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IWRM Frameworks: USA and South Africa77and legal/institutional pillars to ensure the longtermsustainability of these efforts (Schad 1998,Viessman, Jr. 1998, Ballweber 1999, Galloway2003).In 1998, the President and Vice Presidentattempted to provide leadership for watershedmanagement and many elements of IWRMthrough a Clean Water Action Plan (United Statesof America 1998, 2000). The Plan had threegoals: (1) enhance public health protection fromwater pollution threats, (2) more effective controlof polluted runoff, and (3) promote water qualityprotection on a watershed basis. Regarding thepolitical pillar, Congress did not have a singleauthorizing or appropriating committee to debatethe entire plan. So despite general support fromimpacted interest groups and stakeholders, therewas no opportunity for Congress to conduct acomprehensive review of the plan or considerfunding tradeoffs between agencies and similarprograms (Copeland 1998, 2000). The Plan waslargely abandoned when a new administration tookoffice in the Executive Branch.Notwithstanding the lack of a national IWRMstrategy, the national government has shownpolitical, legal and institutional support for somehigh profile, “great waterbody” initiatives withstrong state and local political support such as theFlorida Everglades, Great Lakes, and ChesapeakeBay (Hughes and Burke, Jr. 1996, Ballweber1999, Copeland 2000). Reflecting the importanceof vertical integration in the political and legal/institutional pillars, state and local politicalsupport on a multi-state or regional scale can sparkfederal political support for legal/institutionalflexibility and funding for watershed managementefforts (Hughes et al. 1996). The country’s largelyinformal bottom-up, collaborative approach towatershed management still struggles as individualwatershed partnerships attempt to gain legitimacywith federal and state agencies in adoptingmanagement plans, or to wean themselves offof agency grant funding (Ballweber et al. 2005,Sabatier et al. 2005). Agencies are quick toparticipate in such collaborative efforts, but areoften legally prohibited from delegating any oftheir authority or responsibilities to these newpartnerships.Near-Term Opportunities for IWRMIn evaluating IWRM, it is vital to rememberthat it is a process and not an event (Hooper 2003,MacKay 2003). Despite the fact that South Africahas created a very sound top-down framework tosupport Catchment Management Agencies, it is stillexperiencing challenges in effectively empoweringlocal collaborative initiatives or partnerships(Hattingh et al. 2004, MacKay and Ashton 2004,Maharaj and Pietersen 2004, Waalewijn et al.2005). A formal national IWRM framework needsto have sufficient flexibility to realize that not allcatchments are equally ready for IWRM, or tocreate and participate in a Catchment ManagementAgency. Chess and Gibson (2001) identify threefundamental attributes for successful, sustainablewatershed management efforts that are equallyapplicable to IWRM:1. Scientifi c Feasibility – management mustinclude specific actions with a clear causalrelationship between actions taken andmeasurable improvements in meeting prioritywater issues;2. Social Feasibility – agency agendas mustaddress local priorities and needs reflectedby strong civic engagement and leadership;similarly a statutory framework to delegateauthority, establish planning procedures andprioritize technical and financial assistanceresources is important; and3. Motivational Feasibility – as they evolve,watershed management may need differentapproaches to maintain strong localparticipation including incentives (regulatoryflexibility), norm-based (stakeholders wantto conform to new norms) or other emotionalresponses (civic pride).Much like watershed management, IWRMis more likely to succeed and be sustainable incatchments with all three attributes. Agenciesand other organizations can lay the groundworkfor successful future implementation of IWRMplans by working to strengthen individualattributes at the local level as part of internationalor national IWRM approaches. By recognizingriver basins where these attributes are alreadyin place, agencies and other organizations canhelp prioritize areas for early or fast track IWRMefforts while working to build or strengthen localJOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY WATER RESEARCH & EDUCATIONUCOWR