International Watershed Management

International watershed management refers to the multistakeholder process of creation, implementation, and monitoring of plans, projects, and programs aimed at the sustenance and enhancement of watershed functions across national boundaries. The complexity of the term reflects the complexity of approaching watershed management at an international or transboundary scale. At national levels, most countries have environmental laws that dictate the planning approaches and actions that agencies need to take to manage their watersheds, while at an international level there is no legislature that regulates how transboundary watersheds are managed. As a result, international watershed management can become a contentious issue and is generally based on bilateral or multilateral agreements between and among stakeholders. Increasingly, forecasts of climate change and economic shifts single out water resources management ...