How IWRM will Contribute to Achieving the MDGs

Abstract

"Water runs through and sustains all life and human activity. Without reliable access to enough water, social and economic development cannot occur. A quick review of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) shows that the achievement of most of them will have to be underpinned by water in one way or another. This short policy brief seeks to outline why water is so important in the achievement of the MDGs and to consider how it should be managed if it is to be effectively harnessed to this end. Specifically, it seeks to explain why the structured approach known as Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has been adopted by the international community and how it can contribute to meeting the MDGs."