Water, Land and Ecosystems - 5.3 Water and Energy for Food

New insights on the tradeoffs between energy generation and irrigation: A global analysis

wle_admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 21:26:55 +0000

Both hydropower and bioenergy development have come off age to address growing energy scarcity sustainably. However, relatively little is known about the actual water use intensity of these forms of energy generation. Moreover, very little to nothing is known about energy-water interactions in developing countries. There is also little to no knowledge about the impacts of energy developments on global food security. However, the interactions between hydropower (and other energy sources) and food production are becoming more important as more developing countries have started to re-engage in hydropower development, specifically large-scale hydropower development, and are also expanding other forms of energy generation, all of which require water. Furthermore, in both Africa and Asia, the largest new dams are built in transboundary river basins with often unknown impacts on downstream food security. This activity will shed light on these topics across the WLE focal regions through addressing the following research questions: How does hydropower generation change under increasingly complex and often conflicting interests, and climate change? How do hydropower-irrigation interactions evolve under growing water scarcity? How do changes in energy prices affect hydropower-irrigation interactions?

Contact Person

Claudia Ringler (c.ringler@cgiar.org)

Lead Center

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Partners

Purdue University, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Completed

Start/End dateJanuary 01, 2014 — December 01, 2016

Research ThemeVariability, Risks and Competing Uses

Cluster

5.3 Water and Energy for Food

Regions

Global

Countries

Global-level projects

Improving water management in the lift irrigation areas of the Central Asia

wle_admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 21:26:55 +0000

Large scale irrigation projects based on water lift from the rivers to highlands are un-sustainable under emerging new climate and water availability conditions. These pump stations were installed in past in 1960-1970s without consideration of economic sustainability and environmental impacts. They lift much more than required for productive transpiration by crops and form high return flows and pollution of river systems. These lift irrigation schemes cover more than 50% of the irrigated land of Uzbekistan, 46% in Tajikistan and wide-spread in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Irrigation systems of Bukhara region, Karshi steppe and northern Tajikistan are the examples of such development. Water supply of those systems is energy intensive and reliable energy supply is challenging issue in those sub-basins. These energy intensive and low water use efficient lift irrigation schemes affect ecosystem services downstream. The objective of this project are twofold: (1) to enhance the provisioning services and of the ecosystem in lift irrigation schemes of Central Asia; (2) sustainable intensification of water management in lift irrigation scheme areas based on healthy functioning ecosystems with minimum return flow to the natural watercourses. Specific objectives are: examining changes of return flow quantity and quality. The return water quality (TDS) will be estimated under lift canal and groundwater irrigation. The project will closely work with the TajikGiprovodhoz Institute, responsible for designing and modernizing the lift irrigation schemes. The institute staff will be involved in the project and the schemes modernization strategies will be developed to achieve the objectives of the project. Ecosystem services will be estimated with and without modernizing of the schemes. Discussions with the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources will continue to promote groundwater development within lift irrigation schemes. Findings of the study will be shared with the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources.

Contact Person

Karimov, Akmal (a.karimov@cgiar.org)

Lead Center

International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

Partners

National Agency for Land Reclamation and Irrigation, Uzbek Research Institute of Plant Industry

Completed

Start/End dateJuly 01, 2012 — December 01, 2016

Research ThemeVariability, Risks and Competing Uses

Cluster

5.3 Water and Energy for Food

Regions

Central Asia

Countries

Tajikistan, Uzbekistan

Vulnerability analysis of the hydropower production at the Delsitanisagua watershed to climate change. Phase 1

wle_admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 22:28:03 +0000

The National Council of Electricity in Ecuador (CONELEC, from the name in Spanish) and the Information Systems for the Energy Sector (SISDAT, from the name in Spanish) show that the electric energy demand in Ecuador for 2013 was 17,069 GWh, which represents an increase of 220% compared to the demand observed in 1999. This increase in the energy demand in a relative short term is pushing the government towards the identification of new alternatives to augment the electric energy supply through different means. Several hydroelectric projects in the country are being planned or are already under construction as a way to respond to the increasing energy demands, and are considered a technological option that is more sustainable from financial and environment perspectives. However, according to CONELEC data, the electric energy supply system of Ecuador is increasingly reliant on hydroelectric plants that can potentially be affected by climate change. Consequently, investigating the vulnerability of hydropower production (that relies importantly on the provision of water-related ES such as stream flow regulation and sediment retention) to changes in future climate is a priority for the Ecuadorian government. Based on this, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment with the support of GIZ-Ecuador commissioned this project to assess the vulnerability of hydroelectric plants to plausible climate change and to propose adaptation measures in the watershed to ensure the sustainability of stream flows in the long term. The project activities include simulation of stream flows under current and likely future climatic conditions; estimation of costs that likely variations on stream flow due to climate change can impose to hydroelectric plants; and identification of potential of conservation measures in the watershed that can mitigate impacts of climate change on hydropower generation.

