Sustainability of engineered rivers in arid lands: Euphrates-Tigris and Rio Grande/Bravo

This publication arose from a Policy Research Project on the sustainability of river systems. Our team of faculty members and graduate students studied water management issues in two river systems—Euphrates-Tigris (ET) and Rio Grande/Bravo-Conchos (RG). (The Rio Grande is called the Ri´o Bravo in Mexico, hence we often use both names). Occasionally we also refer to the Colorado River because it is managed together with the Rio Grande/Bravo by the same international agency, the International Border and Water Commission (IBWC). These rivers are part of a ten-river project called Sustainability of Engineered Rivers in Arid Lands (SERIDAS)

How Sustainable are Engineered Rivers in Arid Lands?

Engineered rivers in arid lands play an important role in feeding the world’s growing population. Each continent has rivers that carry water from distant mountain sources to fertile soil downstream where rainfall is scarce. Over the course of the last century most rivers in arid lands have been equipped with large engineering structures that generate electric power and store water for agriculture and cities. This has changed the hydrology of the rivers. In this paper we discuss how climate variation, climate change, reservoir siltation, changes in land use and population growth will challenge the sustainability of engineered river systems over the course of the next few decades. We use the Rio Grande in North America, where we have worked with Mexican and American colleagues, to describe our methodology and results. Similar work is needed to study future water supply and demand in engineered rivers around the world

Perspectives on Risk Perceptions

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72341/1/j.1539-6924.1981.tb01409.x.pd

The Road to Sustainable Development: A Guide for Nongovernmental Organizations, PRP 120

The Road to Sustainable Development, conducted in 1995-1996 and completed in 1997, is the first LBJ School policy research project specifically to address sustainable development as a new policy paradigm. The research conducted during this period was designed to create a guide for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) interested in organizing sustainable development initiatives. Drawing on experiences from eight cases ofNGO involvement as convenors and facilitators in the development process, this report explores the methods, problems, and potential involved in using the concept of sustainability as a tool for positive change in communities. Using citizen participation and integrated expert advice as the principal components of sustainable development planning, we were able to chart the process as a linked two-track model. Funding for this research and its subsequent distribution was made possible through a grant from the United States Department of Commerce, Office of the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Sustainable Development and Intergovernmental Affairs. It is our hope that, as we move into the twenty-first century, the experiences outlined in this volume will serve as a guide to other institutions, organizations, and researchers who follow in this path.Public Affair

Environmental Permitting in Texas, PRP 73

This ana lysis of environmental permitting in Texas is the product of a policy research project conducted at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs during 1984-85. Research and publication have been funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Additional support was received from the Conservation Foundation of Washington, D.C. The research design was discussed with EPA officials. However, findings and recommendations are those of the research group only.Public Affair

The future of science and technology in the United States

Summary in GermanSIGLEAvailable from Bibliothek des Instituts fuer Weltwirtschaft, ZBW, Duesternbrook Weg 120, D-24105 Kiel / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Sustainable River Management on the US/Mexico Border: Recommendations for the Paso del Norte, PRP 202

The report examines emerging challenges to water supply in the Rio Grande, specifically in the river’s Paso del Norte sub-basin. Based on consultations with water stakeholders in New Mexico, Texas and Mexico we recommend ways for developing and implementing a plan for sustainable water management in the region. Our work contributes to an ongoing international project on sustainable management of engineered rivers in arid lands (SERIDAS).Public Affair