IUCN, Water and Nature Initiative (WANI)

This publication provides an overview of the world’s shared water resources and insights for managing these resources. Using case studies from around the world, it describes the benefits to be gained from cooperation and the challenges of constructing legal frameworks, institutions, management processes and financing and partnership strategies to govern transboundary waters equitably and sustainably.

An environmental flow is the water regime provided within a river, wetland or coastal zone to maintain ecosystems and their benefits where there are competing water uses and where flows are regulated. Pioneering efforts in South Africa, Australia and the United States have shown that the process to establish them poses great challenges.

An environmental flow is the water regime provided within a river, wetland or coastal zone to maintain ecosystems and their benefits where there are competing water uses and where flows are regulated. Pioneering efforts in South Africa, Australia and the United States have shown that the process to establish them poses great challenges.

This guide aims to provide practical tools to non specialists – essentially water resources planners, river basin managers, non-governmental organizations and private sector operators. It links the most recent practice on payments for hydrological services to current discourse on integrated water resources management and looks into the different aspects to consider when exploring the potential feasibility of establishing reward or payments for ecosystem services related to water security.

This assessment is the first overview of the conservation status of 877 northern African freshwater species belonging to five taxonomic groups—fish, molluscs, dragonflies and damselflies, freshwater crabs and aquatic plants—in accordance with the IUCN regional Red List guidelines. Species at risk of regional extinction are mapped and conservation measures are proposed to reduce the probability of future declines.

Lack of readily available information on the status and distribution of inland water taxa in western Africa explains why biodiversity is often poorly represented within the development planning process. In response to this need for information, a regional assessment of the status and distribution of 1,395 taxa of freshwater fishes, molluscs, odonates, crabs, and selected families of aquatic plants from across western Africa was conducted.

The situation analysis studies assessed the current water governance frameworks encompassing policies, legal and regulatory frameworks, and institutional and decision-making aspects, for the three countries. The studies were used to assist the NWGs by identifying the key water governance issues for each country, providing recommendations on relevant dialogue topics for 2009 and 2010 and highlighting the scope for improving water governance.

The situation analysis studies assessed the current water governance frameworks encompassing policies, legal and regulatory frameworks, and institutional and decision-making aspects, for the three countries. The studies were used to assist the NWGs by identifying the key water governance issues for each country, providing recommendations on relevant dialogue topics for 2009 and 2010 and highlighting the scope for improving water governance.

The situation analysis studies assessed the current water governance frameworks encompassing policies, legal and regulatory frameworks, and institutional and decision-making aspects, for the three countries. The studies were used to assist the NWGs by identifying the key water governance issues for each country, providing recommendations on relevant dialogue topics for 2009 and 2010 and highlighting the scope for improving water governance.

The Situation Analyses of the Wami and Ruvu (including coastal rivers) sub-basins were produced as separate analyses of the status, conditions and key issues affecting ecosystems in each basin using existing available information. The analyses provide information on natural resources (including water), socio-economic issues and the governance structure of water resource management.