Frank R Rijsberman | UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education (original) (raw)

Papers by Frank R Rijsberman

... factor offsetting the decline in crop and cereal area due to land degradation and urbanizatio... more ... factor offsetting the decline in crop and cereal area due to land degradation and urbanization. ... Water managers have mastered the art of managing water for hydropower, domestic use, flood control ... In this scenario19, there is a moderate expansion of 3% of the harvested area ...

Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 1994

In 1991. two decades after the Dutch installed drainage sluices at Haringvliet in the Rhine delta... more In 1991. two decades after the Dutch installed drainage sluices at Haringvliet in the Rhine delta, in the process converting the Haringvliet-Hollandsch Diep-Biesbosch (HHB) estuary into a tidallydamped. freshwater system, a study was commissioned to evaluate alternative management policies for that system. Among those policies were ones which would at least partially restore estuarine conditions to the HHB. Policies were defined in terms of alternative programs for sluice operation and for cleanup of contaminated bottom sediments. This paper describes the public policy analysis comprising the study, focusing on the role played by the Analytic Hierarchy Process and multicriterion analysis (MCA) in general, and on the aspects of the decision-making context which made the use of MCA so effective.

It is surprisingly difficult to determine whether water is truly scarce in the physical sense at ... more It is surprisingly difficult to determine whether water is truly scarce in the physical sense at a global scale (a supply problem) or whether it is available but should be used better (a demand problem). The paper reviews water scarcity indicators and global assessments based on these indicators. The most widely used indicator, the Falkenmark Indicator, is popular because it is easy to apply and understand but it does not help to explain the true nature of water scarcity. The more complex indicators are not widely applied because data are lacking to apply them and the definitions are not intuitive. Water is definitely physically scarce in densely populated arid areas, Central and West Asia, and North Africa, with projected availabilities of less than 1,000 cubic meters per capita per year. This scarcity relates to water for food production, however, and not to water for domestic purposes that are minute at this scale. In most of the rest of the world water scarcity at a national sca...

How much irrigation we really need is probably the most important, yet unresolved, question in th... more How much irrigation we really need is probably the most important, yet unresolved, question in the water for food and environmental security arena. Over time, as the value of water rises, there is more pressure to move water out of agriculture into higher-valued urban and industrial uses. In many cases, both agriculture and nature are the residual users— getting water after the needs of uses that are higher-valued are met. Thus, the area of water stress and conflict that is likely to intensify the most is not between cities and agriculture but rather between nature and agriculture.

The classical model versus the knowledge sharing approach The classical model. In the “classical ... more The classical model versus the knowledge sharing approach The classical model. In the “classical model” of university research, the final result of research is publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Impact is measured primarily by the number of times a publication is cited by other researchers. A simple indicator of impact is the impact factor of a specific journal, which indicates the average number of times a publication in that journal gets cited. In this model, the performance of a researcher – and the suitability of individuals for research management – can be assessed from her or his publication record. The performance of a research institute can be derived from the average record of its researchers. It is the model that has given rise to a culture of “publish or perish”.

... Re-use of wastewater in irrigated agriculture (Vietnam) Productivity of poor quality water 8 ... more ... Re-use of wastewater in irrigated agriculture (Vietnam) Productivity of poor quality water 8 / DWF-Research 04 / JRJ ... 11 / DWF-Research 04 / JRJ Profitability ? Gross margin analysis, two sites/scenarios: SHH: subsistence oriented household MHH: market oriented household ...

Humanity is facing its greatest challenge. To produce 70% more food by 2050 without destroying th... more Humanity is facing its greatest challenge. To produce 70% more food by 2050 without destroying the environment means doing much more with less. Partly due to the abundant food and record-low food prices achieved by the Green Revolution, overseas development assistance for agriculture dropped from over 20billioninthe1980stoaslittleas20 billion in the 1980s to as little as 20billioninthe1980stoaslittleas3 billion in 2006. Stagnation in the yields of major crops such as rice, wheat and maize followed, and the status quo finally crumbled with the food prices and price spikes of 2008, 2010 and 2011. Today large segments of the global population are threatened by the depletion or degradation of natural resources. Making a bad situation worse, climate change further threatens agriculture by increasing the risk of droughts and floods, affecting temperatures and crop growing seasons and altering the distribution of pests and diseases. Agriculture holds enormous potential to reduce poverty in the developing world, strengthen the sustainability of our ...

