Governance

As defined by the UNDP Water Governance Facility, water governance is determined by the political, social, economic, and administrative systems that are in place. These systems can both directly and indirectly affect the use, development, and management of water resources and the delivery of water services delivery at different levels of society. Improving governance for economic, environmental, and social sustainability is possible through the establishment of stronger public and private institutions, policies, legislation, and processes. Topics addressed in this theme include the principles of equity and efficiency, water administration, the roles of government and other stakeholders, and the frameworks to balance water use between socio-economic activities and ecosystems.

Governance Resources

Economies of Scale and Scope in River Basin Management

Publication date:
November 15, 2004
Pacific Institute
iDE
New approaches to water planning, like Integrated Water Resources Management, are growing in popularity, but have often gotten bogged down, or even been abandoned, because stakeholders don't feel they are getting enough out of these efforts. Economies of scale and scope are the payoff for the...Read more

California Water 2030: An Efficient Future

Publication date:
September 15, 2005
Pacific Institute
The report details how smart technology, strong management, and appropriate rates and incentives can allow the state to meet its needs well into the future with less water. The report concludes that California can cut its wasteful use of water by 20 percent in the next 25 years while satisfying a...Read more

Hidden Oasis: Water Conservation and Efficiency in Las Vegas

Publication date:
November 26, 2007
Pacific Institute
The report finds that the Southern Nevada Water Authority, which provides water to Las Vegas and surrounding communities, can tap a number of tested, cost-effective efficiency measures to cut current water waste by up to 86,000 acre-feet. Moreover, by improving indoor water efficiency in particular...Read more

Understanding and Reducing the Risks of Climate Change for Transboundary Waters

Publication date:
December 1, 2009
Pacific Institute
This report outlines some of the risks that climate change poses to transboundary water agreements. In the following sections, the Pacific Institute defines the extent and general characteristics of transboundary rivers and aquifers and describe some of the institutional structures that have been...Read more

Desalination, With a Grain of Salt – A California Perspective

Publication date:
June 1, 2006
Pacific Institute
This report provides a comprehensive overview of the history, benefits, and risks of ocean desalination, and the barriers that hinder more widespread use of this technology, especially in the context of recent proposals for a massive increase in desalination development in California.Read more

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