Contact Person

Marcela Quintero (m.quintero@CGIAR.ORG)

Lead Center

International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)

Partners

ADC-supported livelihood improvement through sustainable resource management program

Completed

Start/End dateJanuary 01, 2015 — September 30, 2015

Research ThemeVariability, Risks and Competing Uses

Cluster

5.3 Water and Energy for Food

Regions

Latin America

Countries

Ecuador

Trade-off analysis and mitigation strategies for fisheries and aquatic ecosystem services affected by water development infrastructure

wle_admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 22:28:03 +0000

This activity addresses one of the key development challenges in the Mekong region and other trans-boundary river systems around the world; the need for optimizing water infrastructure development and its management for multiple users, including hydropower, irrigation, and fisheries, for more equitable benefit sharing among stakeholders and for resilient aquatic ecosystems. The main project objective is to articulate the trade-offs between water development priorities and aquatic ecosystem services in the Mekong river system, and to explore options for mitigating negative impacts on local communities that depend on the ecosystem services, through innovative technologies as well as water governance approaches. A number of thematic research activities will be conducted to improve the understanding of the linkages between water quantity and quality, aquatic ecosystem goods and services, and local livelihoods and food security in the region, that would enable the analysis of trade-offs among sectoral water users and stakeholders. The priority activities for 2015 are: • Develop and submit a journal article on the livelihood adaptation of communities affected by hydropower resetlement in Lao PDR (building on CPWF MK2) • Conduct analysis of the Nam Gnouang reservoir fisheries and its management regime and provide recommendations to the Theum-Himboun Hydropower Company jointly with IWMI (building on CPWF MK1 and 2) • Documenting an outcome story from our work in providing technical support and information to the local government and international donor communities on the design and implementation of hydropower development and resettlement processes in Cambodia to promote social and environmental sustainability (building on CPWF MK1, 2, 3 findings) The findings will be used to derive policy and management recommendations on alternative water management, technology, and governance options to reduce adverse consequences across the water-energy-food nexus.

Contact Person

Yumiko Kura (y.kura@cgiar.org)

Partners

Department of Livestock and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Lao PDR, Savannakhet University, Lao PDR, Fisheries Administration, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Cambodia, Theun-Hinboun Power Company

Completed

Start/End dateAugust 01, 2010 — December 01, 2016

Research ThemeVariability, Risks and Competing Uses

Cluster

5.3 Water and Energy for Food

Regions

Southeast Asia

Countries

Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam

Informing the design of fish passes in the Mekong

wle_admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 22:28:03 +0000

The purpose of this project is to assist governments of the Lower Mekong Basin to respond to increased environmental pressure on food security and biodiversity due to hydropower dam development. In this project we propose to survey fish migrations through the Khone Falls in Laos and use this area as a natural laboratory to assess the swimming capabilities and the hydro-geomorphologic requirements of dominant fish species. The information gathered will inform the design of fish passes adapted to Mekong fish species and will underpin the development of operational mitigation measures for dams. This project will include four main activities: A1: Identify the fish species that migrate at different time of the year through specific channels of the Khone Falls A2. Identify the current speed, step dimensions and slope gradients in the channels used by dominant migratory fishes at different times of the year A3. Couple the migrations of target fish species with passable current speed and river bed conditions A4. Communicate actively the findings of this project to stakeholders in the hydropower sector

Contact Person

Eric Baran (e.baran@cgiar.org)

Partners

International Centre for Environmental Management, Ubon Ratchathani University, Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, National University of Laos

Completed

Start/End dateJanuary 01, 2013 — June 01, 2016

Research ThemeVariability, Risks and Competing Uses

Cluster

5.3 Water and Energy for Food

Regions

Southeast Asia

Countries

Laos