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Abstract:
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"Managers, whether in the government or private sectors, have to make difficult decisions on water allocation. More and more they have to apportion diminishing supplies between ever increasing demands. Drivers such as demographic and climatic changes further increase the stress on water resources. The traditional fragmented approach is no longer viable and a more holistic approach to water management is essential. This is the rationale for the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach that has now been accepted internationally as the way forward for efficient, equitable and sustainable development and management of the world’s limited water resources and for coping with conflicting demands. Countries and regions have very different physical characteristics and are at very different stages in economic and social development: hence there is a need for approaches to be tailored to the individual circumstance of country and local region. This Report, compiled by UN-Water, aims to illustrate progress made on meeting the target to 'Develop integrated water resources management and water efficiency plans by 2005, with support to developing countries, through actions at all levels' agreed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg in 2002, through the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPoI).
"The Report is based on a survey covering 104 countries of which 77 are developing or countries in transition and 27 are developed (OECD and EU member states) The survey brings together the results of questionnaires by UN-DESA, and UNEP in 2007. Several other members of UN-Water and partner agencies have supported and contributed to the Report including UNDP, UN Statistics, WHO, WWAP and GWP. The survey recognises that countries use different terminology for their water resources management plans. It provides the most objective and comprehensive overview of the current status of water resources management. The Report also includes information gathered by the more informal surveys conducted earlier by the Global Water Partnership and the African Development Bank."
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