Community-Based Water Law and Water Resource Management Reform in Developing Countries

Operationalizing integrated water resource management (IWRM) often involves decentralization of water management via community-based management (CBM). While attention has been given to the components leading to successful CBM, less is known about what factors motivate people's willingness to participate (WTP) in such programs. This study analyzed factors that influence household WTP in CBM in a transboundary watershed located where El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras converge – the Trifinio Region. Several variables were hypothesized to influence WTP: sense of community (SOC), dependence on water resources, level of concern for water resources, and socio-economic characteristics. In 2014, quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 62 households in five communities. Most respondents reported high levels of WTP in future CBM initiatives, and multivariate regression analysis revealed that SOC was the most important predictor of WTP, with wealth and perceptions of watershed management also statistically significant. Qualitative analyses revealed water availability was more concerning than water quality, and perceptions of inequitable access to water is an important constraint to developing CBM strategies. Taken together, these results suggest that enhancing SOC and relationships between local and regional levels of governance prior to establishing community-based projects would facilitate more success in implementing IWRM.

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Scope/need of soft path water resource management in developing countries

Water Science & Technology Water Supply ◽

10.2166/ws.2007.109 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 7 (5-6) ◽

pp. 185-192 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

M.T. Amin ◽

M. Han

Keyword(s):

Water Management ◽

Developing Countries ◽

Resource Management ◽

Water Resource ◽

Water Resource Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Rainwater Harvesting ◽

Small Scale ◽

Efficient Technology ◽

Environmentally Sound

The goal of this paper is to identify the major outlines of innovative, integrated and decentralized water management practices, training, research, and development needs in various aspects of soft path water resource management in developing countries of Asia. The decentralized water strategies including science, regulations, training, government policies, and funding for some of the developing countries in Asian region are reviewed. There are two primary ways or paths of meeting water-related needs; one the “hard” path, and the other “soft” path that complements mainly decentralized and open decision-making, application of efficient technology, and environmental protection. One of the soft path decentralized solution being implemented in many developing countries of Asia is small scale rainwater harvesting and management and both government and non-government sectors are promoting the practice on a regional community and family basis. Overall, the paper aims to contribute to the ongoing development of environmentally sound and economically viable approaches to water management in the developing world.

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Philosophical Reflections on Chinese Water Resource Management

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.580-583.1856 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 580-583 ◽

pp. 1856-1859

Author(s):

Ying Fei Liu ◽

Ben Qing Ruan ◽

Cong Cong Xie

Keyword(s):

Resource Management ◽

Water Resources ◽

Water Resource ◽

Water Resources Management ◽

Water Resource Management ◽

Management Reform ◽

Resources Management ◽

Management Philosophy ◽

Management Modes ◽

The Ancient Chinese

Water is crucial to production, and is the foundation of ecology. Building a reasonable management system for water resources is necessary and important, and it’s an inevitable requirement of our strategy of sustainable development. In the management of behavior, philosophical base determines the behavior trends. With the development of socio-economic development, the strategy of water resources management has changed a lot in China. In this paper, the problems caused by improper water resources management modes and by overly governing by people are discussed and a series of water management reform proposals are developed on the bases of the ancient Chinese management philosophy. The paper then gets the conclusion that the water resource management reform is actually following the management path from “governing by people” to “governing by nature”.

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