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Water Security and Adaptation to Climate Extremes in Transboundary Rivers of North America

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Water Policy and Governance in Canada

Part of the book series: Global Issues in Water Policy ((GLOB,volume 17))

Abstract

Three basins in North America are used to examine how transboundary water governance arrangements have developed and performed in the face of recent severe droughts: the Colorado and Rio Grande Rivers on the US-Mexico Border and the Columbia River on the Canada-US border. The chapter delivers insights about water governance responses to the key problems in each basin, as well as the opportunities and limits to transfer policy lessons across basins. The findings illustrate the: (a) importance of proportional resource sharing mechanisms that spread risk and benefits in ways that are more likely to be perceived as fair; (b) potential for economic instruments and fiscal decentralization to reduce risks of natural hazards by enabling more localized responses; and (c) the need to establish, and strengthen, coordination mechanisms (e.g. river basin authorities, joint monitoring, conflict resolution venues) that are well matched to local conditions, including informal institutions (e.g. working groups, networks, joint studies). The chapter concludes with lessons about adaptation to extreme climate events in transboundary rivers of North America, including governance insights and practices that have enhanced (or reduced) freshwater security.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Governance has been defined by Young (1992) as “the structures and processes through which people in societies make decisions and share power” as cited by Davidson and de Loe (2014). A focus on governance is distinct from government by accounting for formal and informal institutions and actors. Transbounary governance accounts for the special coordination challenges when resources cross political borders.

  2. 2.

    For a thorough treatment of the concept of resilience applied to social-ecological systems, please see Martin-Breen and Anderies (2011).

  3. 3.

    Equitable Distribution of the Waters of the Rio Grande .

  4. 4.

    Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande .

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford, School of Geography and the Environment, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK

    Dustin Evan Garrick

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  1. Dustin Evan Garrick
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Correspondence to Dustin Evan Garrick .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics and Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

    Steven Renzetti

  2. Department of Economics and Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

    Diane P. Dupont

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Garrick, D.E. (2017). Water Security and Adaptation to Climate Extremes in Transboundary Rivers of North America. In: Renzetti, S., Dupont, D. (eds) Water Policy and Governance in Canada. Global Issues in Water Policy, vol 17. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42806-2_7

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