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The Rhine River Basin offers an example of how a forum for discussions between divergent interests has lead to the successful management of the watershed as an integrated whole. These interests include not only the classic conflicting views of upstream and downstream users, but also the equally compelling conflict between human and ecosystem uses of the watershed. Involvement of stakeholders and the broader public has been a crucial factor in moving the relevant governments and institutions toward fully integrated watershed approaches. Thus, the Rhine River basin may offer insights to management of water in the U.S. on several levels. In the broadest sense, although more hampered by cultural and language differences than the U.S., the nine riparian countries of the Rhine share a similar set of political, social and legal systems to the U.S., with strong democracies, vocal citizens and a court-based legal framework. There are similarities in competence and reach between institutional frameworks along the Rhine and river basin institutions in the U.S. and the environmental problems of the Rhine are also problems common to the U.S. - poor water quality caused by point and non-point source pollution making drinking water production difficult, and deteriorating ecosystems caused by a combination of changing flow regimes, land use and water quality. Yet, through various watershed approaches, the Rhine has seen a reversal not only of deteriorating trends in water quality, but also in what has been the complete extinction of several fish species. This paper highlights several lessons from the Rhine and their possible applicability to the U.S., especially with respect to drinking water issues. Includes 16 references, table, figure.

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Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 01/19/2003 Number of Pages: 20File Size: 1 file , 400 KB