IAHS Publication no. 272 (published December 2001) in the IAHS Series of Proceedings and Reports
ISBN 1-901502-71-6; 442 + xiv pp.; price £65.00
Over the last two decades the way in which we manage water and related natural resources in different regions of the world has changed fundamentally. The organizational models that have worked well for over a hundred years no longer exist, yet the models that will replace them are still in the process of being defined; we are in a period of major transition. This volume is an outcome of the International Symposium on Integrated Water Resources Management (held at Davis, California, April 2000), which aimed to provide additional insight in the current thinking, and a forum for exchange of experience.
The 61 papers demonstrate that there is a need for much better coordination and planning based on a strong knowledge base. Small independent experiments need to be replaced by strategic programmes with well-defined targets and objectives, backed by technical expertise, good management and relevant research at all scales. One of the most exciting developments is the growing commitment from a wide range of stakeholders to a new framework for water resources management based on the principle of integrated watershed management, described in general terms as "a form of coordinated management of land and water resources within a region, with the objectives of preventing land degradation, protecting the quality of the freshwater resource, protecting biodiversity, and continuing sustainable use, within a context which includes genuine community/government partnerships and recognition of socio-economic objectives".
However, based on the lessons of the last two decades, integrated watershed management as a process must mature significantly in order to make real progress: (a) there must be a much stronger scientific base for complex water resource management projects; (b) considerable improvement is required in our capacity to predict the results of our actions; (c) continuous monitoring and evaluation is a necessary condition for reaching adaptive solutions; and (d) the process must be well informed and inclusive.