A 1995 Pacific Institute report, California Water 2020: A Sustainable Vision, offered compelling support for the argument that alternative approaches to water planning and use can be successful.
| Title | Sustainable use of water : California success stories |
| Publication Type | Miscellaneous |
| Year of Publication | 1999 |
| Authors | Wilkinson, R, Gleick, PH, Wong, AK, Owens-Viani, L, Steding, A, Haasz, D, Fidell, M, Gomez, S |
| Pagination | xxvi, 372 p. : fig., tab. |
| Date Published | 1999-01-01 |
| Publisher | Pacific Institute |
| Place Published | Oakland, CA, USA |
| Keywords | case studies, catchment areas, community participation, domestic use, industrial use, irrigation, policies, sdipol, sdiwrm, sustainable development, usa california, wastewater recycling, water conservation, water resources conservation, water resources management, water supply charges |
| Abstract | A 1995 Pacific Institute report, California Water 2020: A Sustainable Vision, offered compelling support for the argument that alternative approaches to water planning and use can be successful. Long term sustainable use of water does not require drastic advances in technology or heroic or extraordinary actions. Instead it requires a commitment to an ethic of sustainability and the will to continue expanding positive trends that are already underway. As a follow-up to the 1995 report, this volume purports to identify, describe, and analyze successful examples of sustainable water policies and practices in the state of California. Its goal is to show water managers, policy makers, and the public how to move California toward more equitable and efficient water management and use. Nearly 100 case studies were reviewed in the context of the Institute's sustainability criteria and guidelines. Ultimately, the 28 cases contained in this volume were chosen as successful, informative, and educational examples of collaborative water planning, effective institutional and governance structures, innovative use of technology or economic incentives, and environmental protection and restoration. As examples of successful practices already in use, these cases offer viable alternatives to the traditional approaches to meeting today's water management challenges. In each case, key factors leading to success are identified, with the objective of highlighting smart practices for individual managers and actors and identifying those policy levers that can promote such practices. For agriculture, activities are included that have resulted in more efficient applied water use, increased crop yields, or enhanced water quality, and practices that produced multiple benefits for other sectors. The successful urban case studies presented include the innovative use of reclaimed water, the substitution of recycled water for potable supplies, improvements in institutional water management, and environmental restoration. Examples of environmental successes encompass innovative management of floodplains and watersheds, river and wetland restoration, and collaborations with farmers to preserve or expand natural habitat in agricultural areas. A final set of cases focuses on institutional and governance mechanisms that have broadly affected and improved water management and use. |
| Notes | Includes references |
| Custom 1 | 276 |
