Summary A comparison between conventional and integrated water resources planning and management

Abstract Air, land and water are the three fragile components of the Spaceship Earth. These three components are highly integrative resources and therefore, must be properly planned and managed in order to ensure adequate public health, food supplies and transportation. The quality of life is directly dependent on how well these resources are planned and managed for sustainable development. The above three resources are highly integrated and thus the need for multi-purpose water resources planning and management. Multi-purpose water resources planning and management also emerged as a result of an increase in competing and conflicting water uses and due to rapid population growth and rising expectations of a better life. This paper discusses the conventional and integrated water resource planning and management approaches for sustainable development. The author argues that, both approaches if implemented very well are geared to deliver the same end results. However, the paper concludes that, both approaches have failed to deliver the end results due to a missing link. This missing link in both approaches is the institutional framework that coordinates water resources planning and management responsibilities and activities at all levels of government.