Wasserbewirtschaftungssystems

Wasserbewirtschaftung, or water management, is the planning, development, distribution, and regulation of water resources to maximize social, economic, and environmental benefits while maintaining ecosystem health. It covers freshwater supply, irrigation, flood control, wastewater treatment, and the management of groundwater and ecosystems.

Modern Wasserbewirtschaftung often follows integrated water resources management (IWRM), which seeks cross-sectoral coordination across catchments or river basins, balancing the needs of households, industry, agriculture, energy, and nature.

It relies on policy frameworks, permits, pricing, and standards. Governance involves government agencies, utilities, municipalities, and stakeholders, with public participation and transparent decision-making. In the European Union, the Water Framework Directive guides objectives and river basin management plans.

Key tools include hydrological models, monitoring networks, GIS, remote sensing, and SCADA systems to forecast demand, track inflows, optimize operations, and detect pollutants.

Major challenges include climate change, aging infrastructure, pollution, competing uses, and funding gaps. The field emphasizes sustainability, resilience, and equitable access, and increasingly uses digital technologies and nature-based solutions to improve efficiency and ecosystem services.