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Towards Sustainable Watershed Management

From Raindrops To Rivers: Watersheds At Work

Shift from primarily forest cover to mixed use; ~45% agriculture

• >5x increase in peak flows– Increase in flood risk

– Increase sediment loss

– Loss of base flow

– Lower useable flow

– Reduction in reservoir reliability

– Degradation of water quality

– Disruption of groundwater recharge

– etc., etc., etc….

Impacts Of Land-use Change On Watershed Functions

Development

Plans/Markets

Livelihoods

Land UseWater

Demand

Watershed

Condition

IWRM

Responses/

Investments

Common Water Resources Management Sequence

IWRM

Basin Plans/

Investments

Land Use

Management

Sustainable

Water

Demand

Development

Plans/Markets

& Livelihoods

Watershed

Condition

Assessment

Alternative Water Resource Management Sequence

INTER-AMERICAN

DEVELOPMENT BANKWater and Sanitation Division

Access and Quality

Financing

GovernanceOperational Management and PPP

Social and Environmental

Gender

Ethnic

minorities

Multisectoral

Comprehensive

Reducing

inequalities

Increasing

wastewater

coverage

Supporting

Self-

sustainabilit

y

W&S as a

priority

sector in the

countries

HRW

Creating

autonomous

utilities

Promoting

water

security

Sector Framework

INITIATIVES

Water-Energy-Food Nexus

Food security

Energy securityWater supply

for urban

environments

Environmental

Security Resource

Efficiency Use

Integrated Planning and

Infrastructure

• A financial mechanism for

watershed conservation

• A governance mechanism

for watershed planning

• An implementation

mechanism for

conservation activities

Regional Policy Dialogue

Knowledge and dissemination

Communications

Key WRM Challenges Desired Outcomes Emerging Management Instruments

Reduce watershed degradation• Conservation needs• Restoration priorities

Reduce flooding Restore baseflow Promote aquifer recharge Minimize sedimentation Halt deforestation Maintain reservoir reliability

Healthy Watershed assessment protocol(s)

“Hot spot” identification Ecosystems services valuation Value chain mapping Regional Vulnerability Assessment

(ReVA) methods/Compact Growth

Improve water allocation Balance supply-demand Avoid conflicts Maximize economic benefits

“High Definition” watershed models Conjunctive use models Hydro-economic optimization Water valuation/pricing

Prioritize investment in built systems

“Right-sized” infrastructure Ensure return on investment

Multi-criteria optimization

Proactive Watershed Management Tools and Techniques