Governance of spring-dependent community water supply schemes in Seti Khola Watershed, Nepal

The ecosystem approach—as endorsed by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB) in 2000—is a strategy for holistic, sustainable, and equitable natural resource management, to be implemented via the 12 Malawi Principles. These principles describe the need to manage nature in terms of dynamic ecosystems, while fully engaging with local peoples. It is an ambitious concept. Today, the term is common throughout the research and policy literature on environmental management. However, multiple meanings have been attached to the term, resulting in confusion. We reviewed references to the ecosystem approach from 1957 to 2012 and identified 3 primary uses: as an alternative to ecosystem management or ecosystem-based management; in reference to an integrated and equitable approach to resource management as per the CBD; and as a term signifying a focus on understanding and valuing ecosystem services. Although uses of this term and its variants may overlap in meaning, typically, they do not entirely reflect the ethos of the ecosystem approach as defined by the CBD. For example, there is presently an increasing emphasis on ecosystem services, but focusing on these alone does not promote decentralization of management or use of all forms of knowledge, both of which are integral to the CBD’s concept. We highlight that the Malawi Principles are at risk of being forgotten. To better understand these principles, more effort to implement them is required. Such efforts should be evaluated, ideally with comparative approaches, before allowing the CBD’s concept of holistic and socially engaged management to be abandoned or superseded. It is possible that attempts to implement all 12 principles together will face many challenges, but they may also offer a unique way to promote holistic and equitable governance of natural resources. Therefore, we believe that the CBD’s concept of the ecosystem approach demands more attention.La Necesidad de Desenredar Conceptos Clave del Argot Ambiente-EstrategiaResumenLa estrategia ambiental – como es promocionada por la Convención Biológica sobre Diversidad en 2000 – es una estrategia para un manejo holístico, sustentable y equitativo de recursos naturales, que habrá de implementarse por vía de los 12 Principios de Malawi. Estos principios describen la necesidad de manejar la naturaleza en términos de ecosistemas dinámicos, mientras se compromete totalmente con las personas locales. Es un concepto ambicioso. Hoy en día, el término es común en la investigación y la literatura de políticas sobre el manejo ambiente. Sin embargo, se han relacionado múltiples significados con el término, lo que resulta en confusión. Revisamos referencias a la estrategia ambiental de 1957 a 2012 e identificamos tres usos principales: como una alternativa para manejo ambiental o basado en ecosistemas; en referencia a una estrategia integrada y equitativa para el manejo de recursos según la CBD; y como un término que indica un enfoque en el entendimiento y la valuación de los servicios ambientales. Aunque los usos de este término y sus variantes pueden traslaparse en su significado, típicamente no reflejan en su totalidad los valores de la estrategia ambiental como fue definida por la CBD. Por ejemplo, actualmente hay un énfasis creciente en los servicios ambientales, pero enfocarse solamente en estos no promueve la descentralización del manejo o el uso de todas las formas de conocimiento, siendo ambas integrales para el concepto de la CBD. Resaltamos que los Principios de Malawi están en riesgo de ser olvidados. Para entender mejor estos principios, se requiere de más esfuerzo para implementarlos. Dichos esfuerzos deben ser evaluados, idóneamente con estrategias comparativas, antes de permitir que el concepto de la CBD de manejo holístico y comprometido socialmente sea abandonado o reemplazado. Es posible que los intentos por implementar los 12 principios juntos enfrentarán muchos obstáculos, pero también pueden ofrecer una forma única de promover el gobierno holístico y equitativo de los recursos naturales. Así, creemos que el concepto de estrategia ambiental de la CBD exige mayor atención.

Sustainable water resource management has become a critical issue for the development of cities that suffer scarce water resources. Tianjin City, located in China's Huaihe basin, one of the most polluted and water‐scarce river basins in the country, is a typical example in which water is posing a major constraint to the development. This paper examines the current status of the use of water resources, and the current practices and policy measures taken for water resource management in Tianjin, with a view to drawing lessons through an evaluation of these measures. The study illustrates the role of cities and their complex interaction with their peripheries for the allocation of scarce water resources, and it suggests that a systems approach should be adopted in order to analyse and understand the complexity of the entire picture. Based on this review and evaluation of Tianjin's experience, the authors propose a framework for sustainable water resource management in cities, emphasizing the importance of taking full consideration of resource/environmental capacity and an integrated systems approach for problem solving. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment

The integrity of renewable freshwater resources is critical for ensuring sustainable futures. Developing strategies to mediate and encourage symbiosis between the dominant discourses of sustainable water resources management and indigenous knowledge and practice is essential. This paper asserts that storytelling plays a central role in the way that people understand and articulate their “lifeworld”: the people, values and actions that make sense to them. Empirical fieldwork, undertaken within three interconnected riparian communities, captures these community stories to reveal the nuanced ways experiential learning and community action enact sustainable local water resources management at the riverside. Paying closer attention to community stories could enable those involved in dominant sustainability discourses not only to critically engage with indigenous knowledge and practice, but also to provide opportunities to find ways to seed these stories with the wider “big history” perspective so essential to supporting sustainable futures, and water resource integrity, over the long term.

