Regional Management
of Water Resources

IAHS Publication no. 268 (published July 2001) in the IAHS Series of Proceedings and Reports
ISBN 1-901502-51-1; 288 + viii pp.; price £ 47.75

Effective and better integrated water resources management at the regional scale is needed more than ever to complement the increasing demand on water resources. Water scarcity, in terms of quantity and quality, increasingly causes serious problems for drinking water supply and food production, especially in arid and semiarid areas. But not only is demand rising, the paradigms of water management are shifting in increasing recognition of the importance of ecosystem functions in providing the life support system for the planet.

These challenges call for innovation among the scientific community. This volume, comprising 34 papers presented at a symposium at the Sixth IAHS Scientific Assembly (Maastricht, July 2001), embraces a holistic and comprehensive approach to water management and addresses the issues in three parts:

Lessons learned from past management practices The planned effects of water management are not always realized. Often, practical water management is influenced by external forces in a way not foreseen during the planning period. The case studies presented demonstrate the need for permanent monitoring of water management systems to enable reaction to unforeseen developments and assess the effectiveness of the management practices. Monitoring can also provide a more comprehensive view of economic, ecological and social impacts of water management systems. Several examples of adaptation of water management facilities to changing conditions are described.

Sustainable regional water management for conflicting interests There is mounting public expectation for healthy rivers and wetlands; environmental degradation is becoming less tolerable. The examples of conflicting interests include those between ecology and economy, between competing water users and between competing usages of water at different stages of the hydrological cycle. It becomes obvious that a more holistic approach is needed in water management and that administrative and disciplinary boundaries limit our ability to react in a sustainable way. The extension of these boundaries seems to be an urgent challenge of the near future.

Tools for water resources management The focus is on methodological developments in modelling at different scales, and applications of different types of models addressing open questions in npractical water management