Integrated Water Resource Management

As defined by the Global Water Partnership, integrated water resource management is a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. Resources available within this theme provide guidance on how to conserve and restore watersheds, reduce pollution, adapt to climate change and reduce risks from floods and droughts.

Integrated Water Resource Management Resources

Meant to Keep Malaria Out, Mosquito Nets Are Used to Haul Fish In

Published: 
January 24, 2015
The LTFHC was glad to serve as a resource to journalist Jeffrey Gettleman in the preparation of this article featured in The New York Times. The article describes the potential environmental problems of treated mosquito nets being used to catch fish. Millions of mosquito nets are handed out to...Read more
Regional focus: 
Sub-Saharan AfricaCongo, Democratic Republic of theTanzania

From Curse to Cure: The Impact of Energy Exploration & Production in the Lake Tanganyika Basin

Published: 
September 10, 2014
Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic
New study charts risks and rewards of the forthcoming oil boom in the African Great Lakes: The LTFHC released a white paper on the burgeoning hydrocarbon sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the surrounding African Great Lakes region. The unprecedented study details how the oil and gas...Read more
Regional focus: 
Sub-Saharan AfricaBurundiCongo, Democratic Republic of theTanzania

Save Lake Tanganyika: Treat it Like an Ocean

Published: 
November 30, 2011
Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic
A National Geographic News article describing Lake Tanganyika's unique number of fish species found nowhere else in the world and conservation approaches to protect the lake's rich biodiversity. Read more
Regional focus: 
Congo, Dem. Rep.Tanzania

The Role of Conservation Programs in Drought Risk Adaptation

Published: 
April 1, 2013
U.S. Department of Agriculture
This report evaluates the extent to which farms facing higher levels of drought risk are more likely to participate in conservation programs, and finds a strong link between drought risk and program participation. Conservation program outcomes are influenced by regional differences in production...Read more

Water Conservation in Irrigated Agriculture: Trends and Challenges in the Face of Emerging Demands

Published: 
September 1, 2012
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. agriculture accounts for 80-90 percent of the Nation's consumptive water use (water lost to the environment by evaporation, crop transpiration, or incorporation into products). Despite technological innovations, at least half of U.S. irrigated cropland acreage is still irrigated with less...Read more
Regional focus: 
United States

Conservation Practices that Save: Irrigation Water Management

Published: 
May 1, 2006
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Agricultural water supply is emerging as a critical natural resource issue. Irrigated agriculture is essential in meeting our food and fiber production needs. Irrigation water management encourages the application of water in an amount that meets the need of the growing plant in a manner that...Read more

Western Irrigated Agriculture: Production Value, Water Use, Costs, and Technology Vary by Farm Size

Published: 
September 2, 2013
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The largest irrigated farms in the region averaged about 3,300 acres, of which 1,020 were irrigated in 2008; the smallest farms averaged 244 acres, of which 47 were irrigated. Use of improved water-management practices can help producers maximize the economic efficiency of their irrigation systems...Read more

The Role of Conservation Program Design in Drought Risk Adaptation

Published: 
July 1, 2013
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Drought-risk adaptation involves farmers taking actions or making investments that reduce their vulnerability to drought. These actions and investments will generally be of greater benefit to farmers in areas that face a higher risk of drought during the growing season. As a result, other things...Read more

Economics of Water Quality Protection From Nonpoint Sources: Theory and Practice

Published: 
November 1, 1999
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Pollution from nonpoint sources is the single largest remaining source of water quality impairments in the United States. Agriculture is a major source of several nonpoint-source pollutants, including nutrients, sediment, pesticides, and salts. Agricultural nonpoint pollution reduction policies can...Read more

Estimating Water Quality Benefits: Theoretical and Methodological Issues

Published: 
September 1, 1992
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Knowledge of the benefits and costs to water users is required for a complete assessment of policies to create incentives for water quality improving changes in agricultural production. A number of benefit estimation methods are required to handle the varying nature of water quality effects. This...Read more

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