Integrated Water Resources Management: A ‘Small’ Step for Conceptualists, a Giant Step for Practitioners

Although the origin of the IWRM concept is sometimes placed in Mar del Plata, Dublin or after the GWP, it has been around for more than 45 to 50 years. Evolving, it has incorporated something dear for each, achieving universal acceptance. Like a mantra, no national, regional or international organization in the Americas fails to promote ‘some’ IWRM concept. This is no small step conceptually, if not compared to what would be needed to bring it to practice. In an effort to clarify if there will ever be a universal understanding as to what IWRM means in practice, some practical hurdles in examples from Latin America are examined. The result is more questions than answers, the most important of which is how, if, and when IWRM can be used to achieve practical results for the end-users of water.