5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014 Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice 24-28 August 2014 in Davos, Switzerland

1. MANAGING FLOODS AND DROUGHTS
THROUGH INNOVATIVE WATER STORAGE
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
SOLUTIONS
Vladimir Smakhtin, Matthew McCartney, Paul Pavelic, Nishadi Eriyagama
International Water Management Institute

2. FLOODS AND DROUGHT AS MANIFESTATION OF
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
WATER RESOURCES VARIABILITY
TOO LITTLE… …TOO MUCH

3. FLOODS AND DROUGHTS: NUMBERS AND FACTS
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
• People killed per year on average – over 20,000
• People affected per year – around 150 mill
• Average annual global economic damage – over 160 bill USD
• 95% of all affected people by floods and droughts are in Asia
• Account for about 90% of all people affected by all natural disasters
• Frequency and intensity of these events increases with changing climate
• Yet have positive aspects. Variability is important for freshwater ecosystems

4. STORING WATER IN LARGE DAMS IS ONE SOLUTION
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Source: World Bank, 2006

5. …WATER STORAGE CONTINUUM – ANOTHER
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
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Source: McCartney and Smakhtin 2010

6. BETTER PLAN WATER STORAGE DEVELOPMENT
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
Proportion of water deficit in “mean” drought that
can be satisfied by existing large dams’ storage
A need for water storage for
livestock
Source: Eriyagama et al. 2009 Source: McCartney et al, 2013

7. NEW LIVELIHOODS’ OPTIONS - INTO RESERVOIR
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
MANAGEMENT
Creating wetlands in the drawdown zone
Wet season: reservoir full
Dry season: reservoir drawn-down
Fish pond
Conservation
Increased diversity of habitat
Refuges for fish
Increased productivity
Improved livelihoods
Source: IWMI

8. ADDING DESEASE CONTROL INTO RESERVOIR
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
OPERATION
Reduction of malaria incidence with increasing
distance from Koka reservoir, Ethiopia
• Malaria control = removing mosquito breeding habitat from reservoir
shore by rapid drawdown at the end of the wet season
• Slight reduction in energy reliability supply
• Irrigation and flood control objectives could still be met
• Similar re-operation of reservoirs over SSA may benefit some 20 mill
people living around dams

9. ACCOUNT FOR THE ROLE OF NATURAL
100
80
60
40
20
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
STORAGE INFRASTRUCTURE
• Some ecosystems act like
natural reservoirs that regulate
flows
• When new infrastructure is built,
natural regulation is lost
• This ecosystem service can be
quantified and considered in
planning of new storage
0
1-Oct-80
1-Nov-80
1-Dec-80
1-Jan-81
1-Feb-81
1-Mar-81
1-Apr-81
1-May-81
1-Jun-81
1-Jul-81
1-Aug-81
1-Sep-81
Flow (m3s-1)
Daily flow with and without floodplain
Without floodplain (simulated) With floodplain (observed)
Monthly flow upstream and downstream of
the Luswishi floodplain, Zambezi Basin
Source: McCartney et al, 2012

10. MORE FOCUS ON SUBSURFACE STORAGE
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org

11. MORE FOCUS ON SUBSURFACE STORAGE
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org

12. MORE FOCUS ON SUBSURFACE STORAGE
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org

13. SUBSURFACE STORAGE FOR CONJUNCTIVE FLOOD AND
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
DROUGHT MANAGEMENT
Chao Phraya basin, Thailand
• Harvest floods in alluvial aquifers only in very wet years -
approximately 1 year in 4. Use in all drier years
• Dedicate around 200 km2 of land to flood harvesting
• Additional 65,000- 270,000 ha of irrigation possible
• $150 mill / year - mean income to farmers
• Cost of implementation < $ 1 Bill. Payback time around
10 years
• No analogs so far exist

14. ADDED VALUE FOR THE POST 2015 FRAMEWORK
5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
www.grforum.org
FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
Support the implementation of the HFA:
1) It reduces underlying risk factors (one of the HFA priorities for action) through:
– Enhancing ecosystem services provided by water storage
– Diversifying water storage options and promoting better storage planning
2) It strengthens disaster preparedness (another HFA priority) by:
– Developing large-scale (regional) approaches for risk reduction, such as conjunctive drought
and flood management through subsurface storage
Gaps and further steps – for the Post 2015 Framework for DRR
– Research: Specifics of existing storage improvements, and of underground flood
capture and storage in various geographical, social and institutional settings
– Education & Training: Frmers and water managers
– Implementation & Practice: Attention of decision makers and investors to improved
storage solutions. Piloting new storage experiments
– Policy: Ensuring that new storage projects adhere to strict social, environmental,
livelihood support and health regulations

15. 5th International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2014
‘Integrative Risk Management - The role of science, technology & practice‘ • 24-28 August 2014 • Davos • Switzerland
15
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THANK YOU !