The objective of this questin is to explore all possible water management approaches, available in the scientific literature. There are several water management approaches that I can think of: integrated water resources management, adaptive water management, ecosystem based approach, water-energy-food nexus, socio-hydrology. Do you suggest any other important approaches in the field of water management? I appreciate your response.
Various names have been given to approaches and water management tools to the point of overlap and confusion at times of what is included or excluded from each approach. Building a dam, introducing beavers, capturing rainfall from home roofs, etc. Various laws and political approaches through time, such as Crown Law, riparian rights, prior appropriation, etc. Certainly less attention has been given to groundwater than surface water management. Land use and water yield studies have at times been popular to help determine effects of forest, grassland, urbanization, etc. Hydrologic modifications such as channelization, drainage, inter basin water transfer, etc. have also been locally popular at various times in history. Instream flow methodologies to address aquatic habitats. However, seldom has there been compressive attempts to address the potential issues of scale, ownership, value, political, economic and cultural dependence and importance that may be present. Water Management is mostly controlled by the laws and regulations of each country, partly based on common law. Beyond that, water management if present is based within states, communities, land ownerships, and sometimes cooperative agreements. Water data Is often critical to help determine water availability and help identify scarcity or conservation issues. Some cultures have been very resourceful in developing and using water for local benefit, such as Machu Picchu on a mountain top, and moving water from scarcity to areas of need or for storage. Various authors have coined names from their point of view or approach which may fit circumstances or aid in communication. Because the circumstances are so varied across the world, best management practices and water management planning is unlikely to be the same for each situation, culture, community, ownership, habitat, etc. Developing water management plans, much like urban, forest, agricultural or other land and plans has much to consider, and perhaps these various named approaches fit, or may aid communication, and perhaps not. I would assume there are some unidentifiable or unnamed approaches and tools that will be developed or modified, compromised, etc. to address specific circumstances. Important is the continuing need of watershed management assessment and planning as one of the basic elements of life and at times forces of nature.
As it has been pointed out...there is the need to show more concern and develop or adapt approaches fe groundwater. In tropical countries, groundwater is over exploited and the density of boreholes within a small area is alarming. Approached or management issues geared towards addressing such should also be developed.
I remember reading that the water security paradigm provides the end and that the IWRM paradigm provides the means. I really agree with that. Then, as William mentioned, there is a lot of overlap and confusion among the different water resource management/planning approaches that exist, not because they pertain to different paradigms, but because they try to address the same issue of water security from different angles and propose different analysis schemes and conclusions that can be hard to reconcile. For instance, a socio-hydrologist might emphasize the demographic or economic aspects of water use in a watershed whereas an ecosystem-services scientist might insist on the protection of upstream forests. In the end, we all aim at IWRM, but the path is very context specific (e.g. climate, GDP, state of water laws...).
Mostly water management practices are demand- supply and conservation based. But with the commodification of water this paradigm is shifting. Now it is about time we include water market dynamics in water management practices. Ownership of water has become dependent on the purchasing power of the individual which further shapes their consumption practices. Water purchasing power can include the physical purchase of water, purchase of land with the groundwater source and investment in technology for obtaining it, purchase of rainwater harvesting methods infrastructure.
Water management practices should be more entitlement based.
We can divide water management as:
1. Management at source - This can include integrated watershed management for conservation of water.
2. Management at distribution level - This can include entitlement approach. Every individual irrespective of economic and social status is entitled to receive safe water for consumption.
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