Trends Towards Interactive Watermanagement; Developments in International River Basin Management

The Dutch history of water policy shows different phases, in which every new historical stage adds new policy objects to the existing ones. This century a sectoral interpretation of water management emerged, it was followed by the nowadays generally accepted ideas of "integrated water management". A study of new developments in water management however, leads to the conclusion that yet another concept appears. Referring to the principle that the water policy agencies are in an interactive dialogue with watersystem and society system, it can be called "interactive water management".The basic elements, such as interaction, water system approach, integration and sustainability are in line with several global trends and are generally supported by publications with global impact on issues of environment and water. Some of the elements are already put into practice, for example in the international river basin commissions for the river Rhine or in the USA-Canadian and USA-Mexican water commissions. Questions to be answered concern the advantages and disadvantages of these new developments and what can be said about suitable institutional arrangements.