Integrated river basin management (IRBM) is an approach that has been interpreted in a number of different ways during the last 100 years. Current support for IRBM is based on a ‘myth’ of inter‐agency co‐ordination. However, increasing complexity and uncertainty in river basin systems has created ‘wicked’ or ‘messy’ land and water management problems. The limited capacity of state institutions to deal effectively with such conditions suggests that the current ‘myth’ must be reformed and that a more powerful system‐response capability founded on inter‐organisational collaboration should be developed. The case for a collaborative institutional approach to IRBM is examined with reference to the Fraser Basin Council in British Columbia, Canada.

Ecosystems continue to experience degradation worldwide, with diminishing ecosystem services presenting unfavourable outlooks for all aspects of human wellbeing including health. To inform protective policies that safeguard both ecological and health benefits, syntheses of available knowledge are required especially for neglected ecosystems such as mangroves. However, reviews about relationships between mangroves and human health are rare.

Implementation of IWRM has generally been approached mechanistically, with attention focused on identifying necessary conditions and developing useful tools and techniques. In contrast, this article examines alternative approaches to implementation in their totality, using IWRM in England as a case analysis. In England, the EU Water Framework Directive has been implemented through a ‘top-down’ approach but a ‘bottom-up’ approach has been adopted for catchment management. Both the Water Framework Directive and the catchment-based approach are consistent with the goals of IWRM, but their implementation arrangements are disconnected and operate at different scales. This example suggests that cross-scale interplay and bridging institutions are critical to the successful implementation of IWRM in complex governance settings.

This paper examines the implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in the Cross river basin, Nigeria. The Cross River Basin Development Authority (CRBDA) was established in 1976 with a mandate for integrated development, using the abundant water resources available in the region. Thirty years after the creation of the CRBDA, there is still a large gap between the original objectives and the actual delivery of services to meet the needs of the people. A wide range of study methods, including stakeholder meetings, focus group sessions, interviews and observations at village meetings of selected communities was used to examine the implementation of IWRM against the expectations and needs of the people. The paper concludes that IWRM in the Cross river basin (CRB) has not been very successful. This is attributed to a number of institutional factors, including legal, political, administrative and financial obstacles. This paper recommends that IWRM policies in the CRB should be reformed to reflect local circumstances and conditions.