Introduction to IWRM

D. Thalmeinerova
based upon GWP ToolBox resources
 Local, Regional, National, Fluvial, Global
Ancient Community

1200 A.D. Basic management

of water quantity

Sectoral management
1900 of water quantity and quality
institutional fragmentation
spatial fragmentation
local co-ordination
1990s Integrated multifunctional use
river basin as unit
institutionalised cooperation
Multi-level Comprehensive Governance
Future
Before we start….
• The basis of IWRM is that different uses of water are
interdependent

• Integrated management means that all the different uses of

water resources are considered together
WATER CYCLE
Driving forces on water resources
• Population growth: demands for more water and producing more waste
water and pollution
•
R E
Urbanization: migration from rural to urban areas which increases the
S A
S S U E
current level of difficulty in water delivery and waste water treatment
I
O W IN G
•
F O L
Economic growth: mainly in developing countries with large populations
L O B ?
H E R J
contributes to increased demand for economic activities
F T O U
O Y
WHICH N TOPICS IN
• Globalization of trade: production is relocated to “labor-cheap” areas that

M A I
takes place without consideration for water resources
TH E
• Climate variability: more intense floods and droughts increase vulnerability
of people
• Climate change: increase uncertainty about water cycle regimes
IWRM concept is
• an empirical concept which is built up from the on-the-ground experience
of practitioners,
• a flexible approach to water management that can adapt to diverse national
and local contexts,
• thus
• it is not a scientific theory that needs to be proved or disproved by scholars.

• and (but)
• it requires policy-makers to make judgments about which reforms and
measures, management tools and institutional arrangements are most
appropriate in a particular cultural, social, political, economic and
environmental context.
IWRM definition

IWRM is a process which promotes the

coordinated development and
management of water, land and related
resources, in order to maximize the
resultant economic and social welfare
in an equitable manner without
compromising the sustainability of vital
ecosystems.

GWP, TEC Background Paper No. 4:

Integrated Water Resources
Management
IWRM:
What does it really mean?
• More coordinated development and management of:
– Land and water
– Surface water and ground water
– Upstream and downstream interests

Discussion questions:
Who should propose measures to protect against floods?
Who should bear a cost to implement measures to mitigate
floods?
Key water resources management functions

• Water allocation
• Pollution control
• Monitoring
• Financial management
• Flood and drought management IWRM
• Information management
• Basin planning
• Stakeholder participation
Manage water resources within a basin
• What about international basins?
• What about large distances within a basin (with disparate communities and
institutions)?
• How to manage a basin that has no monitoring network?
• How to manage a basin where water supply and demand fluctuate both
intra-seasonally and inter-annually?
• How to manage a basin where authorities have a little access to financial,
transport and technological capabilities?
Three pillars of IWRM
• Implementing IWRM process is a question of getting the
“three pillars” right:

1. Moving towards enabling environment of appropriate policies, strategies and

legislation

2. Putting in place the institutional framework (through which policies can be

implemented)

3. Setting up the management instruments required by these institutions to do

their job
 CHANGE AREAS

CHANGES ARE MADE TO SEEK

Economic Environmental
Social Equity
Efficiency Sustainability

TO REACH
SUSTAINABILITY
 Managing competing uses
Cross-sectoral integration

• Enabling
environment
Water for Water for Water for Water for
•Institutions people food nature other
• Management uses
instruments
Integrating across levels and sectors

Energy
National Fisheries Agriculture

Basin Envir Water

onme Finance
nt
Local Tourism Industry
IWRM PRINCIPLES
• Fresh water is a finite and vulnerable resource, essential to sustain
life, development and the environment.
• Water development and management should be based on a
participatory approach, involving users, planners and policymakers
at all levels.
• Women play a central part in the provision, management and safe-
guarding of water.
• Water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should
be recognized as an economic good as well as social good.

Dublin, 1992
IWRM Principles
• Fresh water is a finite and vulnerable resource, essential to sustain
life, development and the environment.
Respecting the basin
IWRM Principles
• Water development and management should be based on a
participatory approach, involving users, planners and policymakers
at all levels.
Difficult to ensure “active involvement”

50 decision
200 work
2 000 participation
200 000 information
2 500 000 population
i t?
ake
m
to
w
Ho
Pitfalls in putting IWRM into practice
Trying to establish management relations between too many
variables risks getting mired in complexity at the expense of
effectiveness.

When putting IWRM into

practice it’s important to
think strategically about
where and to what degree
coordination and new
management instruments
are necessary.
IWRM Principles

• Women play a central part in

the provision, management
and safe-guarding of water
 Source: The Economist

IWRM Principles

• Water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be
recognized as an economic good as well as social good

– Water is becoming scarcer and its value rising

– Recognition that costs should be borne by those who benefit
Arguments for treating water as an Arguments for treating water as a
economic good: human right:
• Market-based approach will • Ensures water for all
ensure that people are better • Helps set priorities of water policy
stewards of water resources
• Encourages conservation • Focuses attention on resolving
• water conflict
Improves quality
• Helps allocate water to maximize • Helps safeguard other human
benefits rights
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.
Traditional
versus IWRM
approaches
…in order to understand better “integrated” approach…
• Traditional approach • Integrated approach

– One sector – Multi sectors

– Limited institutions involved – Various institutions involved

– Decision making at one sector – “collective” decision making

– Specific issues addressed – Complex issues addressed

– Specific interests solved – Overriding interests solved

– Sectoral allocation of funds – National allocation of funds

In order to understand better “integrated” approach
Traditional approach: Integrated approach:
• Hydrological/hydraulic • How will new investment be
– What is expected yield of the agreed upon?
catchment? • How can local management
• Engineering structures balance competing
uses?
– How much water leaks from
• How will stakeholders negotiate
the system?
water rights in different conditions
– How can leakage be reduced? of water availability (scarcity)?
• Management • How will consumers respond to
– What is the economic level of periodic water shortages or to
leakage? increasing environmental
concerns?
Lessons learnt
Risks of fully sectoral approach
 Overlooking negative impacts on
Inte environment and other sectors
gr a
d te
app  Inefficient use of resources—natural
roa
h c and financial

Se
a pp c to r al
roa
ch
Risks of fully integrated approach
Getting mired in complexity.
r a l
Not making good use of e cto ac
S ro
p
specialist expertise. ap h

r a te
te g
In d
a ch
p ro
ap
Finding a balance
Each country needs
to decide where
integration makes
Integrate sense based on its
Sectoral
d social, political and approac
approac hydrological situation. h
h
The nature of IWRM: Lessons from IWRM in practice
How water is developed and managed must reflect country
priorities (including environmental standards) and governance
approaches.

Water management will not be

successful if it is set up as a
stand-alone system of
governance and administration,
separate to the rest of
government.
 Examples: IWRM is linked to
key development issues
Key development issue How IWRM helps Example
Securing food production Assists the efficient production of FAO round table (2003, Rome)
food crops in irrigated agreed that all African
agriculture countries should improve
efficiency in irrigated
agriculture for food production
by adopting IWRM approach

Reducing health risks Better management of water UNECE Protocol on Water and
quality Health (2007) requires to set
health targets. Progress
towards IWRM has been
chosen as an indicator for
improved water management

Freshwater and coastal water IWRM recognizes freshwater and Integrated Coastal Area and River
coastal zone as a continuum Basin Management (ICARM)
is endorsed by GWP as a basic
concept for the GEF projects
portfolio
Key development issue How IWRM helps Example

Mitigating disaster risks Assists disaster WMO adopted IFM

preparedness approach within the
framework of IWRM in
2000

Planning transboundary Assists water management ECOWAS adopted the

cooperation of shared basins West African Regional
Action Plan for IWRM
in 2000. The IWRM is a
framework for
transboundary Niger,
Volta and Senegal rivers

Adapting to climate change Assist appropriate planning IPCC emphasizes IWRM

of water use with better approach that is based
resilience on the concepts of
flexibility and
adaptability
Summary about IWRM: what we have learnt
• IWRM is linked to sustainable development
• IWRM is not a one-size-fits-all prescription and cannot be applied as a
checklist of actions
• IWRM is not a prescription but an iterative process and an adaptive
approach
• IWRM implementation must reflect country priorities
• Water management will not be successful if it is set up as a stand-alone
system of governance
• IWRM includes both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ components
Lessons from IWRM in practice
IWRM is a means not an end. None of the successful case studies
analysed set out to achieve IWRM. Rather they set out to solve
particular water-related problems or achieve development goals by
looking at water holistically within larger physical and development
contexts. Equity
Sustainability
Efficiency
IWRM