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Ecologically Sustainable Water Management

Related Information ESWM Framework Case Studies

Resources IHA Software Environmental Flow Prescriptions Flow Restoration Database Publications

"300 Springs" at Green River in Kentucky, United States © Lynda Richardson

Sustainable Rivers Project In 2002, The Nature Conservancy joined the Army Corps of Engineers to develop the Sustainable Rivers Project, a collaborative national program. We are working with the Corps to assess opportunities for modifying operations of 16 dams on 12 rivers to improve ecosystem health.

More than 97% of the water on Earth is too salty to drink or support freshwater biodiversity, and only a fraction of all fresh water is easily accessible for human use. As our human population grows, our needs for fresh water are also increasing, yet the water available to meet these needs remains the same. Hence, more and more pressure is being placed on these limited fresh water resources.

In response to growing concerns about future water supplies, governments and water planners around the world are exploring ways to sustainably manage fresh water resources to ensure there will be water for future generations.

However, in our efforts to secure and manage fresh water for human needs, we must consider the water needs of freshwater species and ecosystems as well. Freshwater species are now five times more endangered than terrestrial species. Healthy freshwater ecosystems provide valuable natural services—such as water purification, plant and animal foods, flood control, recreation, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity maintenance—that are being lost because of improper water management.

The Nature Conservancy believes there is a way to find a balance between the fresh water needs of people and ecosystems. The Conservancy’s response to this challenge is to advocate Ecologically Sustainable Water Management (ESWM)—the compatible integration of human and natural ecosystem needs.

The ESWM framework outlines key components of an ecologically sustainable water management program, in which human needs for water are met by storing and diverting water in a manner that can sustain or restore the ecological integrity of affected river ecosystems.

We believe that ecologically sustainable water management is attainable in the vast majority of the world’s river basins. However, this quest will become far less feasible if we wait until water supplies are further over-appropriated.