Global Perspectives on Integrated Water Resource Management

The basic concepts of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and the normative, strategic, and operative dimensions of the process are explained in simple, unbiased terms in this guide. Twelve case studies illustrate the scale and scope of river basin organization in different parts of the world—from local projects such as the Gagas River Basin to larger, transboundary basin work on the Mekong and the Rhine. Environmental considerations, institutional arrangements, and implementation processes are also highlighted to increase understanding of these concepts within the context of IWRM.

Vasudha Pangare is a board member of the World Water Institute and the director of Oikos, a multidisciplinary consulting firm which specializes in the fields of rural development and natural resource management. She is also the editor of Water Perspectives and a former member of the Steering Committee of Gender and Water Alliance. Ganesh Pangare is a water management expert for the World Water Institute. He is a fellow of the Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) International Program and the Ashoka Innovators for the Public Program, as well as a member of the National Civil Society Committee on Interlinking of Rivers in India and an advisor to the Water Portfolio of Acumen Fund. Viraj Shah works at the World Water Institute. B. R. Neupane is the regional program specialist for Water Resources and Hydrology for South and Central Asia and works with the regional office of the United National Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). P. Somasekhar Rao is a rural development specialist and a national professional officer of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.