Sustainable management of water resources is one of the greatest challenges facing society in the 21st century. In terms of adequate drinking water supply, ever-increasing population, accompanied by urbanization, has affected one third of the world population. Both Australia and China have identified water resources issues as a priority research area and both countries have been conducting significant R&D activities. They have supported extensive national collaborative efforts to enable the future deployment of large scale water resources management systems. The sharing of data resources, and the experience of managing water resources among practitioners will be invaluable in a collaborative effort to solve the problem of sustainable water resources. A workshop on whole-of-water cycle approach to sustainable management of water resources took place on the Gold Coast, Australia, 4-5 July 2005. The main outcomes of the workshop included the willingness to collaborate among the participants in sharing of data sets and work together towards providing policy advice for sustainable water resources in both countries. It was suggested that a three-stage approach be adopted to study various possibilities of sustainable water resources. The aim of this three-stage approach is to provide analysis and development of management policies for sustainable management of water resources in both countries.

This research examines the viability of the design of environmental taxes in the achievement of sustainable waste management in the Addis Ababa Administration (AAA) of Ethiopia. It has employed an empirical qualitative method. It first shows the mutual contribution of the achievement of waste management to the progress of sustainable sanitation and water resource management. Secondly, it displays the distributive and incentive roles of environmental taxes in the achievement of sustainable waste management. Thirdly, it indicates that a cautious design of the source, base, scope and rate of environmental taxes is a critical determinant for environmental taxes’ overall success in addressing the prevalent waste mismanagement in Ethiopia. Fourthly, it demonstrates that in the AAA: (1) The sources of solid waste collection, landfill, sewerage service and effluent charges are subject to the principle of legality; (2) the scope of solid waste collection, landfill, sewerage service and effluent charges is appropriate; (3) while the base of sewerage service and effluent charges is efficient, the base of solid waste and landfill charges is not at all efficient; and (4) while the rates of solid waste, landfill and sewerage service charges are slightly optimal, the rate of the effluent charge has not yet developed. Fifthly, it reveals that, having a somewhat viable design, solid waste, landfill and sewerage service charges are marginally reinforcing the aspiration of Ethiopia to achieve sustainable sanitation. Sixthly, it uncovers that because Ethiopia has not yet developed the rate of effluent charge, effluent charge is neither internalizing the cost of water resource degradation nor incentivizing sustainable water resource management. Finally, it implies that the aspiration of Ethiopia to achieve sustainable sanitation and water resource management by 2030 is contingent on the cautious design of its waste management taxes.

This article explores the intricate dynamics of international water management, focusing on Kyrgyzstan's pivotal role in Central Asia's water resource distribution. It begins by highlighting global water scarcity issues and emphasizes the growing importance of international water law and liability for transboundary harm. Employing a range of scientific methodologies, the study delves into historical contexts, including Soviet-era water management initiatives and subsequent challenges post-dissolution. It elucidates the establishment of river basin organizations and the complexities of inter-state agreements and disagreements. The discussion section offers diverse perspectives on key issues such as equitable resource allocation and infrastructure maintenance costs, drawing from expert opinions and scholarly insights. Recent positive developments in interstate relations, particularly between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, regarding water resource management agreements are highlighted. In conclusion, the article advocates for bilateral agreements and regional cooperation to address water-related conflicts, proposing the potential creation of a supranational organization akin to the European Coal and Steel Community. Such initiatives aim to ensure equitable and sustainable water resource management while fostering economic cooperation in the region.

The matching of central and provincial governments' policy themes and the correspondence between them are important for measuring the accurate delivery of policies. Such measurement can directly reflect policy connections between the central and provincial governments and is helpful in understanding the strength and effect of policy implementation. In this study of animal epidemic prevention and control policy texts issued by central and provincial government departments from 1972 to 2019, the themes of the texts were determined by the segmentation of high- and low-frequency keywords, and the quantitative analysis was carried out in four dimensions: the year, number, subject and theme of each policy. The findings indicate that the central government takes the initiative in preventing and controlling animal epidemics and adjusts prevention and control measures through feedback, mostly using restrictive tools. The provincial governments’ prevention and control of animal epidemics are a combination of active and passive types, and the tools used basically have the same characteristics as those used by the central government. The central government has formed an animal epidemic prevention and control emergency management decision-making group with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China and the State Administration for Market Supervision and Administration as the core. The policy text themes of provincial governments and agricultural animal disease prevention and control management departments match more closely than those of the central government. The study suggests that the central government's animal epidemic prevention and control policy themes can increase coverage and promote the implementation of provincial government prevention and control management measures. Provincial governments can form decision-making groups for the emergency management of animal epidemics, mobilize enthusiasm for animal epidemic prevention and control and receive feedback information, and enhance their ability to actively intervene in epidemic prevention and control.

