‘Integrated’ approaches to water and natural resources management in South Australia

Abstract

In the context of criticism that the definition and scope of integrated water resources management have not been clearly defined, experience in South Australia from the early 1970s to 2014 related to a holistic and integrated approach to water and natural resources management is examined. Three different approaches have been used in South Australia, each striving to be more holistic and integrated than its predecessor. A key challenge for managers is to achieve efficient and effective implementation of related policies, programmes and plans as more aspects become incorporated into a holistic and integrated approach. A main conclusion is that to successfully implement a holistic and integrated approach it is essential to be clear what ‘integrated’ and ‘holistic’ mean, because they are not the same or interchangeable. Furthermore, integrated and focused approaches are not mutually exclusive, and can be pursued simultaneously. This conclusion questions the argument that an integrated approach inevitably leads to so many variables being considered that it becomes so complex, unwieldy and cumbersome that it leads to non-actionable initiatives.

Keywords::

• IWRM
• South Australia
• integrated natural resources management
• resilience

Acknowledgements

The research for this article was made possible through the appointment of Bruce Mitchell as an ANZSOG-Goyder Institute Visiting Professor in Public Policy and Management at Flinders University for 3 1/2 months in early 2014. The authors are very grateful for the financial and administrative support provided through the visiting professorship programme. This article is one of two based on a report prepared for the Goyder Institute and published by Flinders University (Mitchell, 2014b). The second article will be published in Water Policy. The authors are grateful for the suggestions from a reviewer and the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Water Resources Development, which led to improvements in this article.