Drivers, Pressures and Stressors: The Societal Framework of Water Resources Management

Every aspect of human activity and development indeed subjects water to a number of pressures at accelerated paces. Rapidly expanding populations, urbanisation, agricultural intensification, increasing energy demand, industrial production, land use changes, along with every infrastructure development works, among others, constitute a complex set of drivers who become source of pressure to the water bodies, and stress to their associated ecosystems. This chapter analyses a number of pressures and how they become sources of stress to water bodies but also on social systems. Thus three additional areas and interconnections (water and migration, water and food security and water and health) are presented to illustrate the associated drivers and pressures which ultimately yield stresses with unwelcome social and natural consequences. Each section ends with suggested actions to be taken in responding to threats and achieving realistic planning and efficient decision making for water management.