Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Our approach
Many recent topics on water management focus on specific themes such
as climate change or environmental assessment; are location-specific (e.g.
Australia or EU based); or are edited texts consisting of contributed articles.
Various agencies have prepared guidelines or manuals (DEFRA 2006) for
similar processes but in many cases they are not sufficiently detailed or topic-
relevant to provide guidance for water planning. This topic aims to fill a
gap by providing water planners and policy analysts with detailed, practical
guidance on water resource planning, supported by the evidence they need
to convince others of ways to address the problem. Importantly this topic
will fill in the gaps for professionals in interdisciplinary teams including
sociologists, hydrologists, engineers, ecologists, and community consultation
or conflict specialists, by providing a basic grounding in areas outside their
usual expertise, including environmental and social impact assessment,
consultation, and risk-based approaches.
Many community stakeholders have considerable experience in the water
business and act as representatives of natural resource management, conser-
vation, industry (farmers, irrigators) groups, or local government bodies. This
topic will provide ammunition in their quest to ensure that water planning
outcomes are justified and justifiable. Thus it can be used as a reference,
academic resource, or in short training or university courses in water resource
planning. The topic should be useful in advanced courses in natural resource
management, regional and infrastructure planning, and engineering.
This topic is distinctive in applying IWRM through the lens of a water
planning framework based on the elements of the planning cycle, to take
a systematic approach to the entire water planning process. We include
case studies to improve understanding of the context, practical tools and
implementation techniques for achieving sustainable outcomes. Regulatory
mechanisms, scenario development based on data, risk assessment, community
engagement, and social assessment are discussed.
While to a large extent these practices have broader application, we focus
on planning for allocation (or sharing) of water resources, with the aim of
achieving sustainable use of water resources, particularly in cases where
there is competition for the available water, or 'wicked problems' in water
allocation.
Water planning is greatly affected by the legal, institutional and political
context in which it occurs. Much has been written on preferred prerequisites
for water resource planning. The UN World Water Development Report 3
(UNEP 2009) states that important conditions for implementing IWRM
include political will and commitment; well-defined, flexible and enforceable
legal frameworks and regulation; adequate investment, financial stability and
sustainable cost recovery; and participation and coordination mechanisms.
While we touch on these matters, our focus is on the process for water
