Land and Water Integration and River Basin Management

Book excerpt: Since water sustains life, effective management of water resources demands a holistic approach, linking social and economic development with protection of natural ecosystems. The effective management links land and water resources across the whole of a catchment area or groundwater aquifer. The Workshop addressed the broader issues of water management in the context of land use and the environment and within the framework of river basin management. More specifically, the Workshop dealt with: defining land and water linkages; developing a conceptual framework to predict land, water and plant nutrient interaction; establishing a landscape and river basin approach to integrated management of natural resources; and drafting a programme of action including applied research and modelling, education, extension and manuals and field projects aimed at promoting integrated management of natural resources. This publication contains the report and recommendations of the Workshop and edited versions of eight papers which were presented and discussed in the Workshop.