ABSTRACT Significant opportunities exist in upper catchments for improved water management, which... more ABSTRACT Significant opportunities exist in upper catchments for improved water management, which promise direct and indirect benefits. Direct benefits to upstream users include improved water productivity and more equitable distribution; indirect benefits to upstream and downstream users include better availability and quality of water and preservation of ecosystem services. Capturing the wide range of benefits in upper catchments presents challenges of, first, identifying what hydrologic improvement is feasible and second, identifying the modifiable social or economic constraints that would otherwise prevent organization around the land and water resources. This paper summarizes the research issues according to four themes: water and poverty in upland watersheds; identifying the hydrologic basis for improvement; realizing the increased hydrologic potential; and extrapolation and generalization of insight and information.
The Columbia River in Western North America originates in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia... more The Columbia River in Western North America originates in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada and flows into the Pacific Ocean in Oregon. The river is 2000 km long, has the highest vertical gradient of any major rivers in North America and covers an area of 670,000 km2. There are 14 major hydropower stations on the main stem of the river and more than 300 smaller stations distributed throughout the basin that provide the majority of the electricity for the Pacific North-West. The Canadian portion of the basin covers only 15% of the total watershed area but provides approximately 40% of the water that flows downstream. Fifty percent of the electricity consumed by the 4.3 million people in British Columbia is produced in the Canadian portion of the Columbia Basin. More than 80% of the Canadian headwater area is forested and under alpine cover and the river system is dominated by snowmelt and selective contributions from glaciers.
Environmental Reconstruction in Headwater Areas, 2000
The effects of land use on water yield, water quality, flooding and aquatic biota are of increasi... more The effects of land use on water yield, water quality, flooding and aquatic biota are of increasing concern to government agencies and the public in North America. The government has responded to this challenge by downloading the responsibility to community groups and multi-stakeholder boards. For watershed management, the challenges come primarily from inappropriate forest harvesting methods, agricultural intensification, urban storm water discharge and recreational development in headwater areas. While there is a good understanding of the extent of the problem, solutions and rehabilitation projects are still too new to claim any widespread success. It is the cumulative effect of these impacts that are the most difficult to assess. A massive effort is underway to educate public interest groups and encourage them to take an active part in watershed rehabilitation. Source control, best management practices, the use of stream buffer zones and detention ponds (to filter and retain pollutants before they enter streams) and protecting vulnerable areas are some of the rehabilitation options that show most progress. The distribution of information and education programs via the Internet is proving effective in educating the public.
Agriculture is rapidly emerging as a dysfunctional industry. Over the past 40 years the industry ... more Agriculture is rapidly emerging as a dysfunctional industry. Over the past 40 years the industry has been very successful in growing enough food to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding world population. At the same time one billion people engaged in agriculture are among the poorest in the world and do not have sufficient food to meet the daily needs. Food prices have consistently declined
International Journal of Sustainable Development, 2013
ABSTRACT The transition to sustainability requires not only an understanding of the risks that so... more ABSTRACT The transition to sustainability requires not only an understanding of the risks that society is facing but the development of pathways that will enable the shift towards sustainability. Such risks include not only resources and global warming but also established economic models and social ethics and values. This paper identifies how the risks facing global societies are being addressed, and outlines methods that are being used to identify and create dialogues with stakeholders. Cities, due to their direct role in ensuring that the needs of their communities are met, are providing leading visions and strategies in achieving sustainability in collaboration with other cities and with companies. Models for identifying stakeholders and enabling multiple perspectives to be integrated into discussions have been developed and are being put into practice. These are being enhanced through use of computer models, geographic information systems, mind mapping and matrix tools to develop visions and strategies for sustainable cities.
In efficient agricultural systems high production and high quality is expected throughout the yea... more In efficient agricultural systems high production and high quality is expected throughout the year, but spatial and seasonal variation of biophysical variables can have a significant impact on the yield and quality of production. The yield and quality component of a forage field was monitored using statistical and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques. The display of yield and forage quality in a spatial context proved to be very useful to the farmer since it allowed him to determine where in the field he obtained the best and worst production and whether such performance was consistent over the entire growing season. GIS is considered a new management tool that allows the spatial evaluation and presentation of production information in a new and innovative manner. Examples are provided to assist farmers in production accounting, to determine cause and effect relationships between management and production, to forecast production and to modify management to account for di...
Canada's National Agri-Environmental Standards Initiative sought to develop an environmental... more Canada's National Agri-Environmental Standards Initiative sought to develop an environmental benchmark for low-level waterborne pathogen occurrence in agricultural watersheds. A field study collected 902 water samples from 27 sites in four intensive agricultural watersheds across Canada from 2005 to 2007. Four of the sites were selected as reference sites away from livestock and human fecal pollution sources in each watershed. Water samples were analyzed for Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., and the water quality indicator E. coli. The annual mean number of pathogen species was higher at agricultural sites (1.54 ± 0.07 species per water sample) than at reference sites (0.75 ± 0.14 species per water sample). The annual mean concentration of E. coli was also higher at agricultural sites (491 ± 96 colony-forming units [cfu] 100 mL(-1)) than at reference sites (53 ± 18 cfu 100 mL(-1)). The feasibility of adopting exis...
... ISBN: 92-9115-202-1. Project Number: 040340 100119. Project Title: People and Resource Dynami... more ... ISBN: 92-9115-202-1. Project Number: 040340 100119. Project Title: People and Resource Dynamics in Mountain Watersheds (Hindu Kush - Himalaya) People and Resource Dynamics in Mountain Watersheds of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas (PARDYP) - Phase II. ...
