Flows and Practices: The politics of integrated water resources management (IWRM) in Africa

Project dates: 2012 – 2014

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has emerged as a key approach in the water sector in the past decade. However, IWRM has not produced the anticipated socio-economic, political and ecological outcomes due to the uncertainty and complexity of river basins and the plural, overlapping and competing formal and informal legal and customary systems in the African context. This research sought to link ideas of IWRM as constructed at the global and European level to their translation into narratives and practices in eastern and southern Africa (Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe).

This project was funded by the Research Council of Norway and ran from 2012 – 2014. For outputs and more information, visit the Institute of Development Studies website.

Participating institutions:

  • Noragric, Norway (William Derman, Lyla Mehta, Synne Movik)
  • IDS (Jeremy Allouche, Lyla Mehta and Alan Nicol)
  • IWMI (Barbara van Koppen)
  • Sokoine University of Agriculture (Andrew Tarimo)
  • Wageningen University (Alex Bolding)
  • University of Zimbabwe, (Emmanuel Manzungu)

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