GEF

Unit 2  |  Water Science and the Water Cycle 59 2.5  The Watershed Framework In addition to understanding water pollution and ecosystems, sustainability requires us to look at water from a landscape perspective. Once water falls onto the land, it collects in drain- age areas called watersheds that funnel water from higher elevations down to the sea or another water body. Watersheds can be relatively small, such as the size of a city (called a sub- watershed), or enormous, such as the entire Amazon Basin. In sustainability, a watershed framework is an approach to environmental management that focuses efforts in geographic areas defined by the ground and surface water. Looking at water management in this way is important because any time water is withdrawn from surface water or groundwater, it will affect resources and people in the same watershed. Studying the movement of water in a region makes it possible to identify the transport of pollutants or the effect of water withdrawals or land use changes on downstream users. The Mississippi River Watershed WATERSHED An area or ridge of land that separates water flowing to dif- ferent rivers, basins, or seas. WATERSHED FRAMEWORK An approach to environmen- tal management that focuses efforts in geographic areas defined by the ground and surface water.