Background Economic growth in past decades has led to over-exploitation and pollution of water resources. Much water is currently wasted due to distribution network leakage that often exceeds 50% of the water supplied. Intensive agriculture has devastating effects in terms of groundwater over-abstraction and diffused pollution of aquifers and surface waters. Water quality in rivers is degraded due to pollution loads in the form of uncontrolled combined sewer overflows, industrial spills and poorly treated sewage effluent. The application of inadequate low water tariffs does not give consumers incentives to save water. The 'polluter pays' principle is still not applied on a wide scale. Natural ecosystems and the quality of life of society are negatively affected by all the above. At the current rate of water consumption the danger of resource depletion is real and international conflicts over water rights appear inevitable. This environmental situation could be reversed by enforcement of a new European Directive for a common water policy promoting protection and sustainable use of water resources. The complexity and global nature of the problem requires a holistic approach to water management. This implies consideration of the entire water cycle within river basins and joint involvement of all stakeholders. Objectives The project aimed to demonstrate a methodology implementing water management at river basin level involving relevant stakeholders in three Italian pilot river catchments. This would indicate the economic and technical viability of the methodology in supporting the New Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC of 23 October 2000. A further objective was widening application of the Integrated Catchment Simulator (ICS) to conditions in Central and Southern Italy as well as other European Mediterranean regions. The project also aimed to improve water stakeholder capacities by transferring innovative modelling and monitoring technologies. The project’s expected results included: - Stakeholder agreement on joint action to improve water quality in pilot river basins in compliance with the WFD; - Quantification of urban pollution loads into the pilot rivers and definition of measures to lower impacts on the water quality and quantity; - Adaptation and validation of the ICS in the pilot basins and promotion of ICS use by new end-users and other river basins in Italy and Europe; - Establishing monitoring and modelling systems at pilot sites; - Provision of guidelines to enhance water management at pilot river districts taking into account specific socio-economic and environmental conditions. Results The Wamaribas project implemented and tested an integrated methodology involving field investigation, monitoring, advanced hydraulic modelling as well as end user training. Wamaribas aimed at meeting technical requirements set down by the New Water Framework Directive. The method was tested on three pilot river basins in central southern Italy. The project demonstration focused on a specific case study, the assessment of technical-economic feasibility and environmental value for money of an engineering solution - storage tanks - to reduce heavily polluted ‘first flush’ discharges into rivers. The results achieved appear promising and the methodology’s potential should be wide enough to be adapted to a variety of environmental scenarios.