CCGL9059

Water in a Changing World

Integrated
Water Resources
Management

Dr. George V. Akom

Faculty of Science
 Lecture 7 Review
You should:

•Describe various types of water conflicts

•Analyze the causes of different water
conflicts
•Explain how water conflicts could be
resolved
General Review
You should:
•have an general understanding of the world’s water
crisis (water cycle, virtual water, water footprint,
tipping point, tragedy of the commons)
•analyze the different uses of water and their
impacts
•have a general understanding of water scarcity,
water insecurity and water stress (potential causes
and consequences)
•analyze different types of water conflicts (causes,
impacts and solutions)
•analyze the general principles of water
management and various approaches to solving the
water problem
Examples

Short Question (5-6 points)

Define the term “tipping point”. Explain
why scientists are concerned about a water
crisis tipping point.

Essay (16-20 points)

A sustainable future depends on managing
water resources. How far do you agree?
Lesson 8 Objectives
By the end of the lesson, you should be able
to:
•Explain the concept of Integrated Water
Resources Management (IWRM)
•State the key principles of IWRM
•Discuss the importance of IWRM principles
•Provide examples of solutions to the water
crisis
Why manage water resources?
Feeding the World

Water resources are under pressure from population growth,

economic activity and competition among users.
 Water Withdrawals

Water withdrawals have increased more than twice as fast as

population growth
 Climate Change

Climate variability and climate change demand improved management of

water resources to cope with more intense floods and droughts.
(CAP-NET 2006)
Pollution
• Pollution is further enhancing water scarcity by
reducing water usability downstream.
• Water pollution is caused by:
 poor wastewater management
 rampant deforestation
 soil overexploitation
 population explosion
• The crisis in water pollution exerts social and
economic pressure everywhere in the world.
Management
• Shortcomings in the management of water
- a focus on developing new sources rather
than managing existing ones better;
• And top-down sector approaches to water
management resulting in uncoordinated
development and management of the
resource.
 Integrated Water Resources
Management
• Therefore, management of the quantity and
quality of surface and groundwater should
be integrated.
• This includes planning management
frameworks at local, national and
transboundary level.
• Appropriate water/environmental laws and
accompanying regulations are key to water
resources management (UNESCO 2016).
 Activity
Case 1: Mekong River Commission, Asia (Source: Smith and Claussen, 2015)
The Council of Ministers of the Mekong River Commission sits at the top of the hierarchy for management of the Mekong
basin and brings together ministers from the four countries of the Lower Mekong (Cambodia, Lao People’s Dem­ocratic
Republic, Thailand and Vietnam), as well as high-level representatives of dialogue partners Chi­na and Myanmar. The
Council has adopted a formal IWRM-based Basin Development Strategy to guide the Basin Development Plan for joint
development efforts in the basin. In turn, the Basin Development Plan is supported by and articulated with IWRM
strategies and plans at lower levels, i.e. the national level, basins and tributaries at provincial level, and at sub-basin and
district levels. Dialogues among stakeholders in formal or informal committees help to shape actions that contribute to the
develop­ment and management of water resources at each level. Implementation actions take place through national,
provincial and district authorities, includ­ing regulation and infrastructure development at basin and sub-basin levels, or in
thousands of small watersheds, such as water quality regulation, flood protection measures, local water supplies, small-
scale hydropower and irrigation dams.

The four Lower Mekong countries have all includ­ed references to IWRM in their national policies, with national Mekong
committees put in place as a platform for cross-sectoral dialogue. The institution­al arrangements in the Mekong basin
hence cater for both vertical and horizontal integration. Basin and sub-basin committees draw members from the public
sector (including across sectors between key ministries), the private sector and civil society. Hundreds of dams, mostly for
hydropower produc­tion, are currently being planned and built on the tributaries of the Mekong and even a few, very con­
troversially, on the main river. They are mostly being planned, built and operated by private developers, with a focus on
stakeholder dialogues and increas­ingly bringing the private sector to the table.

