John Wesley Powell, U.S. scientist and geographer, put it best when he
said that a watershed is: ...that area of land, a bounded hydrologic
system, within which all living things are inextricably linked by their
common water course and where, as humans settled, simple logic demanded
that they become part of a community. Watersheds come in all shapes and
sizes. They cross sectorial boundaries (e.g. county, state/province, and
country). No matter where you are, you are in a watershed! World-wide,
watersheds supply drinking water, provide r- reation and respite, and
sustain life. Watersheds are rich in natural capital, producing goods
(agriculture and fisheries products) and services (industry and
technology) for broad geographic areas. In many countries, at the base
of watersheds where tributaries empty into large water-bodies (e.g.
estuaries, seas, oceans) are centers of society and are typically
densely populated areas. These areas serve as concentrated centers of
the socio-economic system. They also are centers of domestic and
international trade, tourism, and c- merce as well as the center of
governments (capitals) where local, regional and national legislatures
are located. As we all live in a watershed, our individual actions can
directly affect it. The cumulative effects of all the individual actions
of everyone within a watershed may be, and often are devastating to the
quality of water resources and affect the health of living things
including humans. Therefore, watershed systems are highly subject to
threat to human security and peace.
