Integrated water resources management : A systems perspective of water governance and hydrological conditions

The implementation of principles for water governance is widely accepted but challenging for the whole water sector of a developing country like Zambia, because of the legal and administrative changes and organizational requirements involved. In February 2010, a revised water policy for Zambia was approved by the Cabinet. The revised National Water Policy 2010 aims to improve water resources management by establishing institutional coordination and by defining roles as well as responsibilities for various ministries. Taking into account the previous political and administration changes, this paper points out the problems and challenges of the implementation of good water governance mechanisms in Zambia. Focusing on the Kafue River Basin, from which water is abstracted for a variety of conflicting purposes (like municipal supplies, industrial use, mining, irrigation of agricultural land, fishery activities, wetland reserves and hydropower production), the gaps in implementing good water governance and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Zambia are identified, as well as the factors causing these gaps in the Zambian water sector. The paper finishes with a overview of the opportunities given by the new water policy through Water User Associations (WUAs) at a local level.

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Mutual Learning and Policy Transfer in Integrated Water Resources Management: A Research Agenda

Water ◽

10.3390/w12010072 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 72 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Oliver Fritsch ◽

David Benson

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Resources Management ◽

Water Governance ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

Policy Transfer ◽

Future Research ◽

The European Union ◽

Special Issue ◽

Resources Management ◽

Mutual Learning

Integrated water resources management (IWRM) has become a global paradigm for the governance of surface, coastal and groundwater. International bodies such as the European Union, the Global Water Partnership, and the United Nations have taken the lead to promote IWRM principles, while countries worldwide have undertaken reforms to implement these principles and to restructure their domestic or regional water governance arrangements. However, the international transfer of IWRM principles raises a number of theoretical, empirical and normative questions related to its causes, processes and outcomes. These questions will be explored in our Special Issue ‘Governing IWRM: Mutual Learning and Policy Transfer’. This editorial briefly introduces IWRM and links this governance paradigm to theoretical and empirical scholarship on policy transfer. We then summarise the aims and objectives of this Special Issue, provide an overview of the articles brought together here and offer avenues for future research.

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Monitoring Water Resources Governance Progress Globally: Experiences from Monitoring SDG Indicator 6.5.1 on Integrated Water Resources Management Implementation

Water ◽

10.3390/w10121744 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1744 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Maija Bertule ◽

Paul Glennie ◽

Peter Koefoed Bjørnsen ◽

Gareth James Lloyd ◽

Marianne Kjellen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Resources Management ◽

Sustainable Development Goals ◽

Water Governance ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Resources Management ◽

Environmental Objectives ◽

Governance Practices ◽

Development Goals

Improved water resources governance supports important social, economic, and environmental objectives. The 2030 Agenda recognizes improved water governance to be critical for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and commits to monitor the progress of implementation of integrated water resources management (IWRM). This paper critically reviews the approach to monitoring SDG indicator 6.5.1 on implementation of IWRM. Firstly, the paper places the indicator monitoring within the context of other initiatives to measure water governance. Secondly, it analyzes experiences of application of the SDG indicator 6.5.1 methodology to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the indicator and presents the key findings of the 2017/2018 global baseline assessment of IWRM implementation. Baseline reporting shows that degree of IWRM implementation globally is 49%, though country scores range from 10 to 100%. Disaggregating the data by country and by aspect of water resources governance provides a diagnostic tool to identify areas of high and low progress, and, therefore, where increased resources and attention are required. The article concludes by suggesting how the next iteration of SDG indicator 6.5.1 monitoring cycle can be made into a tool for advancing the IWRM implementation and improved governance practices on the ground. It also proposes how the methodology can be strengthened to address current limitations, including aspects relating to integrity, accountability and transparency.

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Integrated Water Resources Management: A Comparative Laboratory for Water Governance

International Journal of Water Governance ◽

10.7564/13-ijwg14 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 177-196 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Mark Lubell ◽

Jurian Edelenbos

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Resources Management ◽

Water Governance ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

Resources Management

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Sustainable water financing and lean cost approaches as essentials for integrated water resources management and water governance: lessons learnt from the Southern African context

Water Science & Technology Water Supply ◽

10.2166/ws.2018.099 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 536-544 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jens Hilbig ◽

Karl-Ulrich Rudolph

Keyword(s):

Water Management ◽

Water Resources ◽

Water Resources Management ◽

Water Governance ◽

Great Influence ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

Successful Implementation ◽

Resources Management ◽

Environmentally Sustainable ◽

Scarce Water

Abstract The deterioration of water quality, stressed water resources and increasing water demand are among the most serious concerns in Africa and worldwide. At the same time, there is a lack of efficient and sustainable water management. This is a major challenge for future water governance policies and processes. Economic aspects play a key role for the successful implementation of integrated water resources management (IWRM) measures. Financing mechanisms are of great influence regarding how water and wastewater facilities are designed, built and operated and how these facilities contribute to an efficient long-term management of scarce water resources. Research projects in Southern Africa have shown the need of water management efficiency and the essential role of sustainable water finance for an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable management of these resources.

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A review of the design and implementation of Ghana's National Water Policy (2007)

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2021.042 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Josephine Frimpong ◽

Ronald Adamtey ◽

Anders Branth Pedersen ◽

Esther Wahaga ◽

Anne Jensen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Resources Management ◽

Water Policy ◽

Water Governance ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

Legal Framework ◽

Institutional Capacity ◽

Resources Management ◽

Governance Practices ◽

National Water

Abstract Access to water is a matter of daily survival for people around the world. Water is crucial for human survival and also central to the development of every nation. The recent literature on world water suggests that the water crisis being experienced is related to governance and not a real crisis of scarcity and stress. This paper aims at identifying water governance practices and the challenges associated with water governance in Ghana. The paper reviews the literature on the implementation of policy directives and actions with specific focus on water resources governance aspects of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Ghana. Ghana's National Water Policy is expected to turn the fortunes of the country around in terms of water resources management. Concerning water resources management, the policy advocates for an IWRM approach. Since its implementation, certain setbacks have been challenging the effectiveness of the policy, such as inadequate institutional capacity, inadequate funding, ineffective enforcement of existing regulations, inadequate legal framework, and lack of adequate data. The paper suggests, among other things, the building of both human and institutional capacity, and making the environment a government priority, as ways to contribute to the effective implementation of the National Water Policy.

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Integrated Water Resources Management

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199335084.013.2 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Mark Lubell ◽

Carolina Balazs

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Resources Management ◽

Water Governance ◽

Institutional Arrangement ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

Adaptive Governance ◽

Resources Management ◽

Political Processes ◽

The Core ◽

Definition Of

Integrated water resources management (IWRM) has become a globally recognized approach to water governance. However, the definition of IWRM remains abstract, and implementation challenges remain. This chapter analyzes IWRM from the perspective of adaptive governance, which conceptualizes IWRM as an institutional arrangement that seeks to solve collective-action problems associated with water resources and adapt over time in response to social and environmental change. Adaptive governance synthesizes several strands of literature to identify the core social processes of water governance: cooperation, learning, and resource distribution. This chapter reviews the existing research on these ideas and presents frontier research questions that require continued investigation to understand how IWRM contributes to the sustainability and resilience of water governance. It argues that an adaptive governance lens allows movement beyond the contentious normative debate surrounding the appropriate definition of IWRM to analyze the core social and political processes driving its decision-making processes.

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