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Integrated Water Resources Management: What is it and why is it used? Chris White URS, London Discussion Paper 1324 June 2013 This article looks at the use of the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) framework in water management. The author looks at the successes and challenges of implementing IWRM in practice, arguing that its flexibility is both an advantage and a disadvantage. these issues are interconnected; subsidised
water prices, for example, can lead to rising
water demand which may reduce the quantity
of water in the environment thereby leading to
an increase in the concentration of pollutants
and a decline in water quality.
The Global Water Forum publishes discussion papers to share the insights and knowledge contained within our online articles. The articles are contributed by experts in the field and provide: original academic research; unique, informed insights and arguments; evaluations of water policies and projects; as well as concise overviews and explanations of complex topics. We encourage our readers to engage in discussion with our contributing authors through the GWF website. Keywords: Integrated Water Resource Management, successes, challenges, flexibility Due to the interrelated nature of water issues,
the use of particular economic or policy
instruments can create trade-offs. Purchasing
water access rights to secure environmental
flows, for example, may be a cost-effective
method of increasing the amount of water in
the
but
reduced
water
extractions may also negatively impact small
towns
In order to deal with the complexity of water
environment,
and
communities
dependent
on
irrigated agriculture.
management issues, discussion over water
resources is typically separated into distinct
In order for water security to be managed
topics such as Economics, Water Quality, and
effectively, the use of economic and policy
the Environment. In reality, however, each of
instruments cannot be considered in isolation,
Suggested Citation: White, C. (2013), ‘Integrated Water Resources Management: What is it and why is it used?’, GWF Discussion Paper 1324, Global Water Forum, Canberra, Australia. Available online at: http://www.globalwaterforum.org/2013/06/10/integrated-­‐water-­‐
resources-­‐management-­‐what-­‐is-­‐it-­‐and-­‐why-­‐is-­‐it-­‐used/ Integrated Water Resources Management: What is it and why is it used? but rather should be considered in terms of
decision makers can collaboratively decide the
their wider impact on society and the
goals of water management and co-ordinate
environment.
security
the use of different instruments to achieve
management therefore requires planners to
them.2 Given that each country differs in
take into account the ‘triple bottom line’ and
terms of history, socio-economic conditions,
evaluate policies in terms of their economic,
cultural
environmental, and social impacts. In order to
environmental characteristics, there is no
deal with this complexity and coordinate
single blueprint for IWRM and it can be
policy effectively, it is often argued that
adapted to resolve the problems faced in each
economic and policy instruments should be
local context.3
Effective
water
and
political
context,
and
used as part of a wider integrated water
resource management (IWRM) framework.
As a result, the goals of IWRM vary across
countries and different weights are placed on
IWRM is a framework designed to improve
the importance of economic, environmental,
the management of water resources based on
and social impacts: Chile, for instance,
four key principles adopted at the 1992 Dublin
typically
Conference on Water and the Rio de Janeiro
economic efficiency, whereas South Africa and
Summit on Sustainable Development. These
the Netherlands tend to place more emphasis
principles hold that: (1) fresh water is a finite
on social and environmental goals respectively.
and vulnerable resource essential to sustain
It should not, however, be thought that there
life, development, and the environment; (2)
are always trade-offs between these goals, and
water development and management should
a more integrated approach to water security
be
approach,
management can help in achieving win-win
involving users, planners, and policy makers
outcomes which promote more than one goal.
at all levels; (3) women play a central part in
Implementing a well-designed scheme for
the provision, management, and safeguarding
pricing water resources, for example, can
of water; and (4) water has an economic value
promote
in all its competing uses and should be
environmental benefits due to decreases in
recognized as an economic good.1
water demand, and generate social benefits if
based
on
a
participatory
emphasises
economic
the
importance
efficiency,
of
create
the funds are used to expand service provision
IWRM
is
not,
therefore,
a
prescriptive
description of how water should be managed,
or are combined with subsidy schemes for
low-income households.
but rather it is a broad framework in which
Integrated Water Resources Management: What is it and why is it used? While the differences in implementation
communities in decision-making. Some of the
across countries can make IWRM difficult to
benefits
define, it can be broadly characterised by a
incorporating
number of key trends. Firstly, there has
encouraging more innovative solutions to
tended to be a move away from command-
problems
and-control instruments which focus on
viewpoints; encouraging co-operation and
supply-side water management, such as large-
reducing the risk of conflicts over water
scale
towards
resources; and developing solutions which are
management
more open, inclusive, and democratic, thereby
though the use of economic instruments. This
generating wider support and leading to more
shift in focus has created a more flexible
sustainable outcomes.4
water
incorporating
infrastructure,
demand
side
of
wider
collaboration
specialised
due
to
greater
include:
knowledge;
diversity
of
approach to water management and has
encouraged the development of a variety of
innovative instruments to resolve local water
However, the lack of a clear definition of
IWRM or a prescribed a list of instruments
that can be adopted to resolve water issues has
security problems.
lead to criticism of the concept. Common
Secondly, IWRM has led to an increased
criticisms include: the lack of a clear,
awareness of the importance of sustainable
prescriptive definition means that it is often
development and the incorporation of social
difficult to implement and schemes can have
and environmental considerations into water
very different results; collaboration is often
management.
