Freshwater Management - Integration for Sustainable Development
The Division for Sustainable Development is
seeking to promote integrated approaches to natural resource management
as part of Agenda 21. This relates particularly to the provisions of
Chapter 18 dealing with freshwater. Through its Water management Branch,
the Division provides project execution and policy advisory services at
national and regional levels in integrated water resource management.
With over 30 years experience within the UN Secretariat, the Branch has
gained an excellent reputation for its technical assistance throughout
the developing world, particularly in groundwater development. An
important aspect of this assistance is that it is neutral and
encompasses a comprehensive view of water resource management, making
available a pool of international expertise and documentation.
The principle objective of the Branch is to
assist developing countries in enhancing their own capacity in
integrated water resource management, particularly the operational
aspects. The promotion of progressive regulatory and institutional
frameworks are vital elements which need to be linked explicitly to
macro-economic and spatial planning initiatives. This approach stresses
the need to view water resources in a holistic way with consideration of
socio-economic and hydro-environmental systems as mutually dependent.
The long term sustainability therefore hinges upon a sound understanding
of these systems and their inter-relationships.
Services
The expertise of the Division can assist
Governments in all aspects of water resource development and management
including:
- diagnostic assessments of national and provincial water sectors
- development of water policy and legislation frameworks
- training, capacity building and institutional strengthening for
integrated water resource management
- rural water supply and sanitation programmes
- medium and long-term management strategies
- macro-economic planning tools
- assessments of water resource availability and use
- hydro-environmental impact assessments and
- hydro-geological and hydrological studies
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