Improving water use efficiency as part of integrated catchment management

Sustainable agricultural development requires technologies and practices that make more efficient and productive use of resources and an enabling environment that encourages the adoption of these technologies. Many institutions and international agencies are showing considerable interest in integrated catchment management (ICM) as a practical means of improving the management of water resources, reducing environmental degradation and promoting sustainable agricultural development. This paper outlines some of the main components of ICM and lists some of the prerequisites for establishing collective responsibility for, in particular, groundwater resources. This paper also discusses the extent to which programmes of ICM can be used as a means of conserving water resources and improving water use efficiency and productivity at the farm and catchment scales. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. AU rights reserved.