Institutional Dimension of Urban Water Supply and Urbanisation in the Lake Uromiyeh Basin and Wetlands

Providing a safe and reliable source of drinking water for urban population is one of the main global challenges of the 21st century (Ivey et al, 2006). Inadequate supply of water and proper sanitation are more of a problem for the disadvantaged or disfranchised section of the society. Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) as an integral part of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is a framework to “understand, control, monitor and optimise elements of the urban water infrastructure as an integrated system including wastewater treatment plant(s), sewer network, receiving water body, drinking water plant and source water body, (Cowie et al, 2005). Provision and access of safe drinking water and improved sanitation are part of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which were set in 1992 in Johannesburg. Iran is working towards achieving the MDGs. The Strategic Long Term plan was ratified by the Council of Ministers in 2004, a year ahead of the 2005 deadline (IWRMC, 2004). Population growth and urbanisation are two phenomena in which put a great deal of pressure on water and land resources. . In a world in which water scarcity is a fact of life, water sector institutions need to be reoriented to cater for the needs of changing supply -demand and quantity-quality relationships in the emerging realities (Saleth & Dinar, 2003). One of the main obstacles to implement IWRM is institutional inadequacy (WWF, 2006). The neglect of the institutional dimension in Iran’s urban water management has created a huge drawback in implementing IUWM. In this paper, the impact of urbanisation and land change practices on the Lake Uromiyeh basin in NE of Iran are reviewed with an analysis of the institutional set up.

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