FOREWORD

FOREWORD
Water issues touch all segments of society and all economic sectors.
Population growth, rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, the
expansion of agriculture and tourism, and climate change all put water
under increasing stress. Given this growing pressure it is critical that this
vital resource is properly managed.
The pressure on water resources highlights the hydrological, social, economic and
ecological inter-dependencies in river, lake and aquifer basins. These inter-
dependencies demand more integrated approaches to developing and managing water
and land resources. There is a dynamic relationship between basin stakeholders and
central governments, who have to work together to ensure the viability of their decisions
in meeting sustainable development goals.

To address the multi-faceted nature of water management, many countries are now
introducing an integrated approach to water resources management at the national and
basin level. This includes improving institutional arrangements and working practices.

To support this process, the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and the International
Network of Basin Organizations (INBO) have jointly produced this handbook to provide
guidance for improving the governance of freshwater resources. In particular, the focus
is on effective implementation of the integrated water resources management (IWRM)
approach in lake, river and aquifer basins.

This handbook is written primarily for basin managers and government officials who
need to take decisions related to water management. Together, they have to put in place
management systems that will mitigate the impacts of natural hazards, supply water for
productive purposes (agriculture, industry, energy, transport, tourism, fishing, etc.),
supply water for social purposes (health and domestic services) and protect the
environment. They must, therefore, manage conflicts on water resource issues between
many different users. The handbook is also aimed at non-governmental actors who are
involved in basin activities. It provides guidance for integrated water resources
management that can be applied in basins regardless of the context (developed or
developing countries, humid or arid conditions) or the current state of water governance.

In particular, the handbook:

articulates the links between challenges and IWRM responses;

suggests ways of setting up or modernising basin organisations to facilitate
the adoption of the IWRM approach; and
is practical and user-friendly with many examples of experiences in river,
lake and aquifer management.

We hope this handbook will help to catalyse positive change for sustainable
development. It is one outcome of the collaboration between the GWP and INBO
networks to facilitate the adoption of better and more sustainable water resources
management. We expect the handbook to be a dynamic document, updated frequently
with best practices in water management for basins from all over the globe.

Letitia A. Obeng László Kóthay

www.gwpforum.org www.inbo-news.org

A HANDBOOK FOR INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN BASINS

6 www.inbo-news.org | www.gwpforum.org