INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IWRM)

1 Marilyn Crichlow

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Importance of Managing Water

What are Water Resources

Water Facts

Water Resources in Trinidad and Tobago

Competing Water Demands

Hydrological Cycle

What is Integrated Water Resources Management(IWRM)?

IWRM a paradigm shift

Why IWRM?

Interdependency and need for IWRM

Table of Contents

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Fundamentals of IWRM

Issues in IWRM

The Thirteen Key IWRM Change Areas

Process in Water Management

Stakeholder Responsibilities

Table of Contents

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Water Management is fundamental for sustainable development.

Water Management affects inter alia sanitation, health, poverty

alleviation, disaster reduction, ecosystem conservation.

Water Management impacts the growing vulnerability that is induced

by population changes, climate changes and variability, socio-economic

issues and environmental degradation, which can result in increasing

the frequency and severity of extreme events, including droughts and

floods.

Importance of Managing Water

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What are Water Resources?

• Rain

• Surface water

• Groundwater

• Desalination

• Water reuse

Water Facts

Global water availability

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70 % Unavailable

(frozen)

30 % Available Fresh

water 3%

29% groundwater 1% surface water

97 % salt water

Water Facts

The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.

About 3.575 million people die each year from water related diseases.

More than 80% of sewage in developing countries is discharged untreated, polluting rivers, lakes and coastal areas.

Conserving water helps not only to

preserve irreplaceable natural

resources, but also to reduce the

strain on urban wastewater management systems.

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Surface water 60%

Groundwater 28%

Desalination 12%

Water Resources in Trinidad and Tobago

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Unaccounted for water 41%

Domestic 37%

Major Industry 16%

Minor Industry 3%

Agriculture 3%

Competing Water Demands in Trinidad in 2000

The same water that

existed on Earth billions

of years ago still exists

today.

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Hydrological Cycle

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Hydrological Cycle

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A process which promotes the coordinated development and

management of water, land and related resources in order to

maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an

equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of

vital ecosystems.

What is Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)?

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IWRM Paradigm Shift

The multiple goals and objectives are cross-cutting so that

IWRM departs from the traditional sectoral approach.

The spatial focus is on the river basin instead of on single

water courses.

It incorporates participatory decision-making among all

stakeholders (i.e., inclusion versus exclusion) instead of

narrow professional and political boundaries

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Why IWRM

Water is a limited(finite) and vulnerable resource that is essential

for economic growth and environmental and social well-being.

Water affects everyone, therefore managing this precious resource

requires balancing the interests of the many different user groups

and individuals to resolve conflicts.

Promoting coordinated water resources management in a basin for

all stakeholders will bring enormous benefits to society, the basin,

and to individual stakeholders.

Effective water resources management is inextricably linked to

proper landuse planning and management.

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Why IWRM

In the context of small island developing states, it should not be

separated from coastal area management.

The freshwater resources are under increasing pressure by the

same actions that we undertake for development.

Water is in crisis and many persons lack access to adequate water

supply and sanitation because of inadequate or improper practices

rather than water shortages.

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Interdependency and Need for IWRM

Example:

High irrigation demands and river pollution from agriculture

reduce the amount of available freshwater for drinking or

industrial use;

contaminated municipal and industrial wastewater pollutes

rivers and threatens ecosystems; and leaving river water

untapped to protect fisheries and ecosystems means that less

can be diverted to grow crops.

IWRM recognizes this interdependency of water uses.

Source: Cap-Net 2006

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Fundamentals of IWRM

• Public education and awareness

• Public participation

• Holistic, cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approach

• Political will

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Issues in IWRM

• Water Supply

• Water Resources Assessment and Management

• Water Abstraction and Allocation

• Stormwater Management

• Water Quality Management

• Watershed Protection and Management

• Land Use Planning and Management

• Water Use Conflict

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Issues in IWRM

• Wastewater Management

• Water Reuse

• Drought and Flood Management

• Coastal Zone Management

• Water Security

• Climate Change

• Water Pricing

• Public Education and Awareness

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The Thirteen Key IWRM Change Areas

THE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT 1. Policies – setting goals for water use, protection and

conservation.

2. Legislative framework – the rules to enforce to achieve policies and goals.

3. Financing and incentives structures – allocating financial resources to meet water needs.

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The Thirteen Key IWRM Change Areas

INSTITUTIONAL ROLES

4. Creating an organizational framework – forms and functions

5. Institutional capacity building – developing human resources

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The Thirteen Key IWRM Change Areas

MANAGEMENT INSTRUMENTS

6. Water resources assessments – understanding resources and needs

7. Plans for IWRM – combining development options, resources use and human interaction

8. Demand management – using water more efficiently

9. Social change instruments – encouraging a water oriented civil society

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The Thirteen Key IWRM Change Areas

MANAGEMENT INSTRUMENTS

10. Conflict resolution – managing disputes, ensuring sharing of water

11. Regulatory instruments – allocation and water use limits

12. Economic instruments – using value and prices for efficiency and equity

13. Information management and exchange – improving knowledge for better water management

Process in Water Management

Assessment

Protection

Allocation

Abstraction

Water supply (potable and non-potable)

Water use efficiency and conservation

Wastewater Management

Quantity and quality

Watershed and land use management

Determination of quantity uses

Volume within sustainable yield

Treatment, transmission and distribution

Demand management, technology, efficient use

Collection, treatment, reuse/disposal 27

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Stakeholder Responsibilities

• Water Resources Agency

- Water Resources Strategy and Master Plan

- Water Resources Assessment

- Allocation Plan

- Establishment of Water Resources Policy

- Water Resources Protection and Conservation Plan

- Water Resources Stakeholder Coordination

- National Water Resources Information Management

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Stakeholder Responsibilities

• Water and Sewerage Authority

- Water Supply and Wastewater Policies and Plans

- Water use efficiency and Conservation Plan

• Meteorological Office (MET)

- Climatic Forecasting

• Ministry of Planning

- Land use plan and management

- Regulating land development and zoning

- National Physical Development Plan

• Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA)

- Coastal Zone Management Plan

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Stakeholder Responsibilities

• Environmental Management Authority - Standards and guidelines for Environmental quality - Environmental Impact Assessment and CEC - Environmental compliance and policing of the environment

• Ministry of Health

- Public Health Monitoring Plan

- Setting Standards for water quality

• Ministry of Energy & Energy Industries

- Petroleum Exploration, Production and related downstream activities Water Use Plan

- Mineral Extraction Plan (Quarrying)

• Drainage Division

- Storm water management and flood infrastructure

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Stakeholder Responsibilities

• Ministry of Agriculture

- Irrigation Management Plan

- Agriculture water use efficiency plan

- Soil Conservation Plan

• Forestry

- Watershed Management Plan

• Organization of Disaster Preparedness Management (ODPM)

- Emergency management Plan for flooding

• Solid Waste Management Company

- Solid Waste Management Plan

• Bureau of Standards

- Standards and Guidelines

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Development and Water Management

• Water Supply

• Wastewater

• Water Resources

• Erosion and Sedimentation

• Percentage Impervious Area

• Stormwater and Drainage

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Development and Water Management

• Flooding and Floodplains

• Effluent Discharge

• Water Use Efficiency

• Compliance

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