A Clash of Paradigms in the Water Sector? Tensions and Synergies Between Integrated Water Resources Management and the Human Rights-Based Approach to Development

Abstract

A variety of paradigms shape water resources management, reflecting the evolution of government policies and transient societal values. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) became a predominant management framework in the 1990s whereas the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) to development emerged recently as an influential approach in the water sector. While IWRM and the HRBA overlap significantly, the interactions between these two remain largely unexplored, and their repercussions may be significant. Because IWRM and the HRBA do not share identical premises and objectives, concurrent implementation of the two might also lead to tensions detrimental to water resources management. The purpose of this article is to explore the interactions between IWRM and the HRBA to development in the water sector. Questions raised by perceived conflicts are identified to help address potential tensions when the two approaches coexist. Synergies between IWRM and the HRBA are also detailed to establish how the two approaches are aligned."Most Covenant rights are, at base, claims to scarce resources, and decisions regarding their recognition and enforcement will necessarily involve questions of resource allocation." 1

Epistemic forms of integrated water resources management: towards knowledge versatility

“…A good example of IWRM falling short to account for values and power is the human rights-based approach to water management that has developed as a separate discourse in the 2000s (Gerlak and Wilder 2012). Tremblay (2011), for example, claims that the human rights to water and IWRM represent different approaches that complement each other. He further states that any consideration of IWRM and human right to water approach needs to take place in the context of practice: 'The tensions between IWRM and the HRBA (human rights based approaches) must be resolved contextually by local water managers and stakeholders at the ground level.…”

“…Over the past two decades, integrated water resource management (IWRM) has come to dominate water resource management and policy discourse as a framework for holistic management of water and related bio-physical and socio-economic systems (GWP 2005;Watkins 2006;Saravanan et al 2009;Engle et al 2011;Tremblay 2011). IWRM features prominently in academic publications and also reports and initiatives of high-profile organizations, such as UNEP's Agenda 21, the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 and other global events and publications (Conca 2006).…”

“…Presently, the debate around IWRM has reached a stalemate in which the views are polarized and further conceptual elaboration has stopped (Saravanan et al 2009;Engle et al 2011;Tremblay 2011;Baumgartner and Pahl-Wostl 2013). The polarization of views is evident in the debate on the value of IWRM as a policy concept.…”

Water Sustainability Initiatives to Meet the Water Crisis in India

“…Achieving water security remains one of the most critical challenges of our time [12]. It involves providing clean drinking water, efficient wastewater management, and basic sanitation facilities for sustainability and human progress [13,14]. Meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 hinges on achieving a water-secure world.…”

Water Security in a Changing Environment: Concept, Challenges and Solutions

“…It is important to understand and manage water quantity and quality worldwide, and especially in the developing world. Overcoming the water crisis remains one of the most critical challenges our generation is facing [12] and developing clean potable water, managing wastewater efficiently and providing basic sanitation facilities for sustainability and human progress [13,14]. The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals 2030 will not be possible without achieving a water secure world first.…”