Role and Complexity of Integrated Water-Resources Management for Periurban Landscapes in Australia

Abstract

Water is vital to life, agriculture, commerce, industry, energy, and virtually all processes in nature. Living beings, the environment, and ecosystems, for the most part, are water. It is no surprise that many societies in the world regard water as a gift from God and worship it. The same applies to the carriers of water—rivers. For example, the Ganges in India is revered, and its waters are used to perform all religious ceremonies. It is therefore essential that this vital resource is properly used and managed. Although water is a renewable resource, its availability is finite, and more important, it is not always available where it is needed and when it is needed. This means that the water available for consumption is limited in most places and most of the time. Compounding the problem of limited water availability is the degrading water quality. Looking at the global picture, nearly two-thirds of the global population resides in water-stressed areas. The scarcity of water is being further exacerbated by a growing population, rising standard of living, changing land use, urbanization, increasing economic activity, current lifestyles, and climate change. Unless water is used efficiently, recycled, reused, treated, and managed properly, it is doubtful that there will be enough water for everybody in the decades ahead. Fortunately, water is receiving a lot of attention from all quarters these days. At the center of this attention is the concept of integrated water-resources management (IWRM). IWRM has been discussed for nearly half a century and is not a new concept. However, what is new in the IWRM paradigm these days is getting a renewed emphasis on bringing the varied stakeholders (domestic users, farmers, policymakers, planners, managers, and others) together and gaining a greater appreciation of local peculiarities. In other words, there is no such thing as one IWRM model fits all. IWRM is increasingly emerging as an accepted alternative to the largely failed sector-by-sector and topdown management style of water-resource management of the past. IWRM involves management through a participatory process. Fundamental to this process is the sound understanding of a region’s water resources and bringing stakeholders together to develop ways to meet the region’s long-term water needs while maintaining essential ecological services and economic benefits. The key tasks in IWRM may include developing an integrated view of water resources at the regional level; assessing different water supplies for best possible uses and least environmental impacts; managing demand through strategic policies and innovative technologies; providing equitable access to water resources through participatory and transparent governance and management; establishing improved and integrated policy, regulatory, and institutional frameworks; and water authorities and stakeholders working together in decision-making processes. The objective of this article is to discuss the issues and challenges faced when undertaking IWRM for a periurban landscape such as the Western Sydney region in New South Wales, Australia.