A project entitled "Capacity-building in strategic planning and management of natural resources in Asia and the Pacific" was launched in 2000 aimed at assisting planners and decision makers in developing strategies to address the trade-offs and complimentarities between policies on economic growth, social equity and environmental objectives. Efforts were made to review achievements in water resources management in the region, including those of ESCAP, to form the basis for preparing a set of guidelines on strategic planning and management of water resources. The draft guidelines were refined at workshops, and then used in seventeen case studies in the region. These published guidelines are aimed primarily at assisting decision makers, planners and practising water resources experts in the formulation and implementation of strategic plans for water-related organizations. The publication is also intended to serve as a reference for planners and practising professionals working in other sectors when dealing with water resources development.