Water Resources Management - Practices of Irrigation and On-farm Water Management - page 172

in each water use area, but the willingness and ability to address these issues in
a coordinated way is affected by the governance structure of water. Recognizing
the interrelated nature of different sources of water and also the impacts of the dif-
ferent water uses is a major step to the introduction of integrated water resources
management.

Box 5.3 IWRM Issues in Bangladesh

IWRM issues in Bangladesh are as follows:

(a) Systematic consideration of the various dimensions of water

- surface water
- groundwater
- rainfall
- quantity and quality
(b) Interaction between water, land, and environmental encompassing such as

- floodplain management

- erosion control

- preservation of wetland and fish habitat

- irrigation and drainage

- recreational use of water

- nonpoint source of pollution

(c) Interrelationship between water and social and economic development

Resolution of the many issues in the management of water resources calls for action
on several fronts - technical, economic, social, legal, educational, and, not least,
political. Under the existing conditions of institutional and legislative framework in
most of the countries worldwide, implementing IWRM is likely to require reform
at most of the stages in the planning and management cycle. An overall plan is
required to envisage how the transformation can be achieved, and this is likely to
begin with a new water policy to reflect the principles of sustainable management
of water resources. To put the policy into practice is likely to require the reform
of water law and water institutions. The institutional arrangements are needed to
enable the following:

- The functioning of a consortium of stakeholders involved in decision making, with
representation of all sections of society, and a good gender balance
- Organizational structures at basin and sun-basin levels to enable decision making
at the lowest appropriate level