Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Four basic challenges to achieving the goals of integrated water resource
management were identified in Chapter one: 1) Better use of existing
resources; 2) Ecosystem and environmental quality; 3) Uncertainty about
the future and implications for water security; 4) Conflict due to inequitable
distribution of costs and benefits about water allocation. We argue that these
challenges can be addressed in a logically set out water resource planning
process, in a context of appropriate enabling governance and policy, and we
describe guidelines for doing so. We suggest there are advantages to applying
these guidelines to transboundary arrangements as well as within state cases,
to provide a common focus for collaborating parties. We are concerned that
while most agreements describe collaboration processes, many focus on water
quality and do not include clauses or much detail about water allocation,
yet perceived inequity of distribution is often a basis for conflict between
upstream and downstream users.
A prerequisite and overarching first guideline for good water resource
planning is legislation and policy that establishes
Integrated and participatory
governance for water resource planning and management
. These institutional
arrangements should ensure an appropriate scale for planning, equitable
sharing of benefits and responsibilities, and multi-level commitment to
cooperation among agencies, community engagement, transparency, and
accountability.
Another guideline is having sufficient
knowledge
of the resource and its
use on which to base decision-making. Adequate data on inputs, outputs,
behaviour of the water resource and estimated futures based on demands and
uncertainties are the foundation that enables understanding of the social,
cultural and economic relationship with the resource. There needs to be
understanding of the benefits associated with water supply, non-consumption,
and Indigenous and disadvantaged people as well as the relationship between
these benefits and the characteristics of the water resource. In addition
to scientific assessments, partnerships with the community can assist in
filling information gaps based on experiential knowledge of hydrologic and
ecosystem behaviour, as well as socio-economic information. This is normally
compiled during the
situational analysis
stage early in a planning process, with
information added as identified knowledge gaps are addressed, or supple-
mented later when monitoring progresses.
Getting agreement among parties about desired
outcomes and objectives
can provide common goals that can be used to keep discussions focused,
for example particular local economic, social and environmental benefits.
While these are frequently established early in the process, often based on
legislation and government policy, it is important that there is transparency
around whether they can be achieved, or rather, need to be adjusted to be
more realistic. The logical relationships between the broader benefits (and
beneficiaries) set out in objectives and water resource characteristics should be
clearly described so that the expected results of water resource management
can be clearly understood by planners and the community.
