"With an average annual rainfall of 1,170 mm, India is one of the wettest countries in the world. Still, even with its rich natural water resources, with more than 300,000 square meters of bodies of water, the country is plagued by environmental issues such as water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides (Sharma, 2005). Another major problem is that tap water is not potable throughout the country. This implies that people, especially those from the lower income bracket, cannot avail of clean drinking water, since these have to be bought. Repugnant as it may sound, it is a reality that millions of Indians queue up everyday at public taps for one of life's most precious commodity — water." -ADB

Monday 14 February 2011

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximise economic and social welfare without compromising the sustainability of ecosystems and the environment.
 
IWRM is emerging as an accepted alternative to the sector-by-sector, top-down management style that has dominated in the past.

The basis of IWRM is that
  • The many different uses of finite water resources are interdependent. (High irrigation demands and polluted drainage flows from agriculture mean less freshwater for drinking or industrial use; contaminated municipal and industrial wastewater pollutes rivers and threatens ecosystems; if water has to be left in a river to protect fisheries and ecosystems, less can be diverted to grow crops.)  There are plenty more examples of the basic theme that unregulated use of scarce water resources is wasteful and inherently unsustainable.

  • Integrated Water Resources Management is a cross-sectoral policy approach, designed to replace the traditional, fragmented sectoral approach to water resources and management that has led to poor services and unsustainable resource use.

  • IWRM is based on the understanding that water resources are an integral component of the ecosystem, a natural resource, and a social and economic good.
http://globalwaterpartnership.wordpress.com/what-is-iwrm/
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Disclaimer: This Blog is a small step towards building a knowledge-based platform for Professionals interested in "water resources management(WRM)". One of the objective is knowledge dissemination. Please note that VIEWs expressed here are purely personal.