Abstract
The objective of this study is to incorporate the concept of flood risk vulnerability as a variable into the Water Poverty Index (WPI), developed by Lawrence et al (2002). The distribution and availability of water resources vary considerably from region to region due to geographical, hydrological and socioeconomic factors. The WPI integrates information from parameters applied to a country, these parameters include: water volume per capita of surface and groundwater resources; capacity of the country to accomplish its agricultural, industrial, and urban water demands; the potential for buying, managing and treating this resource; efficiency in domestic, agricultural and industrial water use without wasting it; and also an environmental factor which provides a measure for water sustainability by including water quality records, environmental regulation strategies, and number of species in danger of extinction. The aim is to evaluate the WPI for the municipality of Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. In this analysis the region is considered as a country and the numbers obtained for each of the parameters mentioned are those related to this particular study area. Each index and a diagnosis of the prevailing water resources situation with regard to flood hazard in the region are evaluated. The assessment of the flood control infrastructure and related contingency prevention measures to avoid flood damage in Ciudad Juarez is incorporated as part of the WPI. This allowed a better understanding of the overall effect of flood risk on this index.
Comments
Abstracts of the presentations given on Wednesday, 25 July 2007, in Session 17 of the UCOWR Conference.