GWAM—An Institutional Model to Address Watershed Impacts from Urbanization: Conceptual Framework

Abstract

The urbanization process exerts negative multidisciplinary impacts on the integrity of natural watershed conditions. These impacts are best analyzed and addressed with local inputs, as many of these are site specific and require consistent local monitoring along with appropriate policies and regulations from conventional governance in an interdisciplinary platform. With the realization of the limitations to top-down and bottom-up watershed management approaches in addressing issues associated with urbanization, a conceptual framework for a hybrid approach that tries to effectively integrate the advantages of the two approaches while overcoming their respective limitations, the Grass root Watershed Management model (GWAM), is presented in this paper. The model is to establish a self-sustaining and effective institutional forum that can be used in watersheds across geographical and political boundaries while accommodating the urbanization process. GWAM consists of three crucial components: a common platform, a partnership among major groups of stakeholders, and a facilitation mechanism to conduct the watershed management at local lever or grass-root level. With effective integration of the governmental agencies and institutes at the top with the local residents and non-governmental organizations at the bottom, the concept is that the hybrid approach can serve as a self-sustaining model in achieving effective management of urbanization impacts.