Strategic Water Systems Planning

About this report:

This document outlines the framework which Deltares uses to guide their planning and analyses of water systems. It is based on knowledge gained from many years of experience that Deltares and collaborating partners have had in carrying out strategic planning studies. ‘Water system’ is a broad term which can be applied to many different types of water resources, including river basins, coastal zones, urban water systems, groundwater systems, etc. Each water system is different and has its own specific physical, socio-economic and institutional characteristics and challenges. Consequently, strategic planning studies for any particular water system will be unique and will require its own approach. But even in recognizing this uniqueness, the approach should be systematic and should follow a logical process of sequential steps.  This systematic approach is the basis of Strategic Water Systems Planning Framework (Analysis Framework). Although water systems and their respective challenges show considerable variety and variability, the underlying principles for an integrated planning process are always the same. The Analysis Framework presents these underlying principles in a generic manner that can be easily adapted and tailored to fit the needs of a specific project. This is often done in the Inception Phase of a planning study. As such, the Analysis Framework is not meant to be a rigid checklist of steps that must be followed, but rather a guide for planners of specific systems as they develop their own approach to planning and analysis.

The objective of this document is to describe the background of strategic planning of water systems and to illustrate how a strategic planning study can be carried out. It emphasizes the need for an integrated, comprehensive and inclusive approach. The step-by-step and systems-based framework.

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