Integrated Water Management

• Integrated water management is a new paradigm of water management espoused by various countries in the wake of the Dublin Statement on Water and Sustainable Development and the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development of 1992 for overcoming challenges related to the global water crisis and water security
  Definition

  Integration of multiple river basins for management as a single organism to maximize the efficiency, fairness, and sustainability of management and the synergy between said management features

  Concept

  Agreement is induced among stakeholders to achieve sustainability and efficient and fair use of water(cooperative water culture)

  • In 2002, at the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD), integrated water management was included as a key element for achieving sustainable development.
  • In 2009, at the 5th World Water Forum, integrated water management guidelines were announced (UNESCO).
• The UN-Water Annual Report 2012 indicates that over 68% of all countries was in the process of adopting integrated water management. The UN-Water Annual Report 2018 indicates that most countries had formed the foundation necessary for integrated water management and were transitioning to the execution stage
  EU Each member country formed a master plan for water management and the foundation for integrated water management starting in 1950; adoption of an EU water management framework integrating the water management of the 27 member countries began in 2000

  Australia The Murray-Darling Basin Agreement integrated the water management policies and programs of Australia's six federal and state governments; the Murray-Darling Basin Authority was installed in 2008 to perform integrated water management at federal government level

  US States have formed roadmaps for integrated management of river basins

  California(2002), Oregon(2009-2012), Washington(2009-2011), and more

  Japan The Framework Act on Water Circulation was formed in 2014, and the Master Plan for Water Circulation was announced in 2015. There are seven major policies for integrated water management in place.

  Major policies

  1. River basin cooperation
  2. Retention and cultivation
  3. Effective use of water
  4. Education
  5. Private organization activities
  6. International cooperation and solidarity
  7. Development of human resources