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Water Policy Vol 8 No 5 pp 475–479 © IWA Publishing 2006 doi:10.2166/wp.2006.057
Perspective: The challenge of ecologically sustainable water management
Emily Bernhardtb, StuartE. Bunna, David D. Hartc, Björn Malmqvistd, Timo Muotkae, Robert J. Naimanf, Catherine Pringleg, Martin Reussh and Brian van Wilgeni
aCorresponding author. Centre for Riverine Landscapes, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia 4111, s.bunn@griffith.edu.au
bDepartment of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA ebernhar@duke.edu
cPatrick Center for Environmental Research, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA hart@acnatsci.org
dEcology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Sweden bjorn.malmqvist@emg.umu.se
eDepartment of Biology, University of Oulu, Finland timo.muotka@ymparisto.fi
fSchool of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Washington, USA naiman@u.washington.edu
gInstitute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia USA cpringle@uga.edu
hOffice of History, US Army Corps of Engineers, USA martin.a.reuss@hq02.usace.army.mil
iCentre for Invasion Biology, CSIR Division of Water, Environment and Forestry Technology, P.O. Box 320Stellensbosch, 7599, South Africa bvwilgen@csir.co.za
ABSTRACT
Sustainable water resource management is constrained by three pervasive myths; that societal and environmental water demands always compete with one another; that technological solutions can solve all water resource management problems; and that environmental solutions to protect and maintain freshwater resources are more expensive and less dependable than technological solutions. We argue that conservation and good stewardship of water resources can go a long way toward meeting societal demands and values. Furthermore, water requirements to sustain ecosystem health and biodiversity in rivers and their associated coastal systems can be well aligned with options for human use and deliver a suite of ecosystem goods and services to society. However, to achieve ecologically sustainable water management, we propose several key issues that must be addressed. The objective of this opinion paper is to stimulate discussion across traditional discipline boundaries with the aim of forging new partnerships and collaborations to meet this pressing challenge of ecologically sustainable water management.
Keywords: Biodiversity; Ecosystem services; Restoration; River ecosystems
Full article (PDF Format)
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