Uses of Rivers

Rivers have been used as a source of water, for food, for transport, as a defensive barrier and as a source of power to drive machinery. For thousands of years rivers have been used for navigation.

Riverine navigation provides the cheapest means of transport and is still used extensively in Sarawak and Sabah. In the forest logging areas, timber loggers use the river to float felled trees downstream to lumber camps for further processing, saving much effort and cost by transporting the huge heavy logs by natural means. Rivers have been a source of food since pre-history. Apart from being a rich source of fish, prawns, shells and crabs, rivers indirectly aid cultivation by supplying water for crops. Rivers sustain their own food chain. They are a major source of fresh water; hence, it is no surprise to find most of the major towns and cities situated on the banks of rivers. Unfortunately, rivers readily provide an easy means of waste disposal and a source of gravel and sand generated and moved by rivers and used for construction. Rivers should be enjoyed not for their capacity for waste disposal, but rather for the beauty of rivers and their surroundings, which contributes to recreation as well as tourist income.

Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM)

On the other hand, Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) is the process of coordinating conservation, management and development of water, land and related resources across sectors within a given river basin, in order to maximize the economic and social benefits derived from water resources in an equitable manner while preserving and, where necessary, restoring freshwater ecosystems ([1] GWP, 2002).

River Management Vision

IRBM is thus a subset of IWRM and is the effective approach or tool to achieve IWRM objectives on the river basin basis. In simple terms, it is the management of a river basin as an entity, not as a series of individual, unconnected pieces. It is geared towards integrating and coordinating policies, programmes and practices. It addresses water and water related issues. It requires improved professional capacity and increased financial, legislative, managerial and political capacity.

River Management Vision

IRBM is thus a subset of IWRM and is the effective approach or tool to achieve IWRM objectives on the river basin basis. In simple terms, it is the management of a river basin as an entity, not as a series of individual, unconnected pieces. It is geared towards integrating and coordinating policies, programmes and practices. It addresses water and water related issues. It requires improved professional capacity and increased financial, legislative, managerial and political capacity.