Water conservation, reuse, and recycling: proceeding of an Iranian American workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. ISBNs: Paperback:  978-0-309-09293-7, Ebook:  978-0-309-18119-8.
Allan T. 2003. IWRM/IWRAM: a new sanctioned discourse? Occasional Paper 50. SOAS Water Issues Study Group. School of Oriental and African Studies, King’s College, London. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255635525_IWRMIWRAM_a_new_sanctioned_discourse, visited 3 October 2021)
Boddu M., Gaayam T. and Annamdas V.G.M. 2011. A review on inter basin transfer of water IPWE. 2011. In: Proc. of 4th International Perspective on Water Resources and the Environment, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore. Session on: Inter-basin Transfer of WaterBruk S Interbasin water transfer. Conference report. Journal of Water Policy, Singapore, 3: 167-169.
Chen Z., Wang H. and Qi X. 2013. Pricing and water resource allocation scheme for the  South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China. Water Resources Management, 27(5): 1457-1472.
Cox W.E., Shabman L.A. and Blackburn W. 1985. Development of Procedures for Improved Resolution of Conflicts Related to Interjurisdictional Water Transfer. Academic Report, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Water Resources Research Center. Virginia, America.
Davies B. R., Thoms M. and Meador M. 1992. The Ecological Impacts of Inter-basin Water Transfers, and Their Threats to River Basin Integrity and Conservation. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 2: 325-349.
Day J.C.and Quinn F. 1992. Water DiversionandExport: Learning from Canadian Experience. Amazon, Canadian association of geographers, Public Issues Committee,Departmentof Geography. University of Waterloo. Waterloo, Canada.
Duffy P.J.B. 1987. Environmental Impact Assessment of Major Canadian Water Transfer Projects Involving Federal Responsibilities, proceedings of the symposiumon Inter-Basin Transferof Water: Impact and ResearchNeeds for Canada,W Nicholaicchukand F Quinn (eds). CanadianWater Resources Association, Ottawa, Canada.
Eley F.J. and Lawford R.G. 1987. Potential Climatic Impact Water Transfers, proceedings of the Symposium on Inter-Basin Transfer of Water:ImpactandResearchNeeds for Canada,W Nicholaicchukand F Quinn (eds). CanadianWater Resources Association. Canada.
Fitzgibbon J.1987. IssuesonInter-basinTransferInCanada: Summary of the WorkshopProceedings. proceedingsof the Symposiumon Inter-Basin Transfer of Water: Impact and Research Needs for Canada, W Nicholaicchuk and F Quinn (eds), Canadian Water Resources Association, Ottawa, Canada.
Foxworthy B.L. and Moody D.W. 1986. National Perspective on Surface-water Resources. In: Moody, D.W., Chase, E.B. and Aronson, D.A. (eds), U.S. Geological Survey. National Water Summary 1985, Hydrologic Events and surface-water resources, Water-Supply Paper, 51-68.
Ghorbani-Aghdam M., Dinpashoh Y., Mostafaeipour A. 2013. Application of factor analysis in defining drought prone areas in lake urmia basin. Nat. Hazards, 69: 267–277.
Ghassemi F. and White I. 2007. Inter-basin water transfer: case studies from Australia, United States, Canada, China and India. Cambridge University Press. London, England.
Ghorbani-Aghdam M., Dinpashoh Y., Mostafaeipour A. 2013. Application of factor analysis in defining drought prone areas in lake urmia basin. Nat. Hazards, 69: 267–277.
Greer C. 1983. The Texas Water System: Implications for Environmental Assessment in Planning for Interbasin Water Transfers. In: Biswas A.K., Dakang Z., Nickum J.E. and Changming L. (eds), Long Distance Water Transfer, A Chinese Case Study and International Experiences. Water Resources Series, 3, Tycooly International Publishing Limited. Dublin.
Gu W., Shao D. and Jiang Y. 2012. Risk evaluation of water shortage in source area of central  route project for South-to-North water transfer in China. Water Resources Management, 26(11): 3479-3493.
