In many regions, droughts are becoming more intense. As they become more frequent, more intense and longer lasting, the limitations of approaches focused solely on increasing water supply or on ad hoc technical responses are becoming increasingly apparent. The increasing scarcity of this resource raises questions about how water is shared, how different uses are coordinated and the collective capacity to organise its management over the long term. These are all key elements of integrated water resource management (IWRM), a concept that reflects the idea that good management of water, a limited and vulnerable resource, requires consideration of the entire hydrological cycle, ecosystems and the diversity of uses.
