Scarcity of water resources for social and economic development has been at the heart of the global debate on sustainable development for a number of years. This has led to real and perceived conflicts between sectors, nations and stakeholders, and particularly to rethinking the balance between water consumption for economic activities and the amount of water required for maintaining a healthy environment. In analyzing water resources there has been a traditional focus on so-called "blue water" and an underestimation of the value and potential use of "green water" resources: the water used by ecosystems and rainfed agriculture to yield biomass and agricultural produce. Interesting options to enhance water resources availability can be found in matching blue and green water resources and in enhancing the productivity of water, expressed in output per m3, and in the recycling and reuse of water. Attempts to attribute a value to the water resources and to maximize the value in a broad societal context are particularly challenging, and require careful analysis and critical scrutiny.

In addition there are other challenges that need attention for a holistic perspective on integrated water resource management. There can be weak regulating institutions such as basin councils or committees that act as conduit of information from bottom to up and of control from top to bottom. There can also be weak or non-existent financial institutions that may otherwise allow stakeholders to adopt better adaptation strategies (such as cheaper credit to build water infrastructure), weak capacity building institutions or even weak legal institutions that bestow credibility to and safeguards the role of various institutions and underrepresented stakeholders.

This session aims to discuss the above challenges, in an effort to provide a sound platform for debates on integrated water resource management.