ABSTRACT Significant opportunities exist in upper catchments for improved water management, which... more ABSTRACT Significant opportunities exist in upper catchments for improved water management, which promise direct and indirect benefits. Direct benefits to upstream users include improved water productivity and more equitable distribution; indirect benefits to upstream and downstream users include better availability and quality of water and preservation of ecosystem services. Capturing the wide range of benefits in upper catchments presents challenges of, first, identifying what hydrologic improvement is feasible and second, identifying the modifiable social or economic constraints that would otherwise prevent organization around the land and water resources. This paper summarizes the research issues according to four themes: water and poverty in upland watersheds; identifying the hydrologic basis for improvement; realizing the increased hydrologic potential; and extrapolation and generalization of insight and information.
The Columbia River in Western North America originates in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia... more The Columbia River in Western North America originates in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada and flows into the Pacific Ocean in Oregon. The river is 2000 km long, has the highest vertical gradient of any major rivers in North America and covers an area of 670,000 km2. There are 14 major hydropower stations on the main stem of the river and more than 300 smaller stations distributed throughout the basin that provide the majority of the electricity for the Pacific North-West. The Canadian portion of the basin covers only 15% of the total watershed area but provides approximately 40% of the water that flows downstream. Fifty percent of the electricity consumed by the 4.3 million people in British Columbia is produced in the Canadian portion of the Columbia Basin. More than 80% of the Canadian headwater area is forested and under alpine cover and the river system is dominated by snowmelt and selective contributions from glaciers.
Environmental Reconstruction in Headwater Areas, 2000
The effects of land use on water yield, water quality, flooding and aquatic biota are of increasi... more The effects of land use on water yield, water quality, flooding and aquatic biota are of increasing concern to government agencies and the public in North America. The government has responded to this challenge by downloading the responsibility to community groups and multi-stakeholder boards. For watershed management, the challenges come primarily from inappropriate forest harvesting methods, agricultural intensification, urban storm water discharge and recreational development in headwater areas. While there is a good understanding of the extent of the problem, solutions and rehabilitation projects are still too new to claim any widespread success. It is the cumulative effect of these impacts that are the most difficult to assess. A massive effort is underway to educate public interest groups and encourage them to take an active part in watershed rehabilitation. Source control, best management practices, the use of stream buffer zones and detention ponds (to filter and retain pollutants before they enter streams) and protecting vulnerable areas are some of the rehabilitation options that show most progress. The distribution of information and education programs via the Internet is proving effective in educating the public.
Agriculture is rapidly emerging as a dysfunctional industry. Over the past 40 years the industry ... more Agriculture is rapidly emerging as a dysfunctional industry. Over the past 40 years the industry has been very successful in growing enough food to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding world population. At the same time one billion people engaged in agriculture are among the poorest in the world and do not have sufficient food to meet the daily needs. Food prices have consistently declined
International Journal of Sustainable Development, 2013
ABSTRACT The transition to sustainability requires not only an understanding of the risks that so... more ABSTRACT The transition to sustainability requires not only an understanding of the risks that society is facing but the development of pathways that will enable the shift towards sustainability. Such risks include not only resources and global warming but also established economic models and social ethics and values. This paper identifies how the risks facing global societies are being addressed, and outlines methods that are being used to identify and create dialogues with stakeholders. Cities, due to their direct role in ensuring that the needs of their communities are met, are providing leading visions and strategies in achieving sustainability in collaboration with other cities and with companies. Models for identifying stakeholders and enabling multiple perspectives to be integrated into discussions have been developed and are being put into practice. These are being enhanced through use of computer models, geographic information systems, mind mapping and matrix tools to develop visions and strategies for sustainable cities.
In efficient agricultural systems high production and high quality is expected throughout the yea... more In efficient agricultural systems high production and high quality is expected throughout the year, but spatial and seasonal variation of biophysical variables can have a significant impact on the yield and quality of production. The yield and quality component of a forage field was monitored using statistical and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques. The display of yield and forage quality in a spatial context proved to be very useful to the farmer since it allowed him to determine where in the field he obtained the best and worst production and whether such performance was consistent over the entire growing season. GIS is considered a new management tool that allows the spatial evaluation and presentation of production information in a new and innovative manner. Examples are provided to assist farmers in production accounting, to determine cause and effect relationships between management and production, to forecast production and to modify management to account for di...
Canada's National Agri-Environmental Standards Initiative sought to develop an environmental... more Canada's National Agri-Environmental Standards Initiative sought to develop an environmental benchmark for low-level waterborne pathogen occurrence in agricultural watersheds. A field study collected 902 water samples from 27 sites in four intensive agricultural watersheds across Canada from 2005 to 2007. Four of the sites were selected as reference sites away from livestock and human fecal pollution sources in each watershed. Water samples were analyzed for Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., and the water quality indicator E. coli. The annual mean number of pathogen species was higher at agricultural sites (1.54 ± 0.07 species per water sample) than at reference sites (0.75 ± 0.14 species per water sample). The annual mean concentration of E. coli was also higher at agricultural sites (491 ± 96 colony-forming units [cfu] 100 mL(-1)) than at reference sites (53 ± 18 cfu 100 mL(-1)). The feasibility of adopting exis...
... ISBN: 92-9115-202-1. Project Number: 040340 100119. Project Title: People and Resource Dynami... more ... ISBN: 92-9115-202-1. Project Number: 040340 100119. Project Title: People and Resource Dynamics in Mountain Watersheds (Hindu Kush - Himalaya) People and Resource Dynamics in Mountain Watersheds of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas (PARDYP) - Phase II. ...
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Papers by Hans Schreier