The last few weeks I’ve been focused on—perhaps even indulging in—water resource management on the international stage. And while my blogs have been full of keywords and catchphrases like “megacities” and “water wars”, I’ve yet to discuss the real human toll associated with water resource mismanagement. And while we are all very much aware of the toll compromised water supplies can have on the health and welfare of underserved communities, knowing what the problem is doesn’t necessarily lead to an easy solution.
In fact, within the last month several different international agencies have begun calling for a more internationally integrated approach to water resource management. In a press release dated 08/31/10, Julia Bucknall, water sector manager for the World Bank stated, “We can't properly tackle global priorities of food security, renewable energy, adaptation to climate change, public health, and urbanization unless we manage water better.” That same day, the World Bank issued a report [read report...] reiterating the need a more integrated approach to worldwide water management.
Along those same lines, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) released a report [read report...] stating that a “key action” to protect vulnerable communities from shortages and contamination involves a diversified approach that goes beyond the typical “dam and control” approach to targeted, long-range storage solutions. These solutions include everything from groundwater recharge to tanks and small-scale reservoirs. In a statement, Matthew McCartney, lead author of the IWMI report, explained the appeal of this multilayered approach: “Just as modern consumers diversify their financial holdings to reduce risk, smallholder farmers need a wide array of ‘water accounts’ to provide a buffer against climate change impacts. That way, if one water source goes dry, they'll have others to fall back on.”
And using an example that exists in our own backyard, the 7th Annual IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition—being held this week in Montreal, Canada (September 19–24th) will include a forum focusing on the Great Lakes district. An integral part of that forum will include a discussion on the recently signed Great Lakes Compact and the example it sets for integrated international water resource management. (For more on the Great Lakes Compact, check out an excellent article that appeared in the January/February 2009 issue of Water Efficiency, available online at www.waterefficiency.net.
And finally, the UK-based international development charity Progressio recently published a report calling for a more internationally minded approach to water use and resource management in the UK. Focusing on how demand in the UK for products and services impacts water use, quality and, consumption in the developing world, the report calls for “A global standard to tackle unsustainable water management in developing countries is urgently needed to help protect some of the world’s poorest communities from increased water insecurity.”
So what do you think? With our balance of local and national rules and regulations, does the call for integrated water resource management appeal to you at even its most rudimentary level? What would “integrated international water resource management” look like in North America, and is some variation of it already in place? Is it enough to depend upon the enforcement of riparian rights and the organic controls of the free market, or should we be aiming for a more standard structure?