time-consuming and resource intensive; the
level of co-ordination required for large
Thirdly, IWRM has also tended to lead to a
projects may make IWRM too complex to
move
undertake,
away
from
top-down,
centralised
particularly
for
developing
approaches to water security towards more
countries which lack the necessary institutions;
flexible,
which
and the flexibility of implementation means
involve a variety of diversified governance
that it is difficult to evaluate the performance
structures at a local, basin, national, and
of IWRM itself compared to the particular
decentralised
transnational
approaches
level.2
Finally, under the IWRM framework there has
been increasing emphasis on stakeholder
collaboration and the involvement of local
choice of instruments.2,3,5
Despite these criticisms, the flexibility of
IWRM is also an advantage in that it allows
policies to be developed for the particular local
Integrated Water Resources Management: What is it and why is it used? challenges. Due to the complexity of water
irrigation efficiency has risen; and finance has
issues within and between countries, any
been secured to invest in water sanitation and
policy framework with clearly defined and
treatment programs.
prescriptive solutions is likely to struggle to be
applicable across all situations,2,3 and there is
growing evidence that implementing IWRM
can offer substantial, long-term benefits to
The improvement in water governance is due
to reforms beginning in the 1970s which
started
a
move
away
from
centralised
governance in Mexico towards IWRM. By the
water security and water management.2,3
early 1980s, six regional water resources
An example of where IWRM has been
offices were set up, including the newly
successful is the Lerma-Chapala River Basin –
created Lerma-Chapala River Basin Regional
one of world’s most water-stressed basins.
Management agency which was given the
Rapid population growth combined with
responsibility of gathering information and
industrial and agricultural development have
designing a Basin Plan. Further reforms in
lead to serious imbalances between water
1992
withdrawals and availability. Further, the
decentralisation process and set up Basin
increasing competition over water resources
Councils with formal powers to implement the
in the basin, combined with poor governance,
proposed water reallocation policies.
and
2004
strengthened
the
has led to over-exploitation of surface and
ground water resources, increasingly frequent
The Lerma-Chapala Basin Council carried out
conflicts
and
a hydrological study of the Basin and
considerable levels of water pollution and soil
developed a model to evaluate the impact of
degradation. As a result, during the period
various water reallocation policies according
from 1981 to 2001, Lake Chapala lost 90% of
to economic, social, technical, political, and
its natural volume and the remaining water
environmental criteria. This model was then
was left heavily contaminated.6
used as a basis for water reform in the Basin.
over
water
allocations,
The
Council
also
encouraged
extensive
Recently, however, due to a move towards
collaboration with stakeholders in the Basin
IWRM and subsequent improvements in
and took steps to communicate their work as
water governance, the situation has begun to
transparently as possible which reduced the
improve: the natural capacity of the lake has
level of conflict over reallocations.
been restored; water quality is improving with
around 60 per cent of discharges eliminated;
Integrated Water Resources Management: What is it and why is it used? While the move towards IWRM in the Lerma-
and critical evaluation of the successes and
Chapala Basin has been a long and difficult
failures
process, after 30 years, the benefits are
understanding how water management can be
starting to be realised.
improved. As such, while people may want a
of
such
schemes
is
crucial
to
set of prescriptive solutions to resolving water
Such case studies highlight the fact that
IWRM can lead to more economically, socially,
and environmentally sustainable solutions to
complex water issues, however, it is important
to note that this will not always be the case.
IWRM based schemes can be
issues, in reality, complex issues require
complex solutions and one of the main
reasons for adopting IWRM may be that its
flexibility embraces and accounts for the
challenges of complexity.
unsuccessful5
References
1. 1. International Conference of Water and the Environment (ICWE) (1992), The Dublin Statement on
Water and Sustainable Development,
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/hwrp/documents/english/icwedece.html.
2. Lenton, R. and M. Muller (eds.) (2009), Integrated Water Resources Management in Practice: Better
Water Management for Development, Earthscan Publications, London.
3. Pahl-Wostl, C., P. Jeffrey and J. Sendzimir (2011), “Adaptive and Integrated Management of Water
Resources”, in R.Q. Grafton and K. Hussey (eds.), Water Resources Planning and Management,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
4. Loux, J, (2011), “Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement”, in R.Q. Grafton and K. Hussey (eds.),
Water Resources Planning and Management, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
5. Biswas, A.K. (2008), “Integrated Water Resource Management: Is it Working?”, Water Resources
Development, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 5-22.
6. Hidalgo, J. and H. Pena (2009), “Turning Water Stress into Water Management Success: Experiences
in the Lerma-Chapala River Basin”, in Lenton, R. and M. Muller (eds.), Integrated Water Resources
Management in Practice: Better Water Management for Development, Earthscan, London.
About the author(s)
Chris White is the Editor of the Global Water Forum. Chris read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at
Oxford University; completed a Masters degree in Environmental and Resource Economics at the
Australian National University; and now works as an Environmental Economist at URS in London.
About the Global Water Forum
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