Digital Library of the Commons

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Agriculture, Water, and Ecosystems
(2007) Falkenmark, Malin; Galaz, Victor
"Agriculture depends on ecosystem functions such as pollination. This means it is closely linked with the health of surrounding ecosystems and should be considered an agro-ecosystem. Crop production systems have been managed as though they were disconnected from the landscape in general. Since the complex systems that make up the landscape are interconnected, this approach threatens the processes that make agriculture sustainable. Past agricultural management has caused wide scale changes in land cover, stream-flow, and groundwater systems. This has undermined the processes that support ecosystems and the services that they provide. Agriculture will continue to be a key driver of ecosystem change in the future."
Taking from the Top: Looking Upstream in India
(2007) Falkenmark, Malin
"River basin closure has developed into a sizeable challenge of extreme importance. Over the past 50 years, many of the river basins that support the world’s breadbaskets have already or will soon become closed basins. Like the basins themselves, the world’s eye on this critical issue seems to be closing at a time when it can least afford to look away. Applying the findings of a groundwater use case from India, this article sheds some light on this blind spot in water resource management to see what is going on downstream in the great sub-continent."
Rain: The Neglected Resource: Embracing Green Water Management Solutions
(2005) Falkenmark, Malin; Rockström, Johan
"The water necessary to produce the food required for an expanding human population is usually discussed only as an issue of blue water for irrigation (the water we use from rivers and aquifers). This discussion neglects that most food production is from rain fed farming. This is critical not least in hunger and poverty stricken areas with rapid population growth, areas that depend not on blue water but on green water from infi ltrated rain (the soil moistures used by plants and returned as vapour flow). A shift in water thinking which considers soil moisture is essential in order to fi nd realistic and sustainable options to feed the world of tomorrow. Rain: The Neglected Resource elucidates how a shift in thinking can change how we view the world’s water resources."
On the Verge of a New Water Scarcity: A Call for Good Governance and Human Ingenuity
(2007) Falkenmark, Malin; Berntell, Anders; Jägerskog, Anders; Lundqvist, Jan; Matz, Manfred; Tropp, Håkan
From p. 3: "The 2006 Human Development Report, 'Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Crisis,' (United Nations Development Programme 2006) considered water scarcity from two points of view: (1) as a crisis arising from a lack of services that provide safe water and (2) as a crisis caused by scarce water resources. It concluded that the world’s water crisis is not related to the physical availability of water, but to unbalanced power relations, poverty and related inequalities. The focus now being placed on the importance of governance makes clear the importance of issues such as unfair power structures, and weakly defined roles, rights and responsibilities. These, it is felt, exacerbate natural water scarcity. This way of thinking has been useful in that it has increased our understanding of the need to manage demand as well as to increase supply. However, while governance remains a key challenge, we also need to better understand the issue of 'water crowding' – as increasing pressure is being placed on finite, erratically available and vulnerable water resources. Recognising this is the key to proper policy formulation. Rather than addressing management/governance problems, many countries still instinctively reach for supply-side solutions such as desalination or the use of reservoirs and other large-scale infrastructure. Such an approach is often the most politically feasible option within the context of a country or region’s water problems."
Drainage Basin Security: Prospects for Trade-offs and Benefit Sharing in a Globalised World
(2009) Lundqvist, Jan; Falkenmark, Malin; Jägerskog, Anders; Malmqvist, Per-Arne; Rogers, Peter; Bahri, Akiça; Savenije, Hubert; Martinsen, Cecilia; Granit, Jakob; McWilliams, Michael; Moore, Michael R.; Berntell, Anders
From p. 6: "The purpose of this report is to consolidate and reflect upon the knowledge, experience and lessons learned over the course of the five years. Several basic messages have emerged that encapsulate a perspective aimed to provoke further thought and action amongst the target audience: the World Water Week speakers and participants, the decision-makers, the experts, and the students that have a voice in how our water resources are managed."
Water Management and Ecosystems: Living with Change
(2003) Falkenmark, Malin
"This report, based on the links between water and ecosystems, outlines how ecosystem-focused approaches may be incorporated into integrated water resources management (IWRM). It analyses to what degree water is involved in the relationship between society and the surrounding ecosystems, clarifies how humans and ecosystems are sharing the same water, and shows how ecosystem sustainability may be strengthened within the IWRM process. The report will provide a conceptual background to support land/water integration in a catchment based ecosystem approach to human activities. It indicates how, within the framework of IWRM, the needed ecosystem perspective has to be combined with adequate social and economic perspectives to a broader, more holistic approach to management of fundamental livelihood components in a catchment. The main message of the report is that, by benefiting from the shared dependence of humans and ecosystems on water, IWRM can integrate land, water and ecosystems and promote the three E’s of IWRM – two human-related E’s (social equity, economic efficiency) and one ecosystem-related E (environmental sustainability)."
Aral Sea Basin Heads for a Brighter Future
(2003) Falkenmark, Malin
"A recent Unesco study observed that the Aral Sea basin has everything necessary for a bright future. Water availability is not a limiting factor for reaching the socio-economic development objectives in terms of health, nutrition and wealth. This article examines why."
Integrated Water Resources Management
(2000) Agarwal, Anil; de los Angeles, Marian S.; Bhatia, Ramesh; Chéret, Ivan; Davila-Poblete, Sonia; Falkenmark, Malin; Gonzalez-Villarreal, Fernando; Jønch-Clausen, Torkil; Aït Kadi, Mohammed; Kindler, Janusz; Rees, Judith A.; Roberts, Paul; Rogers, Peter; Solanes, Miguel; Wright, Albert
"The paper has been divided into two main parts. The first part puts forward a strong case for applying IWRM globally and defines the IWRM concept and process. The second part provides additional advice and guidance on how IWRM could be implemented in different conditions. Readers with limited time may decide to concentrate on the first part and use the second part for reference when needed. The paper is structured in such a way that an executive summary is not required. However, as a separate publication providing a short and popular summary the folder 'IWRM at a glance' is available."
Yellow River Shows Signs of Life: The Future of Northern China As Region of Extreme Water Scarcity
(2003) Falkenmark, Malin; Guterstam, Björn
"The water predicament of the Yellow River, including Hai and Huai, its two water-starved neighbouring basins, has problems on a massive scale. It also has degrees of freedom which are limited in several senses: rural development has to be secured to avoid unwanted urban migration, irrigation water has to be secured to raise the income level of the rural population and avoid social conflicts, and food self-sufficiency on an improved nutritional level has to be secured for the rising population. At the same time, large scale sedimentation has to be avoided, otherwise flood risks to the densely populated neighbouring plains will be exacerbated."
Water and Development in the Developing Countries: A Study Commissioned by the European Parliament
(2000) Björklund, Gunilla; Brismar, Anna; Ehlin, Ulf; Falkenmark, Malin; Lundqvist, Jan; Rockström, Johan; Swain, Ashok
"The aim of the study is to assist the European Parliament in formulating long term strategies and short term policies to aid developing countries to prepare and implement policies leading to efficient, equitable and ecologically sound water resources management. A policy and strategy must be possible to translate into feasible programmes and projects that can be executed."

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