In recent years, Integrated Water-Resources Management (IWRM) has captured the attention of policymakers and policy analysts. A lot has been written, most often in a disparate way about institutions for IWRM. However, there has been limited success in bridging disciplinary boundaries (social versus physical sciences) with the result that conceptual inconsistencies persist with regard to our understanding of institutions for IWRM. This paper reviews IWMI research on IWRM in Asia and highlights drawbacks in contemporary approaches to the study of institutions for IWRM in river basins. The paper then outlines key features of an alternative analytical framework. In doing so, it discusses certain novel features of the alternative approach: emphasis on transparent policy processes of State parastatals, modes of water-service provisioning and conditions for collective action in the management of common-pool resources in river basins and its implications for sustainable rural livelihoods.

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has in recent years captured the attention of policy makers and policy analysts. A lot has been written on this topic, most often disparately, about institutions for IWRM. However, there has been limited success in bridging disciplinaryboundaries (social versus physical sciences) with the result that conceptual inconsistencies persist with regard to our understanding of institutions for IWRM. This paper outlines key features of an analytical framework for the institutional analysis of IWRM in river basins. Thenovelties of the analytical approach include emphasis on transparent policy processes of state parastatals, modes of water-service provisioning and conditions for collective action in the management of common pool resources in river basins and its implications for sustainable rurallivelihoods. The paper then discusses certain methodological concerns with regard to the operationalizing of various elements of the analytical framework. In particular, the paper discusses issues related to defining the scope of analysis, scale of water use and management and collective action for the management of common pool resources in a river basin. The paper also discusses the process by which the comparative analysis of IWRM may be undertaken by highlighting the importance of problem specification, hypothesis generation and methods of data collection.

Presents a framework for institutional analysis, focusing on the three main pillars of institutions - laws, policies and administration. The report provides a brief set of guidelines, supported by an outline of some issues, constraints and prospects for institutional change.

This book reviews the concept, contemporary research efforts and the implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The IWRM concept was established as an international guiding water management paradigm in the early 1990ies and has become a vital approach to solving the problems associated with the topic of water. The book summarizes fourteen comprehensive IWRM research projects with worldwide coverage and analyses their motivations, settings, approaches and implementation of results. Aiming to be an up-to-date interdisciplinary scientific reference, this book provides a comprehensive theoretical and empirical analysis of contemporary IWRM research, examples of science based implementations and a synthesis of the lessons learnt. It concludes with some major future challenges, the solving of which will further strengthen the IWRM concept.

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has become a global paradigm for the governance of surface, coastal and groundwaters. This Special Issue contains twelve articles related to the transfer of IWRM policy principles. The articles explore three dimensions of transfer—causes, processes, outcomes—and offer a theoretically inspiring, methodologically rich and geographically diverse engagement with IWRM policy transfer around the globe. As such, they can also productively inform a future research agenda on the ‘dimensional’ aspects of IWRM governance. Regarding the causes, the contributions apply, criticise, extend or revise existing approaches to policy transfer in a water governance context, asking why countries adopt IWRM principles and what mechanisms are in place to understand the adoption of these principles in regional or national contexts. When it comes to processes, articles in this Special Issue unpack the process of policy transfer and implementation and explore how IWRM principles travel across borders, levels and scales. Finally, this set of papers looks into the outcomes of IWRM policy transfer and asks what impact IWRM principles, once implemented, gave on domestic water governance, water quality and water supply, and how effective IWRM is at addressing critical water issues in specific countries.

The world is facing severe and growing challenges in maintainig water quality and meeting the rapidly growing demand for water resources. In addition, water used for irrigation, the largest use of water in most developing countries, will likely have to be diverted increasingly to meet the needs of urban areas and industry whilst remaining a prime engine of agricultural growth. Finally, environmental and other in-stream water demands become more important as economies develop. The river basin has been acknowledged to be the appropriate unit of analysis to address these chanllenges facing water resources management: and modeling at this scale can provide essential information for policy makers in their decisions on allication of resources. This paper reviews the state of the art of modeling approaches to integrated water resources management at the river basin scale, with particular focus on the potential of coupled economic hydrologic models, and concludes with directions for future modeling exercises.

This book presents case studies that share important experiences regarding Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) in various countries. Following an introduction to theoretical concepts, responsibilities, and challenges, the subsequent chapters address, among other topics, an analysis of policies and regulations for water management in Brazil, the drivers that led California to adapt to the IWRM framework, and the international regulations for water markets and water banking in Australia and Chile. The implications of climate change for water resource systems in Mexico are discussed, as well as management strategies from California that could potentially serve as IWRM adaptation schemes in Mexico. Critical cases from Guanacaste (Costa Rica), and from Zayandehrud River Basin and Lake Urmia (Iran) are reviewed in terms of management practices and solutions. The book also provides an overview of the current availability and use of water resources in South Korea, and discusses the management of and international water law instruments for transboundary groundwater in Africa.

This open access textbook provides a concise introduction to economic approaches and mathematical methods for the study of water allocation and distribution problems. Written in an accessible and straightforward style, it discusses and analyzes central issues in integrated water resource management, water tariffs, water markets, and transboundary water management. By illustrating the interplay between the hydrological cycle and the rules and institutions that govern today’s water allocation policies, the authors develop a modern perspective on water management. Moreover, the book presents an in-depth assessment of the political and ethical dimensions of water management and its institutional embeddedness, by discussing distribution issues and issues of the enforceability of human rights in managing water resources. Given its scope, the book will appeal to advanced undergraduate and graduate students of economics and engineering, as well as practitioners in the water sector, seeking a deeper understanding of economic approaches to the study of water management.

Income / Environmental degradation / Domestic water / Food security / Watersheds / Decentralization / Institutions