ABSTRACT
The chapter is structured as follows: firstly the analytical framework which is adopted in the chapter is presented. The chapter makes use of the livelihoods perspective which has been defined by Chambers (2004) and is commonly used by development agents. This perspective is adopted because improving livelihoods is critical in southern Africa given the levels of poverty in the region. Water resources management can potentially contribute towards improving livelihoods. Secondly the chapter focuses on some of the conceptual and operational aspects of IWRM. Integration is one aspect of IWRM which is analysed because of the conceptual and operational challenges it poses. Thirdly attention turns to suggestions which have been put forward for improving IWRM. Some of the challenges address perceived conceptual shortcomings of IWRM, such as what should be integrated within the framework. Such suggestions include that IWRM should be informed by Integrated Natural Resources Management (INRM) and be strategic and adaptive. The section will also examine suggestions which try to address the practical challenges of implementing IWRM in such a way that livelihoods benefit. In particular the multiple use systems (MUS) and ‘Light IWRM’ are approaches which have been put forward to try and improve IWRM. Finally a discussion and conclusions are presented. The chapter makes the observation that the sad reality is that debates on how to improve water resources management seem to eclipse the need for delivering tangible benefits to the poor. There is need for more practical-oriented solutions to the challenges which the poor face. Since the causes of poverty, which is a major challenge in southern Africa, are multiple, it is ambitious to expect a single sector (water) to solve these problems alone. However, a concerted effort towards understanding the livelihoods-water nexus at the local level can be the first step towards solving such challenges.
