Integrated water resource management in complex systems:How the catchment management strategies seek to achieve sustainability and equity in water resources in South Africa

Sharon Pollard，Derick du Toit

Abstract：It is increasingly evident amongst practitioners and academics alike that the management approaches of the past have failed to deal adequately with the challenges posed by complex and rapidly changing systems. Indeed the call for integrated approaches such as those embodied in integrated water resource management (IWRM) reflects such concerns. This is because these systems are characterised by complexity in which an understanding of linkages, multiple drivers and unpredictable outcomes is critical. It is also widely recognised that the management of such systems requires an iterative, ‘learning-by-doing’ approach that is reflexive in nature and builds learning into the next management cycle. We suggest that any attempt to define and implement viable and effective governance of water resources, as well as rehabilitation measures, requires understanding that catchments are complex systems showing the aforementioned characteristics. As a corollary, an adaptive management approach appears best suited to such conditions. In this paper we argue that South Africa’s highly-acclaimed National Water Act and associated policy documents such as the National Water Resource Strategy is an example of a policy document that reflects this thinking, as is evident in the guidelines for the development of catchment management strategies which are introduced and described. These offer a framework for the development of a holistic, systems understanding which is strategic and adaptive. In particular, under such a framework, we select the two cornerstones of the Act – sustainability and equity – to explore this theme. We show that under such a framework ensuring that both these principles are achieved is not through one simplistic management action but through an integrated, systems approach. The development of strategies is driven by principles which help one to navigate issues that emerge in complex systems in a flexible way. Visioning and scenarios offer important management tools for establishing a hierarchy of actions that can achieve the overarching principles and that can accommodating change. In complex systems, the users must be part of deriving management solutions since this is where and how they learn. Self-organisation, identity and embeddedness are all essential characteristics of building resilience in a catchment system.

Keywords: complex systems, integrated water resource management, catchment management strategies, sustainability, equity

复杂大系统水资源综合管理：在南非采用何种管理策略实现水资源的可持续性和公平性

作者：Sharon Pollard and Derick du Toit

关键词：复杂大系统，水资源综合管理，流域管理措施，可持续性，公平性

摘要：决策者和学者都意识到，传统管理方法无法很好解决复杂和变化环境带来的严峻挑战。对水资源综合管理的需要就体现了这一观点。由于水资源相关系统非常复杂，因此认知其联系、驱动过程以及不可预知的结果是非常关键的。与此同时，人们也普遍认识到这些体系的管理也需要反复的、条件反射式的“从实践中学习”的方法，需要将学习成果带入到下一个管理周期中。本文提出，实施可行、有效的水资源管理的尝试需要首先认识到流域是一个具备多种特征的复杂大系统。由此可知，一种自适应的管理方法才能更好的解决这种问题。本文中讨论了南非值得称赞的国家水法案和政策文件。国家水资源策略是相关政策文件的一个例子。这些法案和文件为全面系统的理解提供了框架。在这种框架下，我们选择出了两大法案基础性原则即可持续性和公平性来探究我们的主题。本文研究表明，这种框架，不是通过一种简单的管理行为而是通过一种系统、全面的方法来实现目标的。预测和情景分析为提供了重要的管理方法，既符合各种原则而且可以适应变化。在复杂大系统中，用户必须自己想出一部分的管理方法。自我组织、识别等机制在建立自适应性的流域系统中是非常重要的。