Author(s): Harald D. Frederiksen

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Abstract: The developing countries face enormous difficulties managing their water resources in a manner that will fulfill the aspirations of their people. Populations and economies continue to grow in countries that have reached present limits of their water supply. Flood losses, pollution of surface and groundwater and environmental damages mount. Countries are ill-prepared for the next drought. The support for their developing economies strain the already inadequate national budgets. Time is short for implementing actions that will avoid more serious problems introduced by the world's addition of one billion inhabitants in the next ten years and two billion in twenty years. A country's water management policies, rather than technology, will largely determine its degree of success. Many countries have adopted wise policies regarding several matters. Yet, when matched against the conditions in such areas as drought management, reallocation of water, financing of water related services and water supply augmentation, the entire body of policies displays deficiencies or is only partially enforced. Extended international debate of some new concepts are delaying adoption of viable actions. It is judged that water management policies should be framed in a manner that better reflects the countries' conditions; their social, economic, environmental and security goals; and the countries' time, money and political constraints.

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Year: 1997