WATER-QUALITY MANAGEMENT - CAN WE IMPROVE INTEGRATION TO FACE FUTURE-PROBLEMS

Water (and its deteriorating quality) may be the most severe stress on the exponentially growing human population in the next century. Probl ems are becoming increasingly complex and diverse and require more and more specific knowledge, and efficient integration across various dis ciplines, sectors, countries, and societies. The major challenge addre ssed is whether we are prepared to realize the desired integration and to resolve the large amount of existing gaps and barriers. The paper analyzes major past and desired future trends in water quality managem ent. A number of issues are selected such as the identification, occur rence, and perception of various problems (e.g. eutrophication, acidif ication, global warming), pollution control types, wastewater treatmen t, modeling and monitoring, planning and environmental impact assessme nt, legislation and institutions, the notion of sustainable developmen t, and the role of science and engineering. The past two decades showe d tremendous developments in water quality management. in spite of the se, the focus of the present discussion lies mostly on pitfalls to dis seminate lessons and questions which are crucial to likely future prob lems and desired improvements.