Rethinking IWRM Under Cultural Considerations

Abstract

Water management and culture are obviously interlinked. The way access to water is organized in a nation reflects the values and thinking of its people. Common approaches in Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) that are based on the Dublin-principles would make us believe that most of the solutions for good water management are rather generic and applicable wherever you are in the world. This article shows how cultural differences have shaped completely different approaches in water management set-ups in France and Germany, both of which are countries where water management has been performed with quite good results over the past decades. Based on this insight, the article questions whether the Dublin Principles and the derived approaches coming from these principles can be applied like blue prints. The analysis shows attempts to show how the Dublin principles can sometimes lead to misunderstandings and even counterproductive effects. The article invites the reader to rethink approaches in IWRM that may be well meaning but are most probably ineffective while giving hints for ways we can create new thinking on water management.