Gupta J., Zaag v. and der P. 2008. Interbasinwater transfers and integrated water resources management: where engineering, science and politics interlock. Phys. Chem. Earth, 33: 28–40.
He c., He x. and Fu Li. 2010. China’s South-to-North Water Transfer Project: Is it Needed? Geography Compass 4/9 (2010): 1312–1323, 10.1111/j.1749-8198.2010.00375.x.
Herrman R. 1983. Environmental implications of water transfer. In: Long distance water transfer: A Chinese Case study and international experiences. Journal of Water Resources. 3: 432.
Hoseinpour M., Fakheri Fard A. and Naghili R. 2010. Death of urmia lake, a silent disaster investigating causes, results and solutions of urmia lake drying. In Proceedings of the 1st International Applied Geological Congress, Department of Geology, Islamic Azad University, Islamic Azad University-Mashad Branch, Iran.
Hu B., Zhou J., Xu S., Chen Z., Wang J., Wang D., Wang L., Guo J. and Meng W. 2013. Assessment of hazards and economic losses induced by land subsidence in Tianjin Binhai new area from 2011 to 2020 based on scenario analysis. Nat. Hazards, 66(1): 873–886.
Huang W., Zhang X.N. and Wang J.Y. 2011. Multi-agent system computing and simulation of inter-basin water transfer. Intell. Autom. Soft Comput, 17(1): 897–908.
INHS. 1996. Inter-BasinDispersalof InvadingAquatic Species Survey Reports September-October1996, [e-mail].
Karakaya N., Evrendilek F. and Gonenc E. 2014. "Interbasin water transfer practices in Turkey." Journal of Ecosystem & Ecography, 4(2): 1-5.
Kefayati M.,Saghafian B., Ahmadi A. and Babazadeh H. 2018. Empirical evaluation of river basin sustainability affected by inter-basin water transfer using composite indicators. Water and Environment Journal, 32(1): 104-111.
Knapp K.C., Weinbergb M., Howittc R. and Posnikoffd J. F. 2003. Water Transfers, Agriculture, and Groundwater Management: A Dynamic Economic Analysis. Environmental Management, 67(4): 291–301.
Lansheng W. and Christian M. 1999. A study on the environmental geology of the Middle Route Project of the South-North water transfer. Journal of Engineering Geology, 51: 153-165.
Laycock A.H. 1987. Inter-BasinTransferfor Agriculturein the Canadian Praaries:The Non-StructuralFactors. ibid, 5(3): 121-33.
Liang Y.S., Wang W., Li H.J., Shen X.H., Xu Y.L. and Dai J.R. 2012. The South-to-North Water Diversion Project: Effect of the water diversion pattern on transmission of Oncomelania hupensis, the intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum in China. Parasites Vectors 2012, 5, 52.
Lin C., Suh S. and Pfister S. 2012. Does South-to-North Water Transfer reduce the environmental impact of waterconsumption in China? J. Industrial Ecology Programme, 16(1): 647–654.
National research council. 2005. Water conservation, reuse, and Recyling: Proceedings of an Iranian-American workshop. Washington, Dc: the National Academies Press. Washington, Dc, American.
Liang Y.S., Wang W., Li H.J., Shen X.H., Xu Y.L. and Dai J.R. 2012. The South-to-North Water Diversion Project: Effect of the water diversion pattern on transmission of Oncomelania hupensis, the intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum in China. Parasites Vectors 2012, 5, 52.
Lin C., Suh S. and Pfister S. 2012. Does South-to-North Water Transfer reduce the environmental impact of waterconsumption in China? J. Industrial Ecology Programme, 16(1): 647–654.
National research council. 2005. Water conservation, reuse, and Recyling: Proceedings of an Iranian-American workshop. Washington, Dc: the National Academies Press. Washington, Dc, American.
