Talking Water

11th January 2008

Subject: Water Management: What activities does this include?

The Wikipedia page on Water Management illustrates the confusing variety of ways in which this term is used by people in the field. In the first line "management" is used as the omnibus term to embrace the full range of activities (i.e. planning, developing, distributing, regulating etc). It is a catch-all term. Many people often use it this way.

At another extreme it is sometimes used with much narrower and more specific meaning, more specific than the listed examples, such as "management of irrigation". In these highly specific usages people are referring to the actual actions that are taken - examples would be opening and closing the lock gates, shutting of the water flow pipes etc.

The list of journal titles illustrates the wide and varied usage of the term "management" in connection with water. Just to add to the confusion on occasion terms such as "development", "policy" and "planning" are used by some to refer to what others would call "management".

Given these inconsistencies in use of terms it is critically important for us to always check that we are interpreting usage correctly. This is a challenge that we face time and again in the water field.

Note the list of journals relating to water and its management; it directs you towards just some of the wide array of publications relating to this field.