5 MAY 2007 A Wetlands International project supported by DGIS Wetlands and Poverty Reduction Project Anglophone regional practitioners training course MODULE 1 WETLANDS AND INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT By Dalmas O. Oyugi, Lucy Iyango 5 MAY 2007 A Wetlands International project supported by DGIS

Lecture 2 IWRM

Learning Objectives Understand: Concepts of Integrated Water Resources Management Role of wetlands in the hydraological cycle, and the link to catchments/ basins Key components of an integrated ecosystem approach in water resources and wetlands management

Why IWRM Global withdrawals of freshwater by people for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes have grown 35-fold in the past century, A further increase of 30- 35 % by 2025 will result in severe water stress for up to 1,100 million people, Freshwater is thus a scarce resource.

Why IWRM Urban per capita water consumption in the industrialized countries of Europe and North America ranges from 300 to 600 lday-1 The per capita consumption in the developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America is only 50-100 lday-1 And in regions with insufficient water resources can be as low as 10-40 lday-1

World water withdrawals by region (Original source: Shiklomanov 2006).

Water Use Vs Water Consumption Consumptive use is the process by which water is no longer available for further use, Non-consumptive uses of water do not affect the availability of that water for other users, Fishing and navigation for instance are examples of non-consumptive water use,

Water Use Vs Water Consumption Water use is greater than the amount consumed because of conveyance and other inefficiencies, E.g., return flows from agriculture are 20-40%, Water is used by agriculture, industry, municipal/urban and reservoirs On a global scale, agriculture is the largest water user with 66% of total water withdrawal and 85% of consumption

Water Use Within the hydrological cycle, there is a distinction of blue water and green water On a global scale, about 40% of all rainfall becomes surface and sub-surface runoff, This is what we call 'blue water'. The rest of the rainfall either returns to the atmosphere directly as evaporation, or is taken up by the vegetation This is referred to as 'green water'. About 60% of the world food production is by green water and 40% by blue water.

Introduction to concepts Water Use... Environmental flows/"environmental water allocation". They are quality, quantity and distribution of water required to maintain the components, functions and processes of aquatic ecosystems Environmental water allocation deals with finding a balance between sustainable use of water, protection of the water resources & conserving the integrity of the wetland ecosystems

Functions & Services of Wetlands A wetland function is the capacity of the wetland to provide goods and services Services are the benefits that humans derive from the functions of wetlands Functions are related strongly and directly to the components and processes of the wetland, Services are based on the functions but depend more on the use of these functions by humans.

Functions & Services of Wetlands A number of functions performed by wetlands are: Hydrological/hydraulic functions, Climatic functions, Biodiversity functions, Habitat functions, Water quality functions.

Functions & Services of Wetlands Hydrological Functions Wetlands cover about 6% of the earth surface Among the hydrological functions of wetlands are: Flood control, coastal erosion protection, sediment retention, groundwater recharge/discharge, water holding capacity, and the maintenance of stream and river flow, Wetlands increase evaporation & decrease average river flow, especially during dry periods.

Functions & Services of Wetlands Climate Functions of Wetlands Wetlands play a role in reducing global warming amelioration by carbon fixation The role of wetlands in the hydrological cycle (role in evapotranspiration); and micro-climate stabilisation. Wetlands can store considerable amounts of CO2 in their vegetation and sediments.

Functions & Services of Wetlands Wetlands & Water Quality Filtration of particulates, nutrient stripping, biodegradation of toxic compounds, heavy metal stripping and accumulation and wastewater treatment.

Functions & Services of Wetlands Habitat Functions of Wetlands Include the provision of wildlife habitats (fish feeding and breeding grounds, bird feeding and breeding grounds) terrestrial / aquatic habitats, and the protection of biodiversity and gene pools

Functions & Services of Wetlands Wetlands and Bidioversity The biodiversity function of wetlands comprises: Species and population diversity, The link between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, Microbiological activity, Maintenance of a large genetic pool, and wetlands as connectors.

Functions & Services of Wetlands Wetlands and Biodiversity cont’d Wetlands serve as connectors in several ways: They play a role in flyways and bio-geographical islands They are a part of river corridors (upstream- downstream connectivity), They provide longitudinal connectivity with estuarine and marine environments They are ecotones (dry-wet connectivity).

Functions & Services of Wetlands Wetlands and Biodiversity cont’d Wetlands also provide connectivity with global systems in the form of carbon, nitrogen and water cycles. They also provide connectivity with the groundwater (above ground-belowground connectivity).

The Dublin Principles and IWRM In 1992 in Dublin, the International Conference on Water and the Environment took place, The below resolutions were adopted by 114 countries as The Dublin Principles: Water is a finite and vulnerable resource, essential to sustain life, development and the environment and should be managed in an integrated way Water development and management should be based on a participatory approach, involving users, planners and policy makers at all levels Women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water Water has an economic value in all its competing uses, and should be registered as an economic good.

IWRM Dublin Principles are the pillars of integrated water resources management, IWRM is the management of surface and sub-surface water in qualitative, quantitative and environmental sense from a multi-disciplinary and participatory perspective and focused on the needs and requirements of the society at large with regard to water for now and in the future River basin approach is a perfect concept of IWRM

IWRM The traditional sectoral approach in management of water resources was an inefficient "top-down" IWRM is holistic and takes into account all stakeholders , Considers the temporal, spatial dimensions and the institutional and legal framework, A key element of IWRM is that river basins are the appropriate scale level for water resources management

IWRM covers resources like Surface water (rivers, lakes, wetlands, springs, pans, sea, delta, coastal zones, mangroves, etc.) Groundwater (saturated zone, fossil water) Green water (percolating, capillary rising) Atmospheric water Wastewater (grey, black). IWRM considers all the natural aspects of water and also considers the linkages between the various aspects

Nature of IWRM Puts water management in a broader context of socio- economic development policy and environmental management; Takes full account of all the sector interests related to the functions and values of the water system, in a participatory process with the stakeholders;

Nature of IWRM Considers the spatial and temporal variation of resources and demands; Considers the full spectrum of relevant policy objectives and constraints; Takes into account the different institutional levels involved in water resources management.

Conclusions Water movement THANK YOU ALL