How do concepts of governance apply to water resources? This paper from Global Water Partnership (GWP), explores current thinking on governance as applied to water, its management as a natural resource and its social or productive uses. It is aimed at water professionals who increasingly have to take on board governance issues outside the water sector and offers examples of effective water governance and observations on the reform design and implementation.
Governance is the broad social system of governing, encompassing the allocation and regulation of natural resources, and the formal and informal institutions through which such authority is exercised. The quality of governance affects economic, social and environmental outcomes. Several international conferences have set goals relating to ‘water governance’. GWP, a network created to foster Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), defines water governance as ‘the range of political, social, economic and administrative systems that are in place to develop and manage water resources, and the delivery of water services, at different levels of society.’ Water governance may be reinforced by governance structures external to the water sector.
Water law varies, e.g. the flexible approach of the USA; civil or common law-based systems; hybrids; ancient systems. There are four common water property rights regimes: open access, common property, private property and state property. Several insights into water governance reform are offered:
- The legal codification of water rights is important, but the formalisation of traditional rights must be handled carefully to protect the poor, and information networks / partnerships are important in reducing water management costs.
- Tackling all the levels of water management – operational, organisational and constitutional – is important in the design of reforms.
- Decentralisation of water governance can be useful: hydro-geographic boundaries, or river basins, offer good opportunities to establish modern governance networks.
- Reducing demand on a voluntary basis or via regulation may lessen water crises, but in many water-short developing countries, gradual sequencing of concerns as in historical cases is unfeasible: sustainable strategies must be pursued immediately.
- Growing trade liberalisation affects water services, and the General Agreement on Trade and Services is of particular concern to many NGOs: the inclusion of water services may raise foreign direct investment, but erode national regulatory rights.
- There is much public concern about the privatisation of water services provision, but this often stems from talk of the privatisation of water, which is often an exaggeration.
While there is no single model for effective water governance, which must be designed for particular social, economic and cultural contexts, certain basic principles are useful:
- Water governance should be open and transparent, inclusive and communicative, coherent and integrative, equitable and ethical.
- The performance and operation of water governance should be accountable, efficient, responsive and sustainable.