Assessment questions:
1.Who are the stakeholders in this case study? Any missing?
2.What are the strengths and weakness of the Mekong Basin water management strategy as used here?
3.Suggest how the water management process for the Mekong River basin can be improved.
 Activity
Case 2: Tana River Basin, Kenya (Source: CapNet, 2008)
In Kenya the Tana Water Resources Management Authority under the Ministry of Water and Irriga­tion is responsible for the
implementation of IWRM in the Tana River basin. However, responsibility for pollution control comes under the National
Environ­ment Management Authority and soil conservation is the mandate of the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Coordination between the different water resources management functions is made through the basin stakeholder forum, the
Tana Catchment Area Adviso­ry Committee.

Assessment questions:
1.Who are the stakeholders in this case study? Any missing?
2.What are the strengths and weakness of the Tana River basin water management approach used here?
3.Suggest how the water management process for the Tana River basin can be improved.

Case 3: Sungai Lar River Basin, Malaysia (Source: CapNet, 2008)

In Malaysia the Selangor Waters Management Au­thority (SWMA) under the Selangor State Govern­ment has been given the
powers to protect, regulate and manage the water resources in the Sungai Lan­gat River Basin. SWMA is responsible for
licensing and enforcing of water allocation and also oversees the monitoring of water abstraction. However, basin planning
is the responsibility of the Ministry of Nat­ural Resources and Environment under the Federal Government, supervised by a
steering committee in which SWMA is represented.

Assessment questions:
1.Who are the stakeholders in this case study? Any missing?
2.What are the strengths and weakness of the Sungai Langat River basin water management plan as used here?
3.Suggest how the water management process for the Sungai Langat River basin can be improved.
 Lesson Journal: IWRM Case Studies

Case Study 1

Case Study 2

Case Study 3

Summary &
Conclusion
 IWRM

Implementing Integrated Water Resources Management

SDG Indicator 6.5.1

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 Recall: Achieving SDG 6
• SDG 6 aims to “ensure availability and sustainable
management of water and sanitation for all”.
• Achieving this goal requires adaptive water governance
to address the intertwined aspirations of the SDGs, and
to accelerate current progress.
 SDGs & IWRM

• Integrated Water Resources

Management (IWRM) provides
a holistic framework for
addressing demands and
pressures on water resources,
across sectors and at different
scales
• IWRM provides a framework to
ensure that water resources
are developed, managed and
used equitably, sustainably and
efficiently
 IWRM
Integrated Water Resources
Management (IWRM) is:
 a systematic process
 for the sustainable development,
allocation and monitoring of water
resource use
 within the context of social, economic
and environmental objectives.
 IWRM
• IWRM “promotes the coordinated development
and management of water and related
resources for equitable social and economic
development without compromising the
sustainability of vital ecosystems” (Global
Water Partnership, 2000).
• IWRM:
 is a holistic approach to water use and man­
agement.
 is a systemic and sustainable approach to water
resources man­agement that takes into consideration
the limited nature of water resources and the effects
of neg­ative impacts on this resource.
 emphasizes ecosystem sustainability, social
equity and economic efficiency.
Dublin Statement on Water
Idea of IWRM emerged
from the Dublin
Statement on Water and
Sustainable Development
 adopted on January 31 in
1992 in Dublin, Ireland
 during the International
Conference on Water and
the Environment.
 came up with four
guiding principles, which
form the basis of IWRM
Key Principles of IWRM
Principle 1:
Freshwater is a finite and vulnerable resource,
essential to sustain life, development and the
environment.
• Water resources are dependent on constant recharge
from the water cycle
• The water cycle is in turn interlinked with and
dependent on the maintenance of natural cycles in the
ecosystem, which are vital for rainwater distribution.
• Disruption of the water cycle, such as through
ecosystem damage, pollution or excessive abstraction of
water resources, affects the replenishment and
availability of good quality water resources in a
catchment area.
• It is critical to integrate the management of water
resources and the environment in a catchment area in
order to balance water resource use and availability.
Principle 2:
Water development and management should be based on
a participatory approach, involving users, planners and
policy-makers at all levels.
• Dialogue, cooperation and collaboration between water
users is important for ensuring water quality and
equitable distribution of water resources as well as for
decision-making on the development of water resource
infrastructure.
• The involvement and consideration of the needs of
women, youth, the poor and marginalized people is
critical in IWRM processes.
• It is also important to build necessary capacity among
all stakeholders, particularly among community
members at the grassroots level, on IWRM concepts,
principles, processes and practices.
Principle 3:
Women play a central part in the provision, management
and safeguarding of water.

