IWRM is based on the understanding that water resources are an integral component of the ecosystem, a natural resource, and a social and economic good. Managers, whether in the government or private sectors, have to make difficult decisions on water allocation. More and more they have to apportion diminishing supplies between ever-increasing demands. Drivers such as demographic and climatic changes further increase the stress on water resources. The traditional fragmented approach is no longer viable and a more holistic approach to water management is essential.
This is the rationale for the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach that has now been accepted internationally as the way forward for efficient, equitable and sustainable development and management of the world's limited water resources and for coping with conflicting demands.
[[Image:IWRM graphic.png|none|500px|Source: [http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/iwrm.shtml UN Water]]]
===IWRM Principles===
IWRM strategies are based on the four Dublin Principles presented at the World Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
1. '''Water is finite and vulnerable resource''' <br>
Fresh water is a finite resource. This is supported by the quantitative review of global water cycle, which suggests a fixed annual volume of water. Fresh water is a natural resource that needs to be maintained by ensuring effective management of water resources. Water is needed for different purposes, functions and services, therefore, water management should be integrated and take account of both demand for and threat to this resource. This principle assigns a river basin or a catchment area to be a water management unit, which is the so-called hydrographical approach to water management.
2. '''Participatory approach'''<br>
Water is a resource that affects all. True participation is ensured only when all stakeholders are involved in the decision making. A [[Participatory methods|participatory approach]] involving all stakeholders is the best strategy to achieve long-term accord and consensus. Participation means taking responsibility for and acknowledging impact of this sector on other water users and water ecosystems as well as committing to increasingly effective use and sustainable development of water resources.
Participation does not necessarily result in consensus, therefore, arbitrage and other conflict resolution mechanisms should be ensured. Governments should work to ensure participation of all stakeholders, in particular, vulnerable groups of the population. Poor groups of the population will benefit least from a mere participatory environment without enhanced participation mechanisms. Decentralizing decision making to the lowest level is the only strategy to enhance participation.
3. '''Role of women'''<br>
It is generally accepted that women play a key role in the collection and safeguarding of water for domestic purposes and, in many instances, agricultural use. At the same time, women play a less powerful role than men in the management, problem analysis and decision making related to water. IWRM demands the role of women to be acknowledged. This is also referred to as [[Gender Mainstreaming | gender mainstreaming]].
In order to ensure full and effective participation of women at all levels of decision making, account should be taken of approaches that public agencies use to assign social, economic and cultural functions to men and women. There is an important link between gender equality and sustainable water management. Participation of men and women playing a decision making role at all levels of water management can expedite the achievement of sustainability, while integrated and sustainable water resources management greatly contributes to gender equality by improving access of both women and men to water and water-related services, thus serving their daily needs.
4. '''Social and economic value of water'''<br>
Within this principle, it is vital to recognize first the basic right of all human beings to have access to clean water and sanitation at an affordable price. Managing water as an economic good is an important way of achieving efficient and equitable use, and of encouraging conservation and protection of water resources. As soon as water is collected from a source, it has a price as an economic and social good. Past failure to effectively manage water resources is associated with failure to recognize the economic value of water. Water cost and charge are two different things that should be clearly differentiated. As a regulating or economic mean, water cost in alternative uses is important to efficiently distribute water as a scarce resource. Water charge is used as an economic tool to support vulnerable groups and influence their water saving and efficient use behaviors by providing incentives to manage demand, cost recovery and readiness of individual users to pay for extra water management services.
Recognizing water as an economic good is a key decision-making tool to distribute water among different sectors of the economy and different users within sectors. It is particularly important when water supply cannot be increased.
5. '''Integrating three Es'''<br>
Integrated water resources management is based on the equitable and efficient management and sustainable use of water. It recognises that water is an integral part of the ecosystem, a natural resource, and a social and economic good, whose quantity and quality determine the nature of its utilisation.
===Acknowledgements===
* [http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/iwrm.shtml Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)]. UN Water.
* [http://www.gwp.org/The-Challenge/What-is-IWRM/ What is IWRM?]. GWP.