Integrated Water Resources Management:An Introduction

Presented by

Floyd Homer

fmhome@gmail.com

Objectives To provide an introduction on key principles and themes

of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).

To show IWRM’s key linkages to development and to addressing poverty reduction, water and health, and water and food (MDGs).

To enable application of IWRM principles for awareness raising and capacity building in advising decision makers.

About Water ….

A “Single” Resource – has no substitute

A Limited Resource

A Scarce Resource (or is it?)

Has Social, Economic, and Environmental Value (social and environment are recent)

A Unique Resource Every organism, individual, and

ecosystem on the planet depends on water for survival.

Water impacts all aspects of life on the planet

Poor water management and water shortages can lead to disease, malnutrition, reduced economic growth, social instability, conflict, and environmental disaster.

The Global Water Budget

Global Water

97% Seawater

3% Freshwater

Global Freshwater

87% Not Accessible

13% Accessible (0.4% of global)

A Challenge to Water Management

Top 10 Largest Cities by 2015

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Tokyo

Bombay

Lagos

Shanghai

Jakarta

Sao Paulo

Karachi

Beijing

Dhaka

Mexico City

Population, millions

The Water Scene

Resources are scarce

Demands are outstripping supplies

Environmental/Ecological issues are serious

Policy and institutional issues are complicated

Current approach is sectoral and fragmented

Financing is poor and options are expensive

Where Are We Headed? Decreasing per-capita availability

Degrading water quality

Increasing competition/conflict within sectors and within society Urban versus agriculture Haves versus have nots Upstream versus downstream National versus international

Increasing competition/conflict with the environment

Demand Sectors Water for People – safe and reliable drinking water

supply, as well as sanitation.

Water for Food Production – irrigation, wastewater reuse, and flood management

Water for Nature – rainwater infiltration, groundwater recharge, river flow and aquatic ecosystems maintenance

Water for Industry – manufacturing, cooling systems and liquid waste disposal

Water for Emergencies – fire control and drought relief

Water as a Global Issue

Water crisis has steadily moved up the global agenda

The process is driven by

water-related health impacts, rapid industrialization, water security, and awakening environmental

consciousness

The Paradigm Shift

The Dublin principles (1992)

Water is a single, finite resource

Water management and development should include stakeholders

Water is an economic good

Women play a central role in management and conservation of water

The Dublin Principles have served as guide for the global water dialogue

Key Water Challenges and Needs Integrated

management of water

Water resources economics

Political economy of water

Water supply and sanitation services

Irrigation/drainage

NRM and environment

Water pricing and cost recovery

Water entitlement and rights

Water users empowerment

Sharing of water and its benefits

Cooperation and conflict resolution

Energy

MDGs … a starting point Goal 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Goal 2. Achieve universal primary education

Goal 3. Promote gender equality and empower women

Goal 4. Reduce child mortality

Goal 5. Improve maternal health

Goal 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Goal 7. Ensure environmental sustainability

Goal 8. Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Ad hoc

Economic Analysis -- Single Project or Basin

Multi-Objective Planning

Comprehensive Multi-Purpose River Basin Planning and Management

Strategic Planning and Implementation through IWRM

Approaches to Water Management

The Water Balancing Act

Demand• Increasing in all sectors• Inefficient use

Supply• Quantity (Natural Scarcity, Groundwater Depletion)• Quality Degradation• Cost of Options

IWRMIWRM

Integrated Water Resources Management

A systematic process for managing water, land and related resources in a way that meets society’s long-term need for water while ensuring that economic and social welfare are not compromised and that there is no harm to the environment.

A coordinating framework for integrating and implementing sectoral needs, water and water-related policy, resource allocation, and management of natural resources and environmental systems; within the context of social, economic, and environmental development objectives.

IWRM is about:

Managing water resources at the lowest possible level.

Managing demand for water and optimising the supply.

Providing equitable access to water resources by a participatory approach.

Establishing policies to help manage water resources.

Engaging all sectors of the economy in the IWRM process.

Why IWRM?

Globally accepted and makes good sense.

Key element in national water policy.

Incorporates social and environmental considerations directly into policy and decision making.

Directly involves the stakeholders.

Is a tool for optimizing investments under tight financing climate.

Key Water & Water-related Policies/Inst.

Resources Assessment &

Analysis

Use Assessment & Analysis

Resource Development &

Management Plan

Implementation & Monitoring

Resource Allocation Strategy

Review & Evaluation

CountryDevelopment

Objectives

Schematic of the IWRM Process • Stakeholder Input• Donor Input• Other Input

IWRM can be characterized as: A process, not a product

Scale independent - applies at all levels of development

A tool for self assessment and program evaluation

A tool for policy, planning, and management

A mechanism for evaluating competing demands, resource allocation, and tradeoffs

IWRM in PracticeA. Enabling Environment

Policies Legislative Framework Financing and Incentive Structures

B. Institutional Mechanism

Institutional Framework Institutional Capacity Building

C. Management Instruments

Water Resources Assessments Planning for IWRM Demand Management Social Change Instruments Economic Instruments Information and Communications

Dimensions of IWRM

Integrated Water Resources Management

Water supply & sanitation

Irrigation & drainage

Energy Environ-mentalservices

Infrastructure for Infrastructure for management of management of

floods and floods and droughts, droughts,

multipurpose multipurpose storage, water storage, water

quality and source quality and source protectionprotection

Policy/ Policy/ Institutional Institutional frameworkframework

Management Management instrumentsinstruments

Political economy Political economy of water of water

managementmanagement

Other uses including

industry and navigation

Water Uses GWP

Water Governance

• The GWP defines Water Governance as the range of political, social, economic and administrative systems that are in place to develop and manage water resources and the delivery of water services at different levels of society.

• It is really the traditions and institutions by which authority is exercised in a country. Governance deals with who is really in charge and how power is used to decide who gets what and when.

Governance

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Activity Sectors

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Social

Development

Economic

Development

Env.

ProtectionObjectives

Policy/Inst.Framework

Management Institutions

Prosperity

The Water Resources Development Process: Sectoral (or Use) Approach

Feedback

Governance

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Activity Sectors

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Social

Development

Economic

Development

Env.

ProtectionObjectives

Policy/Inst.Framework

Management Institutions

Water Resources Development : The IWRM Process

Feedback

Prosperity

IWRM Water and waterrelated policies review and revision

IWRM Resource development, management, monitoring, and evaluation

IWRM Resource availability/use analysis and allocation

Barriers to IWRM

Willingness to change - Domestic water, sanitation, agricultural water, etc. Are divided over a several government departments, often with little collaboration.

Lack of tools and systems for integration – The challenge is finding effective tools and processes to achieve greater coordination and cooperation without incurring such high transaction costs that the entire process becomes wasteful.

Further Barriers

A lack of both policy and the personnel to implement it. Conflict between decentralisation and the desire to maintain central power and influence.

The difficulty of getting the different sectors to interact meaningfully for the common good.

An unwillingness to deal with the implications of the critical need for reliability in domestic supplies, and the implications this has on the availability of water for other sectors, such as agriculture and industry.

Influencing Change

Advocacy

Policy

Subsidiarity

Institutional development

Participatory management

THANK YOU…..Questions or comments?