Liu C. 2000. Environmental issues and the South-North Water Transfer Scheme. In Edmonds, R. L. ed. Managing the Chinese Environment. New York: Oxford University Press, New York, America.
Pittock J., Meng J. and Ashok K. 2009. Interbasin water transfers and water scarcity in a changing world – a solution or a pipedream? WWF (Organization of World Wide Fund for Nature) Germany.
Quinn F. and Edstrom J. 2000. Great Lakes diversions and other removals. Canadian Water Resources Journal, 25(2): 125-151.
Quinn F. 2004. Interbasin water diversions in Canada. A report to the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). Ottawa: Environment Canada. Ottawa, Canada. 
Quinn F. 2007. Water Diversion, Export, and Canada-U.S. Relations: A Brief History. Munk Centre for International Studies University of Toronto. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Roozbahani A., Ghased H. and Shahedany M. 2020. Inter-basin water transfer planning with grey COPRAS and fuzzy COPRAS techniques: A case study in Iranian Central Plateau. Science of the Total Environment, 726(2020): 138499.
Rosenberg D.M., Bodaley R.A. and Usher P.J. 1995. Environmental and Social Impacts of Large Scale Hydroelectric Develop- ment:Who Is listening. Global EnvironmentalChange, 5(2): 127-48.
Rosenberg D.M, Berkes F., Bodaley R.A., Hecky R.E., Kelly C.A. and
Rudd J.W.M. 1997. LargeScaleImpactsof HydroelectricDevelopment. NRC Canada, Environ Review, 5: 27-54.
Shiklomanov I.A. 1985. Large Scale Water Transfers. In: Rodda, J.C. (ed.), Facets of Hydrology. Volume II. John Wiley and Sons. Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Shao X., Wang H. and Wang Z. 2003. Interbasin transfer projects and their implications: a China case study. International Journal of River Basin Management, 1: 5–14.
Shumilova O., Tockner K., Thieme M., Koska A., Zarfl C. 2018. Global water transfer megaprojects: a potential solution for the water-food-energy nexus? Front. Environ. Sciens, 6: 150. 
Sinha p., Rollason E. and Bragken j. 2020. A new framework for integrated, holistic, and transparent evaluation of inter-basin water transfer schemes. Science of the Total Environment, 721(2020): 137646.
Smith C.D. and Kells J.A. 1993. "Development and Impacts of Lake
Diefenbaker:A Multi-Purpose Project." Canadian Water Resources Journal; 18(4): 503-12.
Snaddon C.D. 1998. Some of the Ecological Effects of a Small Inter-basin Water Transfer on the Receiving Reaches of the Upper Berg River, Western Cape. Unpublished M.Sc. Thesis. University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Stolte W.J. and Hsadar M. 1998. TheRafferty-AlamedaProject:Monitoring and Mitigationafterthe EnvironmentalImpactAssessment. Canadian WaterResources Journal, 23(2): 109-19.
Thomas G.W. and Box T.W. 1969. Social and Ecological Implications of Water Importation into Arid Lands. In: Bagley, J.M. and Smiley, T.L. (eds), Symposium on Water Importation into Arid Lands. Incorporated in: McGinnies, W.L. and Goldman, B.J. (eds), Arid Lands in Perspective. AAAS and University of Arizona Press. Tucson, Arizona.
Tockner K., Bernhardt E. S., Koska A. and Zarfl C. 2016. A global view on future major water engineering projects, in Society-Water-Technology, eds R. F. Hüttl, O. Bens, C. Bismuth, S. Hoechstetter (Springer,Cham: Heidelberg).
Wilson M.C., Li X.-Y., Ma Y.-J., Smith A.T. and Wu J. 2017. A review of the economic, social, and environmental impacts of China’s south–north water transfer project: a sustainability perspective. Sustainability, 9: 1489.
Wu L. et al. 2019. Tradeoff analysis between economic and ecological benefits of the
inter basin water transfer project under changing environment and its
operation rules. Journal of Cleaner Production, (248): 119294.