Integrated Water Resource Management: Principles and Applications

The concept of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) was established, back in the 1930s, to address “optimal” water management, mainly from a technical perspective, but also taking into account social goals, such as the fulfillment of basic needs and the total welfare of the population. The chapter provides a comprehensive overview of issues related to IWRM. After a discussion of the various economic dimensions of water, we establish a basic model to analyze the value of water under different social welfare objective functions, including the human right to water. The technical-economic model also addresses questions of eco-hydrology, water recycling, groundwater management, and water quality management. The chapter also addresses water allocation along rivers and water transfers between watersheds. The chapter includes exercises and suggestions for further reading.