Water Resource Management

There has been a fundamental change in our understanding of water resource management and problems. The conventional view has stressed the scientific and technical nature of problems and the need for engineering or science based solutions. While there is no question that science has a major role to play, it is important to recognize that water problems exist because of institutional limitations and not just because of inadequate technical capacity or scientific understanding.

Water Resource Management redresses the imbalance in existing literature. Firstly it examines current policy and practice in a number of key areas of water management such as public water supply, pollution, flood hazards, irrigation and power production. This enables the reader to reflect on the current state of water resource management relative to the ideas of sustainable development. Secondly, the book engages the reader in a critical examination of alternative approaches to management, such as integrated water management, participation, and adaptive management, which may facilitate a transition to sustainability.

Drawing on a host of examples from the developed and developing world, this book provides an accurate assessment of current policies and practices and illustrates a range of innovative strategies and instruments that could be used to promote sustainable water management.