Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.
...
Since the Brundtland report of 1987, sustainable development has become the
subject of discussions and debates throughout the world. While the world “sus-
tainability” can mean different things to different people, all would agree that it
includes a consideration of the future. The Brundtland Commission was concerned
about how our actions today will affect “the ability of future generations to meet
their needs.” Now, the question arises “what will those needs be?” We today can
only guess as to what they may be. We can also argue over whether or not it is appro-
priate to try to meet present or future needs if they overstress the system designed
to meet them. Another question arises, “over what time and space scales should we
do it?” How do we allocate over time and space our renewable resources, i.e., the
waters that exist in many deep groundwater aquifers that are not being replenished
by nature? To preserve nonrenewable resources now for the use of our descendants
in the future, in the interests of sustainability, would imply that those resources
should never be consumed as long as there is a future. If permanent preservation
seems unreasonable, then how much of a nonrenewable resource might be con-
sumed, and when? It raises the question, “does everything need to be sustained?” If
not, just what should? And over what spatial and temporal scales should sustainabil-
ity considerations apply? Obviously we do enhance the welfare of future generations
by preserving or enhancing the current state of our natural environmental resources
and ecological systems. The debate over the definition of sustainability is among
those who differ over just what should be sustainable and how to achieve it.
Sustainable water resource systems are those designed and managed to fully contribute
to the objectives of society, now and in the future, while maintaining their ecological,
environmental, and hydrological integrity.
Sustainable water resource systems are those designed and operated in ways that
make them more adaptive, robust, and resilient to the changes in the natural system
due to geo-morphological process, changes in the engineered components due to
aging and improved technology, changes in the demands or desires due to a chang-
ing society, and even changes in the supply of water, possibly due to a changing
climate. In the face of changes and uncertain impacts, an evolving and adaptive strat-
egy is a necessary condition of sustainable water resources management. Adaptive
management is a process of adjusting management actions and directions, as appro-
priate, in light of new information on the current and likely future condition of our
total environment and on our progress toward meeting our goals and objectives.
Sustainable issues are not new issues, nor is sustainability a new concept. Yet
the current interest in sustainable water resources management clearly comes from
a realization that some of the activities that we are performing today on this earth,
could cause irreversible damage of the ecosystem. This damage may have adverse
effect not only our own lives but also the lives of those who follow us.
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