As the world population keeps growing, so does our demand for food, water and energy. Many river basins are now overexploited or dangerously approaching the threshold of renewable water resources, leading to overall economic losses, environmental degradation, declining food and energy security.
Managing water resources typically involves siting, designing, building and operating infrastructure that provides water in sufficient quantities and qualities where and when we want them and at reasonable financial, social and environmental costs. Non-structural management measures, such as water pricing and inter-sectoral water transfers, are gaining traction as the cost of those hydraulic infrastructure keeps rising.
We help water systems work more effectively so they can meet the needs of people and the environment
Our approach is grounded in hydro-economic modeling (HEM), which integrates hydrologic, engineering, institutional, and economic processes within water systems. This allows us to represent the intricate interdependencies between human societies and their natural and engineered environments. HEM enables robust evaluation of the impacts of management decisions across the system, and how system feedbacks shape those decisions in return.
For example, we have used HEM to analyze the following water resources management problems:
- Preparation of masterplans (river basin, irrigation) and investments prioritization;
- Adapting the operation of water resources systems to climate change;
- Determining efficient and equitable water allocation policies between competing uses;
- Developing multipurpose multireservoir operating policies;
- Assessing water users’ vulnerabilities to global changes;
- Developing water and benefit sharing mechanisms in transboundary river basins;
- Assessing tradeoffs between competing uses;
- Determining the economic value of water in complex water resources systems;
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