Community-based water resources management

Abstract

In arid environments community water management often still focuses exclusively on management of water assets. Watsan practitioners do not often consider the importance of providing communities with information concerning their available water resources. Consequently the association between water resource availability, groundwater recharge and sound stewardship is often missing, to the detriment of end water users. This article describes an eight-stage process to build a framework for managing water resources which is being implemented in Darfur. It involves end-users in assessing water use, the risks to water quantity and quality, and in prioritizing the use of water to meet the needs of all stakeholders.