The GWP IWRM ToolBox contains knowledge and learning about integrated water resources management (see definition below).
The Tools and References are knowledge. The Case Studies are where the learning takes place (applying the Tools).
There are about 60 Tools: these are the key concepts that have to be addressed in managing water. IWRM is not a step-by-step process to success; the practitioner and the policy maker have to select the relevant mix and sequence of tools that have the best chance of working in a specific community or country.
Case Studies illustrate how the Tools work in real experience. The cases come from all over the world and offer lessons learned in a specific context.
References range from policy papers to training manuals to research documents to articles – an array of resources linked to specific Tools and Case Studies. GWP doesn’t have a monopoly on IWRM knowledge (in fact, our definition of success is when others add to the knowledge and learning!) which is why References usually point to material provided by other organisations.
IWRM is a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximise the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.
This integrated approach challenges conventional, fragmented water development and management systems. The emphasis is on coordinated decision making across sectors and scales, recognising that top-down, supply-led, technically-based, and sectoral approaches to water management are imposing unsustainably high economic, social, and ecological costs on human societies and on the environment.
Top photo: IWRM ToolBox workshop.