Chapter 12 - Integration of water resources management in rural areas

Abstract

Freshwater resources in many rural areas of countries are under increasing threat from both human influences and climatic changes, making the combined use of ground and surface water in agriculture critical. As such, the advancement of open source, public domain GIS-integrated, fully distributed, and numerically-based simulation systems may provide potent instruments to support planning, management, and monitoring operations. There has been a change, a strategy, and a change of mindset related to integrated water resources management (IWRM), which aims to mainstream the use and management of water resources into the national economy in a fair, equitable manner that does not negatively impact the long-term viability of critical ecosystems. Nearly half of the world's population lives in rural regions, with the majority of these people located in Asia and Africa. There are enormous human health and economic implications associated with the rural poor's lack of access to basic water supply (900 million people) and proper sanitation, as well as gender and other societal inequality. Many individuals living in rural areas of the developing world cannot sustain themselves or recover from the effects of natural variability because they are either uneducated or lack the skills necessary. In this chapter, we will discuss the importance of community participation in IWRM. We will also discuss its role in decision-making. Throughout the chapter, the need for community participation and reasons for implementing an IWRM strategy in the rural area are explored. Managing our most significant natural resource, water, in a holistic manner, or to be more precise through IWRM, is crucial for our long-term development. As water is so critical to so many aspects of our lives and the natural environment, it is imperative we not only look back at its evolution over the past three decades but also look forward to the challenges that will arise in the future.