Improving water use efficiency as part of integrated catchment management

Sustainable agricultural development requires technologies and practices th at make more efficient and productive use of resources and an enabling envi ronment that encourages the adoption of these technologies. Many institutio ns and international agencies are showing considerable interest in integrat ed catchment management (ICM) as a practical means of improving the managem ent of water resources, reducing environmental degradation and promoting su stainable agricultural development. This paper outlines some of the main co mponents of ICM and lists some of the prerequisites for establishing collec tive responsibility for, in particular, groundwater resources. This paper a lso discusses the extent to which programmes of ICM can be used as a means of conserving water resources and improving water use efficiency and produc tivity at the farm and catchment scales. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. AU rights reserved.