Water Resource Management

Abstract: People from different backgrounds seldom have the same idea about what water resources management implies. To those living in an arid country, it means drought relief, irrigation, food, jobs, law, and politics. Generally, there is an emphasis on groundwater. Rivers are normally dry, or experience flash floods after torrential rains (wadis or ephemeral streams). To those people living in humid areas, the emphasis is more on surface water. They are particularly concerned with waterworks, flood protection, navigation, hydropower, treatment plants, etc. Also, people from different professional backgrounds tend to view water resources management differently. To the water engineer, water resources management is related to dams, reservoirs, flood protection, diversions, canals, water treatment, and land reclamation. To the ecologist, water resources management is often connected with the deterioration of ecosystems, land degradation, pollution, and destruction of wetlands. To the lawyer, the main issues in water resources management are the ownership of water, the system of water rights (ownership or license to use), the priority of use, the water legislation, and international water law. To the economist, water resources management is connected with water use efficiency, cost recovery, the creation of water markets, tradable water rights and privatization of water supply. To politicians, water resources management means solving conflicts over water and attaining national objectives such as: economic growth, poverty alleviation, employment generation, and food security.