Changes in Freshwater Systems Management and Governance

Abstract

Freshwater resources provide a broad set of environmental and ecosystem services which are essential for healthy living of humans and their food and energy production, social and economic stability. This system is also critical for biodiversity, for example providing habitat for many invertebrate and vertebrate species, aquatic animals, and fish species. Along with the increasing human population and socioeconomic development levels have resulted in rapid development of water resources and the replacement of naturally occurring and functioning systems with highly modified and human-engineered systems. Humans need the freshwater provisioning services such as irrigation, domestic water, power production, temperature maintenance and transportation which come from inland water ecosystems such as rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands. Freshwater ecosystem is directly associated with terrestrial ecosystem through recreation, scenic values, fisheries and biodiversity preservation and ecosystem function, which is essential for the sustainable development of human life.