Water Supply and Scarcity

According to the United Nations, water scarcity is defined as the point at which the aggregate impact of all users impinges on the supply or quality of water. Water scarcity is a relative concept and can occur at any level of supply or demand. Scarcity may be socially-constructed or the consequence of altered supply patterns stemming from climate change. Resources available in this sub-theme include U.S. drought monitoring data, workshops for rural water supply systems, among other resources that support water supply and scarcity.

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Water Supply and Scarcity Resources

Design of a National Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Plan in Zaire

Published: 
February 1, 1986
U.S. Agency for International Development
A Water and Sanitation for Health (WASH) team visited Zaire in January 1986 to help the National Action Committee for Water and Sanitation (CNAEA) develop the first draft of a national rural water supply/sanitation (WS/S) plan. The team recommended that CNAEA: (1) encourage full participation by...Read more
Regional focus: 
Congo, Democratic Republic of theSub-Saharan Africa

Non-Agricultural Uses of Irrigation Systems: Past Experience and Implications for Planning and Design

Published: 
July 1, 1981
U.S. Agency for International Development
A review of developing country experience in using irrigation water for domestic and other nonagricultural purposes prefaces this study of the feasibility of designing multipurpose irrigation systems. Technical and cultural factors affecting feasibility are addressed, and multipurpose systems in...Read more
Regional focus: 
Sub-Saharan Africa

Non-Agricultural Uses of Irrigation Systems: Household Water Supplies

Published: 
June 1, 1981
U.S. Agency for International Development
The magnitude of the world's need for water signaled by the UN Drinking Water and Sanitation Decade, the adverse health effects of irrigation projects, and the increasing awareness of the basic link between water and health provide the background for this study of the feasibility of designing...Read more
Regional focus: 
Sub-Saharan Africa

Addendum to Final Report: Water Resources Study for Haiti

Published: 
July 1, 1980
U.S. Agency for International Development
Harza Engineering Company was retained to conduct a study to construct exploratory test wells and make a preliminary assessment of ground water resources of the Plaine de l'Abre (Plaine) in Haiti. The study was conducted between September 1979 and July 1980 and involved review of previous...Read more
Regional focus: 
HaitiLatin America and the Caribbean

Environmental Impact of a Large Tropical Reservoir; Guidelines for Policy and Planning Based Upon a Case Study of Lake Volta, Ghana in 1973 and 1974

Published: 
January 1, 1974
U.S. Agency for International Development
To date, guidelines specific to impact assessment of tropical dams have not been developed, particularly as regards hydrobiological and ecological impacts. The need for such guidelines motivated the Agency for International Development to commission the Smithsonian Institution's Office of...Read more
Regional focus: 
GhanaSub-Saharan Africa

Groundwater Extraction and the Water Balance

Published: 
January 1, 1973
U.S. Agency for International Development
This report looks at groundwater extraction and the water balance. Groundwater extraction and net use are related to groundwater depletion and the water balance. Potential evapotranspiration, actual crop or vegetative evapotranspiration, dependability of precipitation, moisture deficits and...Read more
Regional focus: 
Latin America and the Caribbean

Two Theoretical Models of Radiation Heat Transfer Between Forest Trees and Snowpacks

Published: 
May 17, 1972
U.S. Agency for International Development
Two simple theoretical models describe the effect of forest cover on radiation transfer to a snowpack: Model 1, which describes the effect of varying canopy closure on the net radiation received by an interior snowpack, suggests that the net radiation may increase or decrease monotonically as the...Read more

Irrigation Requirements in Latin American Countries

Published: 
January 1, 1972
U.S. Agency for International Development
A study on irrigation requirements in Latin American Countries. With increasing needs for the developments of their natural resources, many Latin American countries are placing increased emphasis upon irrigation and the evaluation of the availability of moisture requirements for agricultural...Read more
Regional focus: 
Latin America and the Caribbean

Irrigation Requirements for Turf

Published: 
January 1, 1972
U.S. Agency for International Development
There is much over irrigation of turf. Some is unavoidable but significant savings of water can be had from a better understanding of the principles of scheduling irrigation. Irrigation scheduling is greatly facilitated by uniformity of soil depth and moisture storage capacity. This paper describes...Read more

Irrigation Requirements and Climatic Evaluations for Venezuela

Published: 
January 1, 1971
U.S. Agency for International Development
A study on irrigation requirements and climatic evaluations for Venezuela. With increasing agricultural and natural resource development in Venezuela there is a correspondingly greater need for evaluating irrigation requirements for use in planning, design and in project operations and for a better...Read more
Regional focus: 
Latin America and the Caribbean

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