Natural resource dependent communities, similar to the ones in the State of Uttarakhand in India, face survival threat due to the increase in natural wealth depletion and environmental degradation. Ensuring sustainable livelihood for the people and reversing the negative environmental trend will require the use of participatory integrated watershed management approach.

Previous country experiences have shown that natural and social ecological considerations are crucial in the move towards a holistic approach to urban flood management. This presentation discusses the Urban Watershed Framework adopted by the City of San Francisco in California, USA, as a new approach to urban water management.