Integrated Water Management

This research will investigate the water balance of the Twentekanaal, a canal in the east of the Netherlands. For this multipurpose canal, there is a division of water to different purposes, such as safety, agriculture and industry. For this research, the water system and its agricultural users between Eefde, Delden and Almelo will be zoomed into during summer months. This will be done by setting-...

Jakarta has to deal with two contrary extremes related to water management. Both extreme shortages of drinking water and floods are alternated, resulting in a chronic water crisis. Combined with climate change, rapid urbanization and a sinking city this crisis is predicted to become even more intense in the future. Jakarta houses the biggest part of the population of Indonesia and water supply com...

Imagine treating water like energy, storing it when there is plenty and using it when it is scarce. That’s the idea behind a water battery. In this episode we would like to explore how this concept could reshape water management in the Veluwe and maybe even in the Netherlands. With groundwater levels fluctuating and droughts becoming more frequent, the need for something to buffer water is urgent....

In this episode, it is explored how Integrated Water Management (IWM) can help prevent infections in drinking water caused by pollution from agriculture, industry, and urban sources. Despite existing efforts, only 13% of Dutch water bodies meet EU quality standards, highlighting the urgent need for improvement. Using the DPSIR framework, this research identifies key gaps in current strategies - su...

In this episode of The Integrated Water Management Podcast, we journey to India to explore one of its most ambitious - and controversial - water infrastructure projects: the Polavaram Dam. Promising flood control, hydropower, and irrigation, this dam on the Godavari River raises pressing questions about equity, legality, and environmental sustainability. Host Britt is joined by two guests - Ruben,...

 Cape Town’s 2015–2018 drought crisis exposed the city’s vulnerability to extreme water scarcity. This episode explores whether desalination - specifically reverse osmosis - could be a viable solution to meet the city’s future drinking water needs. Based on literature review, stakeholder analysis, and a multi-criteria assessment, the feasibility of supplying 300 million litres per day through desa...

This episode dives into the operational and systemic challenges of managing Sri Lanka’s Victoria Reservoir - with a specific focus on monsoon season. Findings from a combined water balance model and systems thinking approach using Causal Loop Diagrams are explored. The research reveals how rigid operational rules, limited discharge capacity, and competing water demands make the system vulnerable t...

This is the trailer introducing the second season of UTwente's Integrated Water Management podcast. Each episode presents a student group project related to water management across the globe.

This episode addresses the pressing issue of drought management in Catalonia, Spain, through a comprehensive examination of the region's Integrated Water Management (IWRM) framework. The study presented aims to identify the current state of freshwater availability in Catalonia, project its future status, and outline efficient water allocation strategies to maximize stakeholder satisfaction. The in...

California has a unique climate where most of the rain falls in the winter months. Much of the water that is used is pumped up out of aquifers. The state also experiences periods of extreme drought. However, the water demand is high, leading to water scarcity. There are various stakeholders involved in California's water management, but clear policies on water distribution are lacking. Agriculture...

Due to the changing climate and rising temperatures worldwide, the sea water level will continue to increase. Different scenarios projected that the sea level would rise from 0.80 to 3.90 meters. This means that countries located by the sea worldwide are scared of what an increased sea water level will do to their shores. Mitigating this problem seems to be too late, so those countries must adapt...

Water scarcity in Egypt has been rising in the past decades. Due to multiple drivers like rapid population growth, rising temperatures and increasing water consumption the country is using more water than its renewable sources can provide . Additionally, the freshwater resources of Egypt are threatened by upstream withdrawals of the Nile. Thus, water demand is increasing and water supply decreasin...