Water is life, in all forms and shapes. This basic yet profound truth eluded many of us in the se... more Water is life, in all forms and shapes. This basic yet profound truth eluded many of us in the second half of the 20 th century. Water professionals and scientists around the world were ringing the alarm bells of an impending water crisis. Yet attempts to address some of the issues or to offer partial solutions met with limited success. As the world population increased and urbanisation and industrialisation took hold, the demand for water kept rising while the quality continued to deteriorate. Water scarcity afflicted many more nations, and access to clean drinking water and sanitation remained poor. A decline in public financing and a rise in transboundary water conflicts made these problems worse. But awareness of the problems was limited to the few on the "inside," in the water sector. We start the new century with a water crisis on all accounts. A concerted effort and extraordinary measures are needed to face the challenges head on. From its inception the World Water Council has understood the dimensions of the world water crisis. The Council realized that a first step towards solving this crisis is the development of a shared vision on world water for the long term. The Long Term Vision for Water, Life, and Environment in the 21 st Century-or World Water Vision, for short-was introduced during the World Water Council's first World Water Forum in Marrakech, Morocco, in 1997. The Marrakech Declaration gave the Council the mandate to develop such a Vision. Planning and preparation went at full speed in 1997 and 1998. By the summer of 1998 preparation of the Vision commenced in earnest. This Report is the culmination of the Vision development exercise. The monumental work was carried out under the direct responsibility of William J. Cosgrove, director, and Frank R. Rijsberman, deputy director, of the Vision Management Unit, World Water Council. We are very grateful for their tireless efforts, patience, perseverance, and diligence in managing, synthesising, and editing this text. Word from the President of the World Water Council iv World Water Vision The World Water Council also acknowledges the tremendous support and exceptional contribution to the development of the World Water Vision by staff of the Vision Management Unit, members of the Vision Management Committee of the World Water Council, members of the Thematic and Scenario Panels, and members of the World Commission on Water for the 21 st Century-the World Water Commission-and its senior advisors. Special thanks go to Ismail Serageldin for chairing the World Water Commission and for mobilising resources and the media in support of the Vision. This work would not have been possible without the generous financial support of the government of the Netherlands. Our gratitude also goes to Bert Diphoorn, Koos Richelle, and their colleagues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We acknowledge the excellent service and support provided by the Water Science Division of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization for hosting the Vision Management Unit. Many other organisations made financial, intellectual, and other contributions to the Vision, and their contributions are much appreciated. It is not possible to list here all those who contributed professionally and with devotion to the World Water Vision. Their enthusiasm and dedication make this work a unique contribution in the history and development of the world's water resources. This work is dedicated to the children of the world, because we did not inherit the world from our parents-we borrowed it from our children.

How to Spend $50 Billion to Make the World a Better Place, 2006

This paper deals with the often ignored issue of adaptation to human-induced climate change. Adap... more This paper deals with the often ignored issue of adaptation to human-induced climate change. Adaptation is not only inevitable but essential to fashioning the least-social-cost strategy to addressing climate change. The urgency for limiting climate change is inversely proportional to society's adaptability. Some mitigation strategies are incompatible with adaptation goals (e.g., reducing CO 2 rather than equivalent amounts of other greenhouse gases may compromise several adaptation goals) and climate change impacts-and, therefore, benefits-analysis must necessarily incorporate adaptation. The paper provides criteria for evaluating policy options, and identifies options compatible with both mitigation and adaptation that would also help address current urgent problems.

, also listed in the back of the iv report. The work of Frank Rijsberman and Rob Swart, as editor... more , also listed in the back of the iv report. The work of Frank Rijsberman and Rob Swart, as editors of this report, battling strict deadlines, is much appreciated. The following persons provided valuable assistance: Monique Hootsmans, with organization, Blair Bower and Gerrit Heil, with editing the draft papers, Jacqueline Reason, with proofreading and revisions, Udo Montfoort, with graphics and computer support. RESOURCE ANALYSIS of Delft, the Netherlands, organized the review workshop.

As much as seventy times more water is needed to grow food than for domestic use. Severely waters... more As much as seventy times more water is needed to grow food than for domestic use. Severely waterscarce countries such as Egypt do not have enough water to grow their own food and need to import food from elsewhere. Countries like the USA, Australia, China, India, Mexico and Turkey have made massive investments to build dams and develop irrigation systems. As a direct consequence, the famines predicted for India have not occurred and world food prices are lower than ever. But rivers are drying up, groundwater levels are falling dramatically, and water pollution is rampant near most Asian cities. All water that falls as rain serves a purpose in nature. If farmers don't have an incentive to conserve water, over-use is the likely consequence and nature pays the price. Good government policy helps water move from lower to higher-value uses. Where water gets scarcer, agricultural use that generate only cents of value per cubic metre needs to shift to highervalue uses, or to return the water to nature. Research can help determine the value of water in alternative uses, even for nature. Agricultural research also works to increase the value of water in agriculture. A combination of smart engineering and agronomy can drive the water needed to produce a kilogram of rice down from 2000 to as little as 500 litres. To keep agriculture competitive and sustainable, a 50% increase in the value of water in agriculture will be necessary-and is feasible-worldwide over the next two decades.

