Introduction to collaborative water management

This paper is a general introduction to water ressources management written for the water portal of SNV, a Netherlands-based, international development organisation that provides advisory services to local organisations in developing countries to support their fight against poverty. It contains a selection of topics with short explanations and links to more detailed information about each topic on the Internet-site. The aim of the paper is to give an overview and provide quick entries to the most prominent approaches and debates at the moment.
Though giving considerable attention to holistic and integrated approaches, the paper is written mainly from the perspectives of the irrigation water management sector and drinking water supply and sanitation sector. It is structured along the main debates in the water sector. By this structure it intends to highlight similarities in the debates in the different sectors and also to motivate experts from one sector to look at the other sector, to compare and learn.
The paper does not include the technical knowledge and skills required for water resources management, as this is considered basic knowledge of water resources management professionals. Also the latest technological developments are beyond the scope of this paper. The following list of approaches and debates on water resources management are presented : 1) holistic approaches to water resources management; 2) participation; 3) privatisation; 4) water financing; and 5) equity, gender and water rights.
For each topic, as far as possible, advocators as well as critics are mentioned and electronic links are given to other resources on the Internet.