Comprehensive water resources management : a concept paper

The increasing competition for water supplies world-wide has necessitated a more intensive look at water availability and prioritization of needs. The Water Sector of the World Bank has experienced several conflicting needs in the same area; for example in India, a large irrigation scheme became inoperable when the water was diverted for an urban water supply system. This is in part due to different departments of the World Bank being responsible for different water sector projects. User conflicts are not a new issue in water projects; industry, agriculture and municipalities have often competed for increasingly scarce water supplies. Economically seen, urban water users are often willing to pay high prices for water, and are sometimes forced to, while water used for irrigation is usually much lower priced per unit. Uncollected revenues also play a part. This paper outlines the major problems of water conflicts from an economic standpoint, and urges the need for a more comprehensive view within the World Bank Water Sector.