Issues in Science and Technology, Jun 22, 2007

... factor offsetting the decline in crop and cereal area due to land degradation and urbanizatio... more ... factor offsetting the decline in crop and cereal area due to land degradation and urbanization. ... Water managers have mastered the art of managing water for hydropower, domestic use, flood control ... In this scenario19, there is a moderate expansion of 3% of the harvested area ...

Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 1994

In 1991. two decades after the Dutch installed drainage sluices at Haringvliet in the Rhine delta... more In 1991. two decades after the Dutch installed drainage sluices at Haringvliet in the Rhine delta, in the process converting the Haringvliet-Hollandsch Diep-Biesbosch (HHB) estuary into a tidallydamped. freshwater system, a study was commissioned to evaluate alternative management policies for that system. Among those policies were ones which would at least partially restore estuarine conditions to the HHB. Policies were defined in terms of alternative programs for sluice operation and for cleanup of contaminated bottom sediments. This paper describes the public policy analysis comprising the study, focusing on the role played by the Analytic Hierarchy Process and multicriterion analysis (MCA) in general, and on the aspects of the decision-making context which made the use of MCA so effective.

It is surprisingly difficult to determine whether water is truly scarce in the physical sense at ... more It is surprisingly difficult to determine whether water is truly scarce in the physical sense at a global scale (a supply problem) or whether it is available but should be used better (a demand problem). The paper reviews water scarcity indicators and global assessments based on these indicators. The most widely used indicator, the Falkenmark Indicator, is popular because it is easy to apply and understand but it does not help to explain the true nature of water scarcity. The more complex indicators are not widely applied because data are lacking to apply them and the definitions are not intuitive. Water is definitely physically scarce in densely populated arid areas, Central and West Asia, and North Africa, with projected availabilities of less than 1,000 cubic meters per capita per year. This scarcity relates to water for food production, however, and not to water for domestic purposes that are minute at this scale. In most of the rest of the world water scarcity at a national sca...

How much irrigation we really need is probably the most important, yet unresolved, question in th... more How much irrigation we really need is probably the most important, yet unresolved, question in the water for food and environmental security arena. Over time, as the value of water rises, there is more pressure to move water out of agriculture into higher-valued urban and industrial uses. In many cases, both agriculture and nature are the residual users— getting water after the needs of uses that are higher-valued are met. Thus, the area of water stress and conflict that is likely to intensify the most is not between cities and agriculture but rather between nature and agriculture.

The classical model versus the knowledge sharing approach The classical model. In the “classical ... more The classical model versus the knowledge sharing approach The classical model. In the “classical model” of university research, the final result of research is publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Impact is measured primarily by the number of times a publication is cited by other researchers. A simple indicator of impact is the impact factor of a specific journal, which indicates the average number of times a publication in that journal gets cited. In this model, the performance of a researcher – and the suitability of individuals for research management – can be assessed from her or his publication record. The performance of a research institute can be derived from the average record of its researchers. It is the model that has given rise to a culture of “publish or perish”.

... Re-use of wastewater in irrigated agriculture (Vietnam) Productivity of poor quality water 8 ... more ... Re-use of wastewater in irrigated agriculture (Vietnam) Productivity of poor quality water 8 / DWF-Research 04 / JRJ ... 11 / DWF-Research 04 / JRJ Profitability ? Gross margin analysis, two sites/scenarios: SHH: subsistence oriented household MHH: market oriented household ...

Humanity is facing its greatest challenge. To produce 70% more food by 2050 without destroying th... more Humanity is facing its greatest challenge. To produce 70% more food by 2050 without destroying the environment means doing much more with less. Partly due to the abundant food and record-low food prices achieved by the Green Revolution, overseas development assistance for agriculture dropped from over 20billioninthe1980stoaslittleas20 billion in the 1980s to as little as 20billioninthe1980stoaslittleas3 billion in 2006. Stagnation in the yields of major crops such as rice, wheat and maize followed, and the status quo finally crumbled with the food prices and price spikes of 2008, 2010 and 2011. Today large segments of the global population are threatened by the depletion or degradation of natural resources. Making a bad situation worse, climate change further threatens agriculture by increasing the risk of droughts and floods, affecting temperatures and crop growing seasons and altering the distribution of pests and diseases. Agriculture holds enormous potential to reduce poverty in the developing world, strengthen the sustainability of our ...

