Peru – Decision Support System Feasibility Study

Peru’s Pacific watersheds are a natural source of water for both agricultural and municipal uses. Peru’s land at low to middle elevations is usually put into agricultural production of coffee, fruits, maize and rice, often with irrigation. Land at higher elevations is used as a source of timber and fuelwood or sometimes converted into cattle rangeland. The water supplies in Peru’s Pacific watersheds must be properly managed to ensure adequate water for municipal drinking water and irrigation.

Water Allocation Decision Support System Graphical User Interface

Riverside Technology, inc. (RTi) was contracted by the government of Peru to determine the feasibility of using decision support system (DSS) technology to implement a new water rights allocation and administration system in these Pacific watersheds. RTi used its experience in water resources and water rights administration to analyze and quantify key watershed management issues in a DSS framework. RTi recommended two decision support systems – a water allocation DSS, and a water rights administration DSS – and completed conceptual designs for these systems. RTi designed the water allocation DSS to inventory the existing permitted water users, quantify the demand by each water user, analyze the yield of the water supply, track water rights allocation transactions, and assist in the first time allocation of new water rights to the water users. The water rights administration DSS included a seasonal water supply forecasting system, a water rights delivery component, and tools for determining the appropriate reservoir operations to meet the water rights demands. RTi developed cost estimates for design, implementation and maintenance for all DSS components, including the required data collection and telemetry systems, the hardware and software architecture to be used at the local and national levels, and communications’ networks and protocols. RTi also developed and demonstrated a PC–based prototype of each DSS.

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