Water Resources Program

In many parts of the world, there will be no transition to sustainable development without a transition to water sustainability. This requires a systemic perspective that links water resources to requirements for irrigation, industry, human needs and ecosystems. In recent years, the issue of the long-range adequacy of fresh water resources has moved to center stage in international discussions of sustainable development. The call for the adoption of sustainable water strategies has become urgent as conflicts over the allocation of increasingly scarce water resources loom.

The Water and Development Program advances integrated approaches to freshwater assessment and policy. SEI-US has actively sought to heighten awareness of freshwater problems and to develop appropriate strategies for living within water budgets in a sustainable manner.

We work in four areas:

• Methods for Integrated Water Analysis: Our WEAP (Water Evaluation And Planning) system provides a unique framework for water assessment and planning. WEAP is used to represent current water conditions in a given area and to explore a wide range of demand and supply options for balancing environment and development. WEAP is a transparent and user-friendly decision-support tool for engaging stakeholders in an open process.
• Capacity Building: WEAP is widely disseminated to water analysts throughout the world in both governmental and NGO settings. SEI-US conducts training workshops in integrated water planning relying on WEAP as a conceptual framework and practical approach for organizing information and supporting decision-making.
• River Basin Assessment: Working with local counterparts, SEI-US provides comprehensive assessments of water and environment in watersheds around the globe. These include: (1) a profile of supply and demand patterns, resources, and environmental issues, (2) demand trends and potential problems with respect to water adequacy, environmental pressure, in-stream flow levels, and so on, and (3) alternative scenarios and policy options for mitigating water stress.
• Global Water Futures: SEI-US has been at the forefront of analyzing global freshwater conditions, preparing alternative water scenarios, and setting priorities for action. This has included contributions to SEI/UN Comprehensive Freshwater Assessment and the World Water Vision.