Trends in integrated water resources management research: a literature review

Water Policy ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 628-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordi Gallego-Ayala
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Water Resources Management ◽  
Stakeholder Participation ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Integrated Water Resources Management ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Development And Management

The integrated water resources management (IWRM) paradigm has emerged as the main guiding framework for water resources development and management. Since the IWRM approach started to gain prominence with the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Summit and the Dublin Conference, developing and developed countries worldwide have adopted and transposed the tools and principles embodied in this holistic approach into their national policies as well as their regulatory and institutional frameworks. The scientific community has performed extensive studies within the IWRM field. In fact, there is a growing literature analysing multi-dimensional functions to pursue an IWRM approach in water resources management. The main objective of this study is to perform a literature review of the scientific knowledge in the IWRM field published between the years 2000 and 2011. A total of 353 papers published in scientific journals were carefully reviewed and extracted from the ISI Web of Science database. The main results show that: (a) the dominant research topics in IWRM analysis focus on its institutional framework, on equitable water allocation (sustainable management of water resources), and on IWRM implementation and stakeholder participation; and (b) the leading countries in scientific research into IWRM are Germany, the USA and South Africa.

scholarly journals Twinning European and South Asian river basins to enhance capacity and implement adaptive integrated water resources management approaches – results from the EC-project BRAHMATWINN

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.-A. Flügel
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Resources Management ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Integrated Water Resources Management ◽  
River Basins ◽  
Danube River ◽  
Climate Modelling ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
Governance Analysis ◽  
Management Approaches

Abstract. The EC-project BRAHMATWINN was carrying out a harmonised integrated water resources management (IWRM) approach as addressed by the European Water Initiative (EWI) in headwater river systems of alpine mountain massifs of the twinning Upper Danube River Basin (UDRB) and the Upper Brahmaputra River Basins (UBRB) in Europe and Southeast Asia respectively. Social and natural scientists in cooperation with water law experts and local stakeholders produced the project outcomes presented in Chapter 2 till Chapter 10 of this publication. BRAHMATWINN applied a holistic approach towards IWRM comprising climate modelling, socio-economic and governance analysis and concepts together with methods and integrated tools of applied Geoinformatics. A detailed description of the deliverables produced by the BRAHMATWINN project is published on the project homepage http://www.brahmatwinn.uni-jena.de.

scholarly journals Problems and Options of Integrated Water Resources Management in Nigeria: Administrative Constraints and Policy Strategies

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 12-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.O. Nwankwoala
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Water Resources Management ◽  
Integrated Water Resources Management ◽  
Water Resources Development ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
Sustainable Water Supply ◽  
Management Approaches ◽  
Development And Management ◽  
Resources Development

Nigeria has greater challenges when it comes to water development and management. The current water resources development and supply status is unacceptably low and needs a major transformation. With the rapid growth in population, urbanization, industrialization and competition for economic development, water resource has become vulnerable to depletion and degradation. Management of this valuable resource is determined by its acceptability and utilization in terms of quantity and quality. Due to imbalance between demand and availability, management approaches are facing various ethical dilemas. This paper therefore considers the water supply and sanitation situation in the country and the challenges facing the sector. The paper calls for institutional reforms and review of policy targets, define key elements for the development of action and investment plans as well as provide some guidelines in order to minimize duplication and maximize effectiveness. The paper also suggested strategies and viable framework/agenda for sustainable water supply and emphasizes that the machinery of water resources development and management needs an urgent overhauling with the aim of streamlining the overlapping functions of the various agencies that have operated the system up till now. More importantly, the paper suggested integrated approaches/strategies for sustainable management as well as offers relevant policy recommendations for water resources management in Nigeria.

scholarly journals Integrated Water Resources Management as a System Approach for Water Security: Evidence from the Awash River Basin of Ethiopia

1970 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-82
Author(s):  
Reta Hailu ◽  
Degefa Tolossa ◽  
Getnet Alemu
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Resources Management ◽  
System Approach ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Integrated Water Resources Management ◽  
System Thinking ◽  
Equity Issues ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Development And Management

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is one of the systems thinking approaches that emerged in the 1990s to achieve water security. Ever since, it has been applied in various countries and contexts. However, the implementation of the IWRM is contested. There is paucity of literature and guidelines as to how the concept can be operationalized. In Ethiopia, there is no evidence that IWRM is successfully instituted. The study generated data from household and expert surveys, in-depth interviews, focused group discussions, observations, workshops, and secondary sources. We found that pragmatic water resources management through system approach helps to resolve the problem of fragmentations among various actors, sectors, interest, and priorities. It also enables the operationalization of IWRM as a system approach to secure water resources through strengthening of the interactions of various systems, subsystems, and the elements within the entire basin system. In addition, it is important to facilitate institutional environments such as overcoming financial constraints, considering the scarcity value of water resources and equity issues, as well as ensuring progressiveness of water institutions to emerging circumstances. To this end, strengthening water resources information systems, recognizing and balancing water as economic and public goods, creating awareness among key stakeholders, encouraging the engagement of private sectors in water resources development and management should be considered as mediums of realizing IWRM.Keywords:  IWRM; system thinking; water security; Awash basin; Ethiopia

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