Author(s): Michel Soto Chalhoub
Linked Author(s): Michel Soto Chalhoub
Keywords: Sustainable water resource management, surface watercourses flow, surface water policies, groundwater transition
Abstract: Developing countries face special challenges in water resource management including lack of environmental policies, technological gap, limited community involvement and demographic movement. The present research addresses an engineering component and a public policy component related to surface water and challenges due to the uncertainties of its flow in watercourses. A mathematical model is developed to illustrate the uncertainty in surface flow and the need for the statistical rather than deterministic approaches to account for the variability in its parameters. Upgrades in commonly used formulations are necessary to accommodate the peculiarities of medium to small streams. A second mathematical model is developed to analyze the empirical data for water policy recommendations. Field data was collected in Byblos County, Lebanon, in the East Mediterranean, which is endowed with high precipitation rates as compared to the region and yet, suffering from water shortage. In a multivariate linear regression analysis, a dependent variable was defined as the sustainability of surface water as a primary source of supply. Three independent variables were defined as X1, the reliability of projections for surface flow given its uncertainty, X2, the effectiveness of establishing a multi-decade surface water management program, and X3, the effectiveness of transitioning to groundwater for processing and end-use. Results show that the first variable is statistically significant but negatively correlated, while the second and third variables are statistically significant and positively correlated. In addition, the secondary data confirms a continuous movement from rural to urban areas. Based on those results, it is recommended that a national water resource management plan is established with an environmentally sustainable multi-decade implementation program. The program needs to be intimately linked to the environmental protection policies that are starting to be applied in the country
Year: 2017