Effective Water Governance and How to Achieve

Abstract

In most countries of the Mediterranean, the importance of governance of water resources for sustainable development is well recognized politically, but, within the water community, there is little recognition of its centrality.

The acute water crisis widely impeding the sustainable development for most of the arid and semiarid countries of the region brought conclusively that it is often a crisis of water governance and signed out making water governance effective as a priority of action.

Nowadays, it is increasingly realized that neither the traditional public sector nor the illusive market can resolve all challenges in water resources management; complementarities and coordination and the creation of accountable but dynamic relationships between different players and stakeholders are required. In the region, if we secure access to water for all, maintain vital ecosystem and produce economic development out of water management, the only option we have is the effective water resources governance fundamentally based on harnessing and increasing the availability of water resources, more efficient water use, producing more with less water and appropriate recycling and reuse.

Governments, civil societies and private sector are the main water governance systems; there is a great need to an appropriate setting of the enabling conditions, those facilitating dynamic interactions dialogues; participation and partnerships, amongst them, are the decisive key elements leading to govern satisfactorily the water resources in the Mediterranean region.