Upstream

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An upper Lieger is in the water right to above a certain point established area authorized, such as a land owner . The term only becomes apparent in the respective connection with the downstream .

For example , people living further downstream (by reducing the amount of water) as well as people living further upstream (upstream), for example by the rising water level or the reduction in the flow velocity, can be affected by water uses by a river resident such as the damming of the water. The user and the persons concerned are then in the relationship upstream-downstream or downstream-upstream.

Flood protection, flood

The term is very important in connection with floods and flood protection . An example: when the Rhine floods , a tidal wave (= high water peak) flows down the Rhine. A local authority located on the Rhine z. B. in Baden-Wuerttemberg has a floodplain (also called flood polders, flood protection polder or retention area ) and could, if it opens this (and thus floods = deliberately floods), lower the flood peak downstream. The local authority (in this example a resident) does not benefit from this action itself ; rather, flooded meadows need up to five years to fully recover from waterlogging . All those involved are also guided in their actions by financial interests (cost-benefit considerations). There are external effects ("the uncompensated effects of economic decisions on uninvolved market participants"). Negative external effects are also referred to as external or social costs, positive ones as external benefit or social return. 'External' means that the effects (side effects) of behavior are not (sufficiently) taken into account in the market.

Downstream people demand activities (or failure to act) by upstream people or criticize that upstream people "do too little". Sometimes they distract from doing nothing (or doing too little).

Apparently there are diverging particular interests . Decisions or actions are required at a higher level (e.g. state or federal); There is an economic interest in investing money for flood protection (e.g. building dykes) as efficiently as possible (= the highest possible benefit per euro invested).

The question of timing also arises (when exactly do you start flooding?).

It can also have a negative impact on the upstream rider, e.g. B. a downstream does not release suitable floodplains and thus causes an avoidable backwater of a flood at the expense of the upstream.

Others

In regions with a lack of water, there are conflicts of use between those lying above and those lying below. Examples:

  • Tajikistan dams the Syr Darya River (and tributaries) in summer to generate electricity in winter. Kazakhstan , located downstream, needs the water to irrigate agricultural areas in summer.

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