• Women, particularly in rural communities, are

important providers of water for consumption and
water-related health and sanitation in the home.
• Women are also key users and safe-guarders of
water resources in a catchment area.
• Women provide water for domestic needs and are
affected by water scarcity and poor water quality.
• In line with SDG 5 (Gender Equality) participation
by women in water resources management is
essential to prevent gendered discrimination
against them.
Principle 4:
Water has an economic value in all its competing uses and
should be recognized as an economic good.

• Water is usually perceived as a free good, yet there

are costs involved in providing safe water for
human use.
• The full value of water resources needs to be
realized as it encourages sustainable use and
protection.
• After having ensured basic human requirements,
water should then be allocated and priced in
accordance with its highest economic value.
• This requires the provision of good quality water at
an affordable price and recover costs for water
services
 The Pillars of IWRM

IWRM generally consists of:

• An enabling environment of policies laws
and plans
• Institutional arrangements for cross-sectoral
and multilevel coordination, and
stakeholder involvement
• Management instruments such as data
collection and assessments and instruments
for water allocation that facilitate better
decisions
The Pillars of IWRM
 Agenda 21 & IWRM
The concept of IWRM was further elaborated in Chapter 18 of
Agenda 21: Programme of Action for Sustainable
Development of the Rio Declaration. It states that:
Integrated water resources management is based on the
perception of water as an integral part of the ecosystem, a
natural resource and a social and economic good, whose quantity
and quality determine the nature of its utilization. To this end
water resources have to be protected, taking into account the
functioning of aquatic ecosystems and perenniality of the
resource, in order to satisfy and reconcile needs for water in
human activities. In developing and using water resources,
priority has to be given to the satisfaction of basic needs and the
safeguarding of ecosystems. (United Nations, 1992)
•It further emphasizes that IWRM should be a dynamic,
interactive, iterative and multi-sectoral approach to water
resources management that should be carried out at
different levels.
•Overall, IWRM is a flexible approach that can be adapted to
diverse local, national and regional watershed contexts.
 The IWRM Approach

• The IWRM approach combines the aspects of

 Integration;
 sustainable water use;
 and inter-sectoral stakeholder participation,
in the use and management of water
resources in a basin or sub-basin.
• IWRM uses the basin as the basic water
management unit.
 Integration
IWRM acknowledges:
•the importance of the entire water cycle (natural aspects
and processes)
•the diverse interests of all water users across the different
sectors of society.
•the uneven distribution of water resources across different
socio-economic sectors of society, and the need for equitable
decision-making processes as well as equitable use and
affordable pricing of water resources.
•the holistic integration of these different objectives
(ecological, socio-economic, cultural, …) in decision making
•the need to work together, multi-sectoral coordination and
an understanding of the water resource needs of all
stakeholders in order to be effective.
Sustainable use of water resources
• The challenge of water resources management is
balancing use of water resources for human
activities and the protection/conservation of
water resources
• Water resources should therefore be used wisely
for social and economic development, with due
consideration for sustainability of the water
resource base and the environment for future
generations.
• An integrated approach to water resources
management enables stakeholders to identify
and analyse unsustainable development activities
and design of sustainable water resources
management systems that integrate human
needs and environmental concerns
 Stakeholder participation
• Water is a socio-economic requirement for
everybody.
• Decision-making processes on water resources
management therefore require the
representation and participation of all relevant
stakeholders.
• A participatory approach helps to control and
enhance integration, while enabling the
decision-making process to be more
transparent and inclusive.
• Stakeholder identification and mobilization is
therefore a cornerstone of IWRM.
 The Benefits of IWRM
Ecological
• Allocation of water resource to ecosystems to sustain
terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity
• Maintenance of the flow of the natural water cycle and
other natural nutrient cycles
• Role of ecosystem in erosion regulation
• Role of ecosystems in recharge of underground and
surface water resources
• Role of ecosystems in water purification and pollution
Role of ecosystems in flood regulation
• Role of ecosystems in climate regulation
• Role of ecosystems in air quality regulation
Social & Economic
• Efficient and equitable supply of water for
industry and agriculture
• Water recycling, reuse and waste reduction
• Sustainable sanitation (minimization of pollution
and waste reduction)
• Efficient irrigation systems
• Fishing and other natural resources for economic
activities
• Provision of quality water for human
consumption, health and sanitation needs
• Transportation of waste by water
Political, Cultural & Spiritual
• Natural and cultural heritage: water resources
and ecosystems for recreation, tourism and
sports
• Conservation of sacred sites and rare species
• Democratic processes to ensure equitable
participation and distribution of water rights and
responsibilities
• Inclusion of women in water resources planning
and decision-making
• Stakeholder cooperation and collaboration in
water resource development, use and
management
Solutions to the Global Water Crisis

