Applying the Concept of Sustainability to Water Resources Management

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the fundamental concepts of sustainability and sustainable development and their application to water resources management. It focuses particularly on the need to improve feedbacks relevant to water resources by developing criteria and indicators based on these concepts. Sustainability is a concept that describes a dynamic condition of complex systems, particularly the biosphere of Earth and the human socioeconomic systems within it. It reflects both our fundamental values and our knowledge of the fundamental nature of life on Earth. Sustainable development is a program of action, a set of principles and ways of thinking about patterns of human activity that can be derived from the concept of sustainability and from our knowledge of how the world works. Sustainable development is also a social movement, a set of beliefs about how human activities should be conducted, that has been expanding in acceptance and applicability throughout the world for almost two decades. Sustainable development takes sustainability as an overarching long-term goal for humanity. It is clear that because water is essential to all life, water resources management, using the principles of sustainable development, will be essential for achieving sustainability.