The transboundary water resources of the Lower Colorado River Basin necessitate robust and collaborative governance frameworks to address pressing challenges associated with drought conditions and escalating water demands in both the United States and Mexico. Recent Minutes (319, 323, and 330) under the 1944 Water Treaty between the United States and Mexico highlight the critical challenges related to water allocation from the Colorado River, exacerbated by prolonged droughts that have significantly impacted the Upper Basin in recent years. However, few of these Minutes integrate surface water and groundwater management as a core strategy for achieving sustainable resource use, despite the increasing strategic importance of groundwater as a vital supply source for various user groups and economic sectors. This study employs Gravity-Driven Groundwater Flow Systems Theory to analyze publicly available geospatial and environmental data, offering an indirect characterization of regional groundwater flow components. The approach leverages natural features and groundwater data to identify surface manifestations of regional groundwater systems, including recharge and discharge dynamics. The results include cartographic evidence that underscores the critical systemic interrelationship between groundwater and the natural environment, particularly in the context of anthropogenic impacts such as groundwater abstraction and land-use changes. Through environmental interpretation of hydrogeological indicators—including groundwater depth in wells, perennial surface water features, topographic relief, vegetation patterns, and soil characteristics—this study identifies regional recharge and discharge zones shared by Mexico and the United States. These zones illustrate the interconnected nature of transboundary groundwater and its reliance on cross-border collaboration for sustainable management. However, significant data gaps persist between the two nations, particularly in the standardization of methodologies for data collection, interpretation, and spatial coverage. The absence of a consistent and comprehensive framework for studying regional groundwater flows shared across the border underscores the need for enhanced binational coordination. This research emphasizes the necessity of integrating hydrological data and harmonizing policies to ensure equitable and sustainable water resource management in the Lower Colorado River Basin. Addressing these challenges through cooperative mechanisms will be critical for mitigating the impacts of superficial water scarcity and securing the long-term sustainability of shared transboundary water resources.

Water resource management remains a critical issue for sustainable development in Africa, as communities face challenges related to water scarcity, poor governance structures, and inadequate infrastructure. This article examines the interplay between freedom of expression, collaborative governance, and community participation in addressing these challenges. Drawing on theoretical and empirical insights, the study highlights how freedom of expression fosters transparency, accountability, and stakeholder engagement, which are essential for effective water governance. The research underscores the importance of collaborative governance frameworks that integrate diverse stakeholders, including governments, local communities, and private entities, to develop inclusive and sustainable water management strategies. Findings reveal that empowering communities through participatory decision-making and institutional reforms enhances their capacity to address water resource challenges effectively. The study concludes by recommending policy initiatives that prioritize institutional capacity building, promote freedom of expression, and foster collaborative governance mechanisms to ensure equitable and sustainable water resource management in Africa.

Sustainable fresh water resources management in northern Kuwait—A remote sensing view from Raudatain basin

Water’s worth is arguably infinite – without water life ceases to exist. Recognizing, measuring and expressing water’s worth, and incorporating it into decision-making, are fundamental to achieving sustainable and equitable water resources management. Whilst the term ‘value’ and the process of ‘valuation’ are well defined (Box 1.1), there are multiple uses, and often reuses, of water and the very many different stakeholders involved usually have different views of what ‘value’ specifically means to them. There are also different methods for calculating value and different metrics to express it. Identifying and reconciling these differences is the subject of this World Water Development Report.

The delineation of alluvial aquifers towards a better understanding of channel transmission losses in the Limpopo River Basin

The current status of water resources highlights the need for improved water resources management. Recognizing, measuring and expressing water’s worth, and incorporating it into decision-making, are fundamental to achieving sustainable and equitable water resources management and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The current state of global water resources emphasises the need for improved water resource management. For the global community to achieve sustainable and equitable water resource management as well as the agreed upon Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the value of water needs to be recognised, measured and expressed while incorporating it into decision-making. The failure to place an appropriate value on water resources in all its different uses has been emphasised to be the root cause or symptom of political neglect of the valuable resource and the overall mismanagement thereof. The chapter focusses on providing a critical evaluation of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) in terms of its implementation, challenges as well as successes within a global and South African context. Access to clean water is a recognised human right on a global scale. Consequently, this chapter seeks to provide a detailed evaluation of water service provision and delivery from a global and regional (Global South) perspective to establish the current state of water and sanitation services as well as the main impediments thereof.

UN Secretary–General Kofi Annan has identified water and sanitation as a principle area of focus for the forthcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). It is fitting that this meeting is being held in Johannesburg, as water resources management issues are of primary importance to the southern African region. There is a new water architecture being developed in the region, one that hopes to correct abiding structural inequalities of access between and among states, communities and peoples. Part of this new water architecture includes an enhanced role for the private sector and ‘the market’ in the provision and management of this crucial resource. This is a role that many feel will exacerbate rather than alleviate historically derived problems of underdevelopment. It is a role, therefore, that may undermine many of the positive developments that have taken place in the region over time. If regional leaders are interested in sustainable and equitable water resources management, they must be prepared openly to debate this issue with all interested parties not only at the WSSD, but also in the region and beyond.