Therefore, since environmental and health institutions that are involved with the environmental management and
policy-making (ministers of environment, agriculture, construction and energy and mines; CAN representatives;
universities; health and scientific research centers; public associations; and consultants) agree that the water resource
management should involve the entire country [37]. Also, environmental management should be based on
knowledge and understanding of the functions and capacities of natural resources in the Peruvian ecosystem in order
to support human activities and demands [38]. The water management for domestic, industrial and agricultural
usage has to be geographically, culturally, socially, economically integrated in order to follow the principles of
IWRM equity, efficiency and sustainability. As for the political integration, environmental policies have to include
these concepts and principles in local, regional and national policies. However, it is important to delimitate rights
and clearly define the responsibilities and functions of the authorities involved.
Environmental policies are needed in order to achieve sustainable use of natural resources and address
environmental problems mainly caused byhuman activities. Even though the water resources law 29338 took a big
step in improving water use, protection and conservation, its implementations might make little progress in a strong
vertical system because of the bureaucratic process (i.e. legal, administrative and geographic boundaries). Therefore,
either on the country level or the regional level, such as countries involved in a joint environmental project (i.e.,
CAN’s project), a shared holistic and coordinated framework is needed. The basins, watersheds, slopes and estuaries
management requires an operational framework and mechanisms for addressing ecologicalinterconnectedness as
well as upstream-downstream impacts as part of the same aquatic ecosystem. Their management and policy need a
jurisdictional, multi-sector and multidisciplinary approach towards aquatic ecosystems. Besides, for the purpose of
encouraging sustainable use, managementand policies not only have to bebased on administrative and political
aspects, but also on geographic, social, economic, scientific and technological aspects. Therefore, representatives are
motivated to participate in the management process, recognizing what institutions are in charge so that they trust and
understand their well-defined, transparent functions in order to improve efficiency in IWRM implementation.