17 May 2017 14:00

Session at DNC 2017 // Roles of Multifunctional Reservoirs in the SDG Agenda

Addressing water scarcity through the lens of climate change brings up the need for more water storage. Water reservoirs are celebrated as a clean and renewable source of energy and appropriate solution for increased food production. These aspects are strongly echoed in the SDG agenda and it is anticipated that governments will plan for more development of reservoirs, especially in the areas of a high water storage potential yet to be exploited.

Events

Session at the Dresden Nexus Conference 2017 "SDGs and Nexus Approach - Monitoring and Implementation", 17-19 May 2017 A shift from large dams prominently focused on irrigation is evident and funds are being diverted to multifunctional systems that are scrutinised against key impacts. These include ecosystem degradation, social conflicts regarding resettlement of people, and optimal tradeoffs between competing water uses. Finally, the transboundary aspects often add more turbulence to the conflict. While most studies focus on the “good” and “bad” aspects of multifunctional reservoirs, there is little discussion regarding the governance of multifunctional reservoirs or sound management of reservoirs: how should the multifunctional reservoirs that are supposed to be of benefit to the sustainable development of the society be managed and by whom?In addition, there is an arsenal of alternative water storage options, e.g. natural wetlands, groundwater aquifers, retention ponds – how are these numerous options of water storage addressed in river basin institutional settings?

Objectives and expected outcome

The session’s objective is to present lessons learnt from the management of multifunctional reservoirs and to explore new pathways for optimising services provided by these water systems. The session will discuss how to overcome lack of coordination and weak management so as to optimise results and enhance benefits of reservoirs for all water users. This session will identify knowledge gaps in this area. The intention is to collect case studies to be further elaborated in a knowledge product.

Target audience

International advisors and aid agencies, reservoirs operators, civil society organisations, applied research organisations

Agenda

14:00 pm
Can Multipurpose Reservoirs Change the Water Discourse?
PhD Dipak Gyawali, Nepal Water Conservation Foundation, Nepal 14:10 pm
Governance arrangements for regional hydropower on shared rivers - The African Ruzizi cascade and Rusumo Falls projects
PhD Ines Dombrowsky, German Development Institute (DIE), Germany 14:20 pm
The role of hydropower as a driver for multipurpose reservoirs
Richard Taylor, International Hydropower Association, United Kingdom 14:30 pm
Infrastructure Development in the African River Basin Organisations
Tanor Meïssa Dieng, ANBO, Senegal 14:40 pm
Towards a fair and just distribution of water in a semiarid reservoir region
PhD Marianna Siegmund-Schultze, Berlin Institute of Technology (TUB), Germany 14:50 pm
Water-Food-Energy nexus and climate change for multipurpose reservoirs in SardiniaWater-Food-Energy nexus and climate change for multipurpose reservoirs in Sardinia
PhD Sara Masia, University of Sassari, Italy 15:00 pm
Can we use Natural Small Water Retention Measures as a tool to optimize services provided by water systems?
Prof. Tomasz Okruszko, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland Source: DNC 2017 website