Managing water


  • Managing water resources
  • Developing water management
  • Implementing water resources management

Context

Water is essential to the processes of society. Water resource management must not only try to ensure sufficient quantities of water but also acceptable water quality and accessibility. Water management authorities may be overwhelmed and/or mismanage water resources and services. These stem from rapid population growth and the dramatic increase in per capita water consumption as a result of modern development. About 1,000 million people still lack an adequate water supply, and about 1,700 million people do not have adequate sanitation facilities. The quality of the service as well as the water can often be poor. These are problems particularly plaguing developing countries. Agricultural irrigation, in particular, may be mismanaged. It accounts for about 73% of all water withdrawals, but roughly half of this amount is not used by crops. One reason for such inefficiencies is that agricultural water is also significantly cheaper for the user than other water applications are to their users. Such practices need to be reduced by improving water resource management, and in order to ensure sustainable water resource use.

When a recent drought dangerously reduced available water, California set up a voluntary water bank that purchased water from farmers and sold it to urban areas. The farmers made a profit by selling water for more than it was worth to them, while the cities got water at a cost well below that of other sources of supply. In the 1960s the government of the USA concluded that sixteen dams and more than US$ 400 million were required to meet the water needs of Washington DC. Environmental pressure forced plans to be reconsidered. The number of dams was reduced to one at a total cost of US$ 30 million. The key changes were a revised plan for managing demand during droughts and more efficient operating rules. Also in the USA, manufacturing industry freshwater withdrawals are estimated to be 62% less in 2000 than in 1977, primarily because of the increased costs industries have to pay for disposing of industrial wastewater.

The city of Jakarta, Indonesia, has had success in reducing overpumping of its aquifers by registering groundwater users and introducing a groundwater levy. In Sao Paolo, Brazil, three industrial plants reduced their water demand by between 42 and 62% as a result of the imposition of effluent charges.

UNESCO's programme includes the following: evaluating the impacts of global and regional climate changes on water resources; improving scientific understanding of water-related issues and sustainable water resource management in the humid tropics; strengthening member states' capabilities in the preparation of water-resource master plans.

Implementation

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities. Agenda 21 recommends protecting the quality and supply of freshwater resources through application of integrated approaches to the development, management and use of water resources.

Narrower

  1. Using hydropower
  2. Using a participatory approach to water management
  3. Undertaking long-term capacity building measures for improved water management
  4. Strengthening water management structure
  5. Sharing international water resources
  6. Researching contribution of forests to sustainable water resource management
  7. Protecting aquatic ecosystems
  8. Measuring water use
  9. Managing water supplies
  10. Managing wastewater
  11. Managing groundwater
  12. Legislating water use
  13. Involving local people in water management
  14. Increasing water control
  15. Increasing integrated management of water resources
  16. Increasing cooperation within and among water management agencies
  17. Increasing combined use of surface and groundwater
  18. Improving policies to promote investment in urban water management
  19. Improving management practices to minimize impact of agrochemicals on water resources
  20. Improving land and water management by farmers in arid regions
  21. Improving international exchange of information on water management technology
  22. Improving career development programmes for land and water management staff
  23. Identifying national needs for water resource management
  24. Harmonizing national water management strategies and action programmes at the regional level
  25. Expanding water and soil management research for irrigated and rain-fed areas
  26. Ensuring water security
  27. Ensuring water resources
  28. Encouraging rational water use
  29. Developing appropriate water management technology
  30. Developing analytical models for water management
  31. Decentralizing water management
  32. Constructing bunds
  33. Assessing water quality
  34. Assessing impact of climate change on water resources

Facilitated by

  1. Undertaking flood management
  2. Transferring new water techniques to developing countries
  3. Training in water management
  4. Testing economic instruments for charging water users
  5. Strengthening water management agencies
  6. Sharing water resource management knowledge
  7. Recognizing water as an essential resource
  8. Providing public information for water users
  9. Preparing investment programmes for integrated water management
  10. Integrating water resources management in national development plans
  11. Integrating management of water quality and quantity
  12. Integrating freshwater supply measures with conservation programmes
  13. Increasing use of new technology in water investment strategy
  14. Increasing public information in water resource planning
  15. Improving coordination of international agencies on water management
  16. Improving career structures in water resources management
  17. Expanding staff for water management
  18. Expanding public participation in water resources planning
  19. Expanding international research cooperation on freshwater resources
  20. Establishing independent monitoring bodies for freshwater resources
  21. Ensuring optimal operation of existing water projects in water investment strategy
  22. Developing water resources
  23. Developing alternative sources of water supply
  24. Creating geographic information systems
  25. Conserving water
  26. Applying membrane technology

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