Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
management context is about how to ensure fair and
equitable distribution of the water resource between
groups of stakeholders. In South Africa, legislation
introduced in 1998 designated that water for mini-
mum human and ecological needs constitutes an
untouchable reserve (Jaspers, 2001). This promotes
human usage and instream ecology above other
usages (e.g. agriculture, industry). In the USA the
way in which 'water rights' are associated with land
property rights means that there are many examples
where farms have been bought specifically for the
associated water right rather than the agricultural
value of the land. This is particularly true in western
states of the USA like Colorado, where water is
definitely a scarce resource. The city of Boulder has
steadily acquired agricultural water rights which it
has then used for municipal supply. In the 1990s
Boulder 'gave back' $12M of water rights to ensure
continuous flows in Boulder Creek (Howe, 1996).
This is essentially a reallocation of Boulder Creek
water in recognition of aesthetic and environmental
needs ahead of human usage.
Case study
WATER ALLOCATION IN THREE CONTRASTING COUNTRIES
Demands for water vary according to the climate
of an area and the traditional uses of water. This is
illustrated in Figure 8.3 which contrasts the uses
of abstracted water in New Zealand, the United
Kingdom and South Korea. These are three
countries of similar size (area) but quite different
water demands. New Zealand has a small popu-
lation (4 million in 2006) with a relatively small
industrial sector in an economy dominated by
agriculture. This result is that the largest water
abstractions are from agriculture, the majority of
which is used in the spray irrigation of pasture.
The United Kingdom has a much higher popula-
tion (60 million in 2005) with a large industrial
sector compared to agriculture. Irrigation of
agricultural land is not common in the UK, hence
the small percentage of water used by agriculture
compared to industry and household consump-
tion. South Korea has a large population (48
million in 2005) and large industrial economic
sector and yet in Figure 8.3 the water abstraction
usages are more similar in profile to New Zealand
than the United Kingdom. This is because the
predominant agricultural practice used, paddy
field rice production, has a very high water usage.
So although agriculture is not a large part of the
100%
80%
Agriculture
Industry
Household
60%
40%
20%
0%
New Zealand
United
Kingdom
South Korea
Figure 8.3
Water allocation in three contrasting
countries: New Zealand, United Kingdom and South
Korea. The
figures
are broad categories of use for water
abstracted in each country.
Source
: OECD
South Korean economy there is a high water
demand because of the way it is used. The pre-
dominance of high-tech industry in South Korea
also means that industrial water demand is rela-
tively low compared to what might be expected
from heavy industry (e.g. steel production). The
large populations of South Korea and the UK
result in a much higher percentage of total water
allocation going to household supply than in New
Zealand. It is estimated globally that although
rainfall provides about 90 per cent of water used
