Lessons from Integrated Water Resources Management in Practice

Abstract

"There is growing recognition that unless we manage our water better, we will not achieve our societies’ broader development goals. In response to this challenge, over the last several decades numerous practitioners and policy makers around the world have been evolving practices for water resources management that have aimed to achieve a balance among economic efficiency, social equity and environmental sustainability. These practices have collectively come to be known as the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach. While IWRM is widely acknowledged as the way forward – particularly in the face of emerging challenges such as climate change – there are still questions about how to translate policy commitments to IWRM into practice. This brief highlights lessons from GWP’s book Integrated Water Resources Management in Practice (Earthscan, 2009). The book uses case studies at local, basin, national and trans-national levels to present in practical terms how better water management, embodying key principles of IWRM, has made a positive contribution in areas as diverse as agriculture, urban water supply, transport, energy, industry, job creation, and environmental protection. The lessons learned from these cases confirm the experiences of GWP and partners in facilitating and implementing an IWRM approach, for example in the Partnership for Africa’s Water Development (PAWD)."