Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is a process, intended to coordinate actions across multiple sectors involving a range of stakeholders at local, national and international levels. This chapter presents the overarching principles of IWRM and the steps for basin management. Effectively incorporating meaningful stakeholder involvement and gender perspective is critical to the success of IWRM. Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) is a sub-set of IWRM and involves the implementation of IWRM at the basin level through River Basin Organisations. IWRM rests on organisational, institutional and individual capacity.

Chapter Summary

This chapter covers the following content and material:

• An introduction to IWRM
• Steps Involved in IWRM
• An overview of IWRM in SADC
• Principles and critical components of River Basin Management
• Strategies for incorporating Stakeholder Involvement and enhancing the role of women in IWRM
• The important role of Capacity development within the basin.

The Lower-Orange River.

Source:DRFN 2008

( click to enlarge )