ICWFM

Background:
Water and flood management plays a key role in economic growth and social development. Water scarcity undermines the security of public health, food, environment and livelihood. Flood damage to agricultural land, homestead and infrastructure destabilizes the socio-economic activities. Many water and flood management projects have been unable to achieve the desired objectives because of inefficient water use, inequitable distribution of project benefits and costs, inappropriate institutional framework, and inadequate legal and regulatory measures, leading to many adverse impacts on the natural and socio-economic systems. With this background water management is becoming more complex and challenging because of the increasing trend in population, water demand, food demand, energy demand, urbanization, industrial production and economic growth. The decision making process faces multiple users, competing needs, uncertainty due to climate variability and cross-sectoral implications due to the interdependence of land, water, ecosystems and socio-economic developments. The interdependence calls for integrated approach to water and flood management that can address the needs of the development goals. The advances in information and communication technology provide opportunities for developing tools for the prediction of impacts of water management decisions on development goals. There is a need for concerted effort to identify appropriate water policies, strategies and management practices to achieve sustainable solutions to water and flood management problems.

Purpose:
The purpose of the International Conference on Water and Flood Management (ICWFM) is to discuss the problems and issues and to advance knowledge on water and flood management in order to promote environmentally sustainable development. Towards this, the conference aimed to bring academicians, researchers, professionals, decision makers and policy makers together for exchange of views and experiences on water and flood management. It focused on integrated approach to water and flood management to address issues like increasing water use efficiency, improving water resources system performance, reducing vulnerability and developing resiliency against water related hazards, preserving environmental quality, protecting ecosystem, coping with climate variability, promoting participatory management, and ensuring equity and social justice in decision making process. It requested to bring forward research findings, case studies, success stories, recent advances in planning and design methodologies, and examples of improved water management policies, institutions, strategies and practices.

ICWFM REPORTS:
› ICWFM-2011
› ICWFM-2009
› ICWFM-2007