Riverregulationandrivertraininghavebeenperformedforvariouspurposesandnegativeeffectshavebeenshowninnumerouscases.Insomecasesthenegativeeffectsaresoseriousthathumanshavetoconsiderto'renaturalize'theregulatedrivers.Onlybyusingthestrategyofintegratedrivermanagementtheperseriverusesandnaturalfluvialprocessesandecologicalsystemsmaybeharmonized.Basedonanalysisofcasestudiesanddatacollectedfromliteraturesthispaperpresentstheconceptofintegratedrivermanagementandfourprinciplesofrivertraining.Theintegratedrivermanagementcomprises:1)takingthewatershed,upperstreambasinincludingthetributaries,middleandlowerreachesandtheestuaryasanintegratedentityintheplanning,designandmanagement;and2)mitigatingorcontrollingthenegativeimpactsonhydrology,erosionandsedimentation,fluvialprocesses,landuseandriveruse,environmentandecologywhileinachievingeconomicbenefitfromwaterresourcesdevelopment,floodsafetymanagementandhydropowerexploitation.Rivertrainingandmanagementshouldbeinaccordancewiththefourprinciples:1)extendingthedurationofriverwaterflowingonthecontinent,whichmaybeachievedbyextendingtherivercourseorreducingtheflowvelocity;2)controllingvariouspatternsoferosionsandreducingthesedimenttransportationintherivers;3)increasingthepersityofhabitatandenhancingtheconnectivitybetweentheriverandriparianwaters;and4)restoringnaturallandscapes.
