Combining and crafting institutional tools for groundwater governance

Combining and crafting institutional tools for groundwater governance
Author: Bruns, Bryan Randolph
Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Total Pages: 54
Release: 2023-01-24
Genre: Political Science
ISBN:

How could having farmers play experiential games contribute to improving groundwater governance? These games are an example of an innovative procedure, a policy instrument or institutional tool, which those involved in improving groundwater governance could use to understand their problems and opportunities; consider and possibly agree on norms or rules that might avoid aquifer depletion, and create shared gains that use water more productively. Institutional tools for groundwater governance could help deal with complex nexus linkages and achieve gains such as transitions to solar-powered pumping, aquifer recharge and storage to buffer against drought, and protecting and regenerating ecosystems. The concept of a groundwater governance toolbox offers a metaphor for thinking about the variety of policy instruments available and how they might be chosen, combined, and adapted to create customized toolkits to solve problems and achieve gains in specific contexts. New policies are typically layered on top of existing sets of institutions that govern relationships between people and water. This makes it crucial to understand existing knowledge and institutions and how those may interact with institutional changes. The thesis of the paper is that institutional tools need to be combined and crafted to fit contexts, including political economy constraints, opportunities, and solutions.

Transboundary Hydro-Governance

Transboundary Hydro-Governance
Author: Jacques Ganoulis
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 222
Release: 2018-06-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319786253

Attending water security is an important challenge and a major systemic risk humanity faces in the years to come. This is due to population increase, over-consumption of water, especially in agriculture, climate change and various forms of water pollution. The issue becomes more complicated in transboundary water catchments that cover almost half of the world’s land surface, with about 60% of global river flow and 40% of the world’s population. Also, in many parts of the planet, like Saharan Africa, population depends on groundwater resources located in transboundary aquifer systems. These facts illustrate the importance of the book's subject, which is the governance of transboundary waters, both surface and groundwater. The book is written by two distinguished scientists, who, having worked in various international institutions, like UNESCO, GEF, UNEP and at the European Commission, have both an extended expertise on how to bridge the gap between science and political decision-making, which is the main factor for an effective governance of water resources. What is new in the book is the integrated analysis of transboundary governance of both surface water and groundwater, as it occurs in reality. In current literature, groundwater is still often missing for the benefit of surface water or, on the contrary, it is treated separately from surface water. The most important feature of the book is to distinguish between the real and a "good" or an effective transboundary water governance and to provide practical tools, methodologies and examples for its implementation in the field. Published timely during 2018, the book will contribute to address successfully practical problems of governance of transboundary waters that represent a very important part of our precious fresh water resources.

The Economics of Groundwater Governance

The Economics of Groundwater Governance
Author: James William Nachbaur
Publisher: ProQuest
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2007
Genre:
ISBN: 9780549414155

Groundwater resources have common-pool properties and one's use can increase the costs of others' use or impose other harms. People can reduce those harms in many ways. The questions this dissertation addresses---why, when, and how communities have or have not devised institutions to learn about their groundwater resource, to limit use, to monitor use, and to sanction rule-breakers---are not well understood. Poor understanding hinders improvement of groundwater governance.

Water Governance in OECD Countries

Water Governance in OECD Countries
Author: Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Total Pages: 246
Release: 2011-11-04
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1780400276

Water Governance in OECD Countries: A Multilevel Approach addresses multilevel governance challenges in water policy implementation and identifies good practices for coordinating water policy across ministries, between levels of government, and across local actors at subnational level. Based on a methodological framework, it assesses the main “coordination gaps” in terms of policy-making, financing, information, accountability, objectives and capacity building, and provides a platform of existing governance mechanisms to bridge them. Based on an extensive survey on water governance the report provides a comprehensive institutional mapping of roles and responsibilities in water policy-making at national/subnational level in 17 OECD countries. It concludes on preliminary multilevel governance guidelines for integrated water policy.