Share: managing water across boundaries

Abstract

International rivers provide an estimated 60% of the world’s freshwater flows There are some 260 international river basins in the world. They cover nearly half of the Earth’s surface and are home to 40% of the world’s population. Growing water demands will force nations to develop these shared resources Growing populations and growing economies call for more and more water. Increasingly, countries will need to turn to these shared resources to meet demands for drinking water, agriculture, energy and industrial production-raising risks of conflict, overutilization and further ecosystem degradation. Basins, rather than boundaries, define the best scope for water management Integrated water resource management strategies – processes that promote the coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources at the river basin level – are widely accepted as the most sustainable, efficient and equitable. All basins have boundaries, and all can benefit from cooperation Boundaries exist between nations, municipalities, and even between user groups within a village. From the international to the local level, there will be competing demands for water resources. These demands are best assessed and addressed holistically.