Interrogating the Applicability of the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Model

The global response to the increasing water scarcity in the last twenty years has been water policy reforms directed towards the implementation of integrated water resources management (IWRM).This was expected to promote the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximise the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. This paper interrogates the applicability of the model in the context of a changing climate using literature sources and personal experiences with the model. The paper summarises literature at global level that supported the adoption of the model and literature that has in the past five years questioned the suitability of one type of prescription for varied and complex catchments. The adoption of IWRM has promoted stakeholder participation at catchment level and in a way improved water allocation mechanisms basing on the water that is available. However, little consideration was given to the host of other factors including climate change and the complex definition of sustainable development. The paper further demonstrates how this model of water resources management is unlikely to work for different social and environmental contexts.