7/29/2019 Water Article: Doing Things Better

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Water articles are written by ADB staff and external contributors on various water issues, reforms, and good practices.

EVERY VOICE COUNTS Good water resourcesmanagement requires participation and

transparency

" T h e c o mb i n e d a n dconcer ted e f fo r ts o f a l ls t a k e h o l de r s w i l l b r i n g a b o u tnecessary changes toi mp r o v e g o v e r n a n c e i n t h ew a t e r s e c t o r "

Ar t i c l e

Do ing Th ings Bet t e r

E f fe c t i v e d e v el o p me n t a n d ma n a g e me n t o f w a t e r r e s o u r ce s r e q u i r e t h e c o n s u lt a t i o n a n d p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f a l l s t a k e h o ld e r s —w i t h g o v e r n me n t l e a d i n g t h e w a y

By Wo u t e r L i n c k la e n A r r i e n s  and Ange l A le jandr ino

 

BACKGROUND

Governments play a centralrole in water governanceand are responsible forsetting the overall policiesand laws for developing andmanaging water resources.

The Global WaterPartnership defines watergovernance as “the range of political, social, economic,and administrative systemsthat are in place to regulate

the development andmanagement of waterresources and the provisionof water services atdifferent levels of society.” 

However, effective water governance requires the consultation andparticipation of stakeholders from all sectors, government agencies,water users, service providers, and civil society, and at all levels of the decision-making process.

The current water crisis has been seen as mainly a crisis of watergovernance. Delegates at the 2nd World Water Forum in the Hague inMarch 2000; the 2000 United Nations Millennium Assembly; the Bonn2001 Freshwater Conference; and the 2002 World Summit onSustainable Development in Johannesburg — where water was placedon the agenