Interdisciplinary Reservoir Management—A Tool for Sustainable Water Resources Management

Milan Daus, Katharina Koberger, Kaan Koca, Felix Beckers, Jorge Encinas Fernández, Barbara Weisbrod, Daniel Dietrich, Sabine Ulrike Gerbersdorf, Rüdiger Glaser, Stefan Haun, Hilmar Hofmann, Dominik Martin-Creuzburg, Frank Peeters and Silke Wieprecht
Additional contact information
Milan Daus: Physical Geography, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schreiberstrasse 20, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
Katharina Koberger: Physical Geography, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schreiberstrasse 20, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
Kaan Koca: Institute for Modelling Hydraulic and Environmental Systems, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 61, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Felix Beckers: Institute for Modelling Hydraulic and Environmental Systems, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 61, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Jorge Encinas Fernández: Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, Mainaustraße 252, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
Barbara Weisbrod: Human and Environmental Toxicology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
Daniel Dietrich: Human and Environmental Toxicology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
Sabine Ulrike Gerbersdorf: Institute for Modelling Hydraulic and Environmental Systems, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 61, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Rüdiger Glaser: Physical Geography, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schreiberstrasse 20, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
Stefan Haun: Institute for Modelling Hydraulic and Environmental Systems, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 61, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Hilmar Hofmann: Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, Mainaustraße 252, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
Dominik Martin-Creuzburg: Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, Mainaustraße 252, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
Frank Peeters: Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, Mainaustraße 252, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
Silke Wieprecht: Institute for Modelling Hydraulic and Environmental Systems, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 61, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 8, 1-21

Abstract: Reservoirs are a common way to store and retain water serving for a multitude of purposes like storage of drinking and irrigation water, recreation, flood protection, navigation, and hydropower production, and have been built since centuries. Today, few reservoirs serve only one purpose, which requires management of present demands and interests. Since each reservoir project will cause negative impacts alongside desired advantages both on a local, regional and global scale, it is even more urgent to develop a common management framework in an attempt to mitigate negative impacts, incorporate different demands and make them visible within the discourse in order to avoid conflicts from early on. The scientific publications on reservoirs are manifold, yet a comprehensive and integrative holistic tool about management of this infrastructure is not available. Therefore, a comprehensive and integrated conceptual tool was developed and proposed by the authors of this paper that can contribute to the sustainable management of existing reservoirs. The tool presented herein is based on the results from the interdisciplinary CHARM (CHAllenges of Reservoir Management) project as well as the condensed outcome of relevant literature to aid and enhance knowledge of reservoir management. The incorporated results are based on field, laboratory and empirical social research. The project CHARM focused on five different aspects related to existing reservoirs in southern Germany (Schwarzenbachtalsperre, Franconian Lake District), namely: sedimentation of reservoirs, biostabilisation of fine sediments, toxic cyanobacteria(l) (blooms), greenhouse gas emissions from reservoirs and social contestation, respectively consent. These five research foci contributed to the topics and setup of a conceptual tool, put together by the research consortium via delphi questioning, which can be found alongside this publication to provide insights for experts and laymen. Conceptualising and analysing the management in combination with quantitative and qualitative data in one descriptive tool presents a novelty for the case studies and area of research. The distribution within the scientific community and interested public will possibly make a positive contribution to the goal of sustainable water resources management in the future.

Keywords: reservoir management; sediments; biofilm; cyanobacteria; greenhouse gas emissions; societal implications (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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