The Impact of Water Management on the Tropical Environment

Abstract

Man's impact on the environment through water control should be wholly beneficial and the manipulation of water resources is a very important element in his mastery of adverse living conditions. Primarily, the efficacy of rainfall can be controlled by man's use of the land surface, while disastrous cycles may be initiated through misuse of the land, particularly by overgrazing in dry or semi arid areas. Vegetation changes under such a regime are frequently very striking and appear to indicate a deterioration in the quantity of rainfall, when in fact they should be ascribed to a decline in the efficiency of acceptance of rain by the soil. Land use in high rainfall areas is important in regulating streams and maintaining dry weather flow for water users downstream. Improvement in the distribution of domestic watering points can have many beneficial effects on the environment even in areas of high rainfall. In areas of low rainfall, it is essential that there are effective means of controlling the numbers of grazing animals and the provision of water for stock must be carefully planned to match the carrying capacity of the land and the requirements of seasonal grazing if serious damage to the vegetative environment is to be avoided. To this end, the type of installation used in developing watering points is often of importance.