Appropriate planning in water resources, and more specifically in irrigation, is becoming increasingly important. However, policy makers and planners are often constrained by insufficient knowledge and tools to evaluate the consequences of alternative interventions. To illuminate these issues, a scenario-based policy oriented demonstration model was developed. The model focuses on scenario and intervention analysis, so that policy makers can better understand and evaluate the impact and interactions of a certain change or decision they plan to make, and the changing environment in which they are operating.
Appropriate planning in water resources, and more specifically in irrigation, is becoming increasingly important given the challenges of already-stressed water resources, climate change, growing population, increase in prosperity, potential food shortages, etc. However, policy makers and planners are often constrained, in this context of increasing complexity, by insufficient knowledge and tools to evaluate the consequences of alternative interventions and thus make the appropriate decisions. Furthermore, important misconceptions often underlie strategies proposed to address these problems.
To illuminate these issues, a scenario-based policy oriented demonstration model is presented here. The term model here refers more to a demonstration tool rather than a software package. The model as developed includes physical processes, but at a lumped and parametric level. Most importantly, the model will focus on scenario and intervention analysis, so that policy makers can better understand and evaluate the impact and interactions of a certain change or decision they plan to make, and the changing environment in which they are operating.
The model is developed in WEAP and is based on water scarce basin. A copy of the WEAP model can be obtained through SEI.
Related publications
2008 - FutureWater Report 79
Scenario Based Water Resources Model to Support Policy Making
Droogers, P., C. Perry