Integrated Water Resources Management Essay Example

human health and livelihoods. Many less developed countries, and some developed countries, are now finding that supply-side solutions alone are not adequate to address the ever increasing demands from demographic, economic and climatic pressures; waste-water treatment, water recycling and demand management measures are being introduced to counter the hallenges of inadequate supply.

Stages in IWRM planning and implementation In addition to problems of water quantity there are also problems of water quality. Pollution of water sources is posing major problems for water users as well as for maintaining natural ecosystems. In many regions the availability of water in both quantity and quality is being severely affected by climate variability and climate change, with more or less precipitation in different regions and more extreme weather events.

In many regions, too, demand is increasing as a result of population growth and other demographic changes (in particular urbanization) and agricultural and industrial expansion following changes in consumption and production patterns. As a result some regions are now in a perpetual state of demand outstripping supply and in many more regions that is the case at critical times of the year or in years of low water availability. Sources: Status Report on Integrated Water Resources Management and Water Efficiency Plans. UN-Water. 2008 Roadmapping for Advancing Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Processes.