• GlobeScan survey on experts, on addressing water

shortages over the next 10 years produced 19
consensus solutions.
• The varied solutions revealed the complexity of
coping with water scarcity.
1. Educate to change consumption
and lifestyles
 Education to acquire new behaviors and
major overhaul of all forms of
consumption, from individuals to large
corporations.
 The problem first has to be understood
worldwide.
2. Invent new water conservation
technologies
 Innovation is needed to cope with freshwater
scarcity
 Need to develop conservation technologies not
only in terms of water use but also in terms of
energy use
 Examples include advanced leak detection systems
and smart irrigation tools
3. Recycle wastewater
 Developing advanced technology for recycling
water will drastically improve the situation.
 Singapore cleanses wastewater for other uses,
including drinking.
 In HK the Government has developed pilot
schemes to explore possible uses - cleaning roads
and vehicles, irrigating parks and flushing toilets
4. Improve irrigation and agricultural
practices
 More intelligent approaches to water management
by deploying precision irrigation systems,
computer algorithms and modelling.
 These approaches come with new instrumentation
and analytical technologies that need a change in
mindset
 This emphasizes the importance of measuring and
forecasting.
5. Appropriately price water

 Water pricing and rights go hand in hand, with

consumers questioning the benefit of higher
prices.
 According to OECD experts, raising prices will
help lower waste and pollution
6. Develop energy efficient
desalination plants
 Desalination holds much promise for the future though
it is still extremely energy-intensive
 Reverse osmosis consumes around 4 kilowatt hours of energy
for every cubic metre of water.
 Middle Eastern countries are capitalizing on their large
energy reserves to build desalination plants.
 Saudi Arabia could be fostering a new kind of
desalination with its recent announcement to use solar-
powered plants.
7. Improve water catchment and
harvesting
 Water catchment systems are essential for areas
with no other reliable water sources.
 Rainwater harvesting can help mitigate the
adverse effects of rising water scarcity
 These efforts provide independent control of
water resources.
8. Community-based governance and
partnerships
 Community organizations elevate the
experiences of those whose voices merit more
influence.
 Ensuring more effective governance at the
grassroots-level can lead to effective policy
changes on a national scale.
9. Develop and enact better policies
and regulations

 Governments need to redefine their roles.

 Most people agree it is up to governments
to ensure communities have access to clean
water.
10.Holistically manage ecosystems

 Holistic management applies to a practical,

common-sense approach that takes into account
economic, cultural, and ecological goals.
 A good example involves operating a sewage
treatment plant while pursuing partnerships with
clean energy producers to use wastewater to
fertilize algae and other biofuel crops.
11.Others
 Improve distribution infrastructure
 Shrink corporate water footprints
 Build international frameworks and institutional
cooperation
 Address pollution
 Public common resources / equitable access
 R&D / Innovation
 Water projects in developing countries / transfer of
technology
 Climate change mitigation
 Population growth control
 Nature-based Solutions for Water
NBS use or mimic natural processes to
•enhance water availability (e.g., soil moisture
retention, groundwater recharge),
•improve water quality (e.g., natural and constructed
wetlands, riparian buffer strips), and
•reduce risks associated with water‐related disasters and
climate change (e.g., floodplain restoration, green roofs).
 Example

A Unique Water System

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 And finally!
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