Introduction to Water Resources Management

Abstract

The course offers an introduction to the basics of water resources analysis and management covering the topics of water demand vs availability, water exploitation and reservoir design, aquatic physics, water quality and pollution, water conservation and remediation in rivers, lakes and aquifers, sustainable water use. The course will be complemented by a few guest lectures.

Objective

Introduction to the basics of water resources management based on physical and chemical processes; principle of sustainability

Content

Introduction: Overview water cycle, terms, global water situation, demand-supply, role of water management, sustainability, and Integrated Water Resources Management General concepts of water resources management. Estimation of water resources demand, hydrological deficit Introduction to Time Series Analysis and Stochastic Modelling, Linear Stochastic Models, Thomas-Fiering model Droughts: Definition, Identification, quantitative analysis, water abstraction, impact, mitigation. Run of river water abstraction. Reservoir design (Rippl, Probability), Simulation, Reservoir reliability (Moran's method) Aquatic physics: Flow phenomena in river, lake, estuary, groundwater, time constants, tracer transport, environmental tracers River and basin morphology and interaction with infrastructure River restoration: Alpenrhein case study Water quality: Pollutants and effects, standards, water quality classification, water chemistry, BOD-DO model, Streeter Phelps Model eutrophication of lakes, nitrate problem Water resources protection and remediation: rivers, lakes, and groundwater

Resources