Environmental Issues

This report is prepared on the basis of the analysis carried out on River Basin Management. It takes into account the overall importance of river basins in the human life. In particular, the report considers the socio-economic benefits of river basins human activities and how they interfere with its management and well-being. This report will also establish the appropriate measures that need to be undertaken to safeguard and promote river basin management. As such, several realities of river basins will be considered, for instance, Mississippi River Basin et cetera.

River Basin Management
The major management concerns revolves includes the following the supervision of precipitation, the quantity and quality of surface groundwater, and sediment erosion, load, and transport procedures, the stabilization of the channels, flood risks evaluations, and food control. One of the recognized models of international river basin management is Senegal River Basin Development Authority.

It is important to note that river basins are multifaceted systems, where water is tapped in through from a catchment from rivers, lakes and groundwater this flow is always geared towards estuaries and lastly the sea (Griffiths 2002). Notably, the activities that take place in the river basin can have adverse consequences on the status of water and its ecology. Furthermore, these adverse effects extend to regional, social, environmental, and economic realms. Later in the subsequent chapters, we shall look at some of the benefits of river basins, not excluding their disadvantages in the universe.

Management operations and practices are not meant for only a single water use or a unilateral population segment or a single sector. Such practices may disturb other uses, populations and sectors (Lee  Dinar 1996). I concur with Lee and Dinar simply because river basins in themselves have a universal significance to all life in the universe. I also believe that all fundamental components need to be incorporated in the planning process for the water sources and their catchments. I realize that there are some elements in the world that cannot be a part of personalized wealth. Yes, one can own a personal car or a personal house or a personal company, just name it. But, one cannot talk of a personal river basin, for instance, Mississippi River Basin remains a national heritage and it should never be under the control of a sole proprietor. This is why this approach is referred to as Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM).

Therefore, we need to define Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM). It is that organizational procedure that aims at coordinating conservation, management and development of water land and other resources connected to them insofar as there are sectors within a given river basin. These organizational procedures aim at maximizing the economic and social benefits that proceed from water resources which ought to benefit every one equally while conserving and, where obligatory, restoring freshwater ecosystems (Global Water Partnership 2000). I realize that a lot of social and economic benefits are attached to river basins management. It is very easy to think that a number of natural resources in the world are not valuable at all. I am challenged because all along I did not bother to see the value of river basins. It is a pity that I have regarded a swimming pool as valuable to me and failed to pay attention to natural water catchment areas.  

The principal objective of the Integrated River Basin Management is to put in place a balance between the present natural functions of the river system and the improved aspects of the system. The course of action taken by the management must always meet the expectations of the society especially for industrial use, recreation, natural management and agriculture.

Benefits of River Basins in the World
Here, we shall explore the socio-economic benefits of the river basins in the society. We shall also familiarize ourselves with some of the river basins in the world and how they benefit their community.

In a bid to explore the socio-economic benefits of river basins I think it is good to look at some examples of river basins in parts of Africa. Actually, I realize that river basins are present in most countries. I have no doubt that their significance are so important that no country can afford to lack one. By the way, river basins are naturally established they are not a human investment or creation.
In order to have a sustainable usage of the worlds freshwater resources, it is imperative that socio-economic and hydro-environmental systems be regarded as mutually dependent. Notably, in Africa, the United Nations fosters these principles through supporting countries set up a framework for integrated management and fortification of transboundary watercourses essential to national development.

In my report findings, I learnt that the Okavango River Basin is shared by three nations namely Angola, Botswana, and Namibia. I learn that the basin straddles sub-humid climatic zones in Angola through semi-arid to arid climatic zones as found in northern Namibia and Botswana whose freshwater sources are scarce.

Indeed, the Okavango River Basin still remains one of the least human impacted basins all over the African continent. It is argued and justifiably so that Angola, Botswana, and Namibia will change its present stature if mounting of socio-economic pressures on the basin in the riparian countries takes place. I learn that this may in the long term, lead to irretrievable environmental breakdown and subsequent loss of domestic and global benefits.

I also gain insight from my report findings that the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UNDESA) is doing any thing it can to assist the riparian countries uphold these benefits which also demands agreement  with respect to the sharing of both the benefits and associated liabilities this includes those of an environmental and ecological nature. This agreement is effected through joint management of the basins water resources. In this regard, the UNDESA is providing support to the Permanent Okavango River Basin Commission (OKACOM).

This agreement was effected under the SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourse System together with the 1997 UN Convention on the policy of the non-navigational uses of international watercourses. The OKAKOM deal enables the riparian countries to work toward the execution of an Integrated Management Plan (IMP) for the basin on the basis of an Environmental Assessment (EA).

It is reported that the Okavango drains into the Kalahari Desert as an alluvial fun, widely referred to as the Okavango Delta which serves as a national wetland reserve.

Let us now turn to Mississippi River Basin which happens to be the longest and largest river with respect to discharge. I learn that the Mississippi River Basin covers more than 40 of the US land area. The drainage basin of Mississippi River is the worlds second largest, draining 4.76 million square kilometers, together with tributaries from thirty two US states and two Canadian provinces. Its watershed covers 40 of the contiguous United States whereas the chief tributaries comprise Missouri, Ohio, Arkansas, and Tennessee (Wiener 1984).

The Mississippi River Basin has got a number of benefits to the people of the basin. I discover that populations of over 18 million people depend on it for water supply the communities use it to discharge industrial and municipal wastes but as prescribed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Midwestern farmers use it to ship grains to world markets. I must say that I am amazed to discover that 60 of U.S. grain exports are shipped via the Mississippi. Again, the river generates approximately 2 million yearly from commercial fishing and more than 1 billion from Upper Mississippi recreation alone (Theiling 1995).

In my report findings I learnt that Malaysia as a whole is full of water bodies. It is estimated that there are more than 100 river systems in Peninsular Malaysia and over 50 river systems in Sabah and Sarawak. These river systems are estimated to contribute roughly 97 of the raw water supply source. It has been noted that growth in population enjoined with rapid agricultural and industrial development is endangering the availability of sufficient water resources in a bid to meet the increasing water demand. This is becoming a pressing issue to the community. Pollution of river basins has also been a major issue. In the year 2006, only seven of Malaysias river basins were categorized as polluted. (See Appendix. A).