Water is life, in all forms and shapes. This basic yet profound truth eluded many of us in the se... more Water is life, in all forms and shapes. This basic yet profound truth eluded many of us in the second half of the 20 th century. Water professionals and scientists around the world were ringing the alarm bells of an impending water crisis. Yet attempts to address some of the issues or to offer partial solutions met with limited success. As the world population increased and urbanisation and industrialisation took hold, the demand for water kept rising while the quality continued to deteriorate. Water scarcity afflicted many more nations, and access to clean drinking water and sanitation remained poor. A decline in public financing and a rise in transboundary water conflicts made these problems worse. But awareness of the problems was limited to the few on the "inside," in the water sector. We start the new century with a water crisis on all accounts. A concerted effort and extraordinary measures are needed to face the challenges head on. From its inception the World Water Council has understood the dimensions of the world water crisis. The Council realized that a first step towards solving this crisis is the development of a shared vision on world water for the long term. The Long Term Vision for Water, Life, and Environment in the 21 st Century-or World Water Vision, for short-was introduced during the World Water Council's first World Water Forum in Marrakech, Morocco, in 1997. The Marrakech Declaration gave the Council the mandate to develop such a Vision. Planning and preparation went at full speed in 1997 and 1998. By the summer of 1998 preparation of the Vision commenced in earnest. This Report is the culmination of the Vision development exercise. The monumental work was carried out under the direct responsibility of William J. Cosgrove, director, and Frank R. Rijsberman, deputy director, of the Vision Management Unit, World Water Council. We are very grateful for their tireless efforts, patience, perseverance, and diligence in managing, synthesising, and editing this text. Word from the President of the World Water Council iv World Water Vision The World Water Council also acknowledges the tremendous support and exceptional contribution to the development of the World Water Vision by staff of the Vision Management Unit, members of the Vision Management Committee of the World Water Council, members of the Thematic and Scenario Panels, and members of the World Commission on Water for the 21 st Century-the World Water Commission-and its senior advisors. Special thanks go to Ismail Serageldin for chairing the World Water Commission and for mobilising resources and the media in support of the Vision. This work would not have been possible without the generous financial support of the government of the Netherlands. Our gratitude also goes to Bert Diphoorn, Koos Richelle, and their colleagues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We acknowledge the excellent service and support provided by the Water Science Division of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization for hosting the Vision Management Unit. Many other organisations made financial, intellectual, and other contributions to the Vision, and their contributions are much appreciated. It is not possible to list here all those who contributed professionally and with devotion to the World Water Vision. Their enthusiasm and dedication make this work a unique contribution in the history and development of the world's water resources. This work is dedicated to the children of the world, because we did not inherit the world from our parents-we borrowed it from our children.

How to Spend $50 Billion to Make the World a Better Place, 2006

This paper deals with the often ignored issue of adaptation to human-induced climate change. Adap... more This paper deals with the often ignored issue of adaptation to human-induced climate change. Adaptation is not only inevitable but essential to fashioning the least-social-cost strategy to addressing climate change. The urgency for limiting climate change is inversely proportional to society's adaptability. Some mitigation strategies are incompatible with adaptation goals (e.g., reducing CO 2 rather than equivalent amounts of other greenhouse gases may compromise several adaptation goals) and climate change impacts-and, therefore, benefits-analysis must necessarily incorporate adaptation. The paper provides criteria for evaluating policy options, and identifies options compatible with both mitigation and adaptation that would also help address current urgent problems.

, also listed in the back of the iv report. The work of Frank Rijsberman and Rob Swart, as editor... more , also listed in the back of the iv report. The work of Frank Rijsberman and Rob Swart, as editors of this report, battling strict deadlines, is much appreciated. The following persons provided valuable assistance: Monique Hootsmans, with organization, Blair Bower and Gerrit Heil, with editing the draft papers, Jacqueline Reason, with proofreading and revisions, Udo Montfoort, with graphics and computer support. RESOURCE ANALYSIS of Delft, the Netherlands, organized the review workshop.

As much as seventy times more water is needed to grow food than for domestic use. Severely waters... more As much as seventy times more water is needed to grow food than for domestic use. Severely waterscarce countries such as Egypt do not have enough water to grow their own food and need to import food from elsewhere. Countries like the USA, Australia, China, India, Mexico and Turkey have made massive investments to build dams and develop irrigation systems. As a direct consequence, the famines predicted for India have not occurred and world food prices are lower than ever. But rivers are drying up, groundwater levels are falling dramatically, and water pollution is rampant near most Asian cities. All water that falls as rain serves a purpose in nature. If farmers don't have an incentive to conserve water, over-use is the likely consequence and nature pays the price. Good government policy helps water move from lower to higher-value uses. Where water gets scarcer, agricultural use that generate only cents of value per cubic metre needs to shift to highervalue uses, or to return the water to nature. Research can help determine the value of water in alternative uses, even for nature. Agricultural research also works to increase the value of water in agriculture. A combination of smart engineering and agronomy can drive the water needed to produce a kilogram of rice down from 2000 to as little as 500 litres. To keep agriculture competitive and sustainable, a 50% increase in the value of water in agriculture will be necessary-and is feasible-worldwide over the next two decades.

Issues in Science and Technology, Jun 22, 2007