The global dimension of water governance: Nine reasons for global arrangements in order to cope with local water problems
Year: 2006
Type: report
Abstract: Where water problems extend beyond the borders of local communities, the catchment area or river basin is\ngenerally seen as the most appropriate unit for analysis, planning and institutional arrangements. In this paper it\nis argued that addressing water problems at the river basin level is not always sufficient. It is shown that a\nsubstantial part of today’s water issues carries a (sub)continental or even global dimension, which urges for a\ngovernance approach that comprises coordination and institutional arrangements at a level above that of the\nriver basin. This paper distinguishes and reviews nine developments that support this argument:\n• Local issues of water scarcity and flooding will be enhanced or weakened by human-induced global climate\nchange.\n• Local problems of water pollution are often intrinsic to the structure of the global economy.\n• There is a growing presence of multinationals in the drinking water sector.\n• Several national governments are developing plans for large-scale inter-basin water transfers.\n• An increasing number of water-short countries seek to preserve their domestic water resources through the\nimport of water in virtual form.\n• Global trade in water-intensive commodities offers the opportunity of global water saving if this trade is\nfrom countries with high to countries with low water productivity.\n• The water footprints of individual people are increasingly externalised to other parts of the world, so that\nmany local water problems are strongly related to consumption elsewhere.\n• Some people around the world have comparatively high water footprints, which raises the question of\nwhether this is fair and sustainable.\n• Due to its increasing scarcity and uneven distribution across the globe, water is gradually becoming a\ngeopolitical resource, influencing the power of nations.\nThe described developments raise the question of what kind of institutional arrangements could be developed to\ncope with the global dimension of water issues. A few possible directions are identified in an explorative\nanalysis: an international protocol on full-cost water pricing, a water label for water-intensive products, a\ndisposal tax on goods that will cause water pollution in their waste stage (to be used for pollution prevention and\ncontrol), international nutrient housekeeping, minimum water rights, maximum allowable water footprints, and\ntradable water footprint permits.
Author: A. Y. Hoekstra
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1600594581