Asian Development Bank

Guidelines for Mainstreaming Natural River Management in Water Sector Investments Asian Development Bank

This publication provides guidance on how natural river management (NRM) approaches can be applied in water sector investments to promote sustainable development, protect biodiversity, and conserve natural resources.

The NRM approach is designed to harness the natural functions of river systems so they sustainably provide important services such as water supply and flood and drought management. Drawing heavily on the concepts of ecosystem services, integrated water resources management, and integrated river basin management, NRM aims to harmonize nature-based solutions and nonstructural measures with engineering interventions. This publication explains the value of NRM and provides step-by-step guidance on how the approach can be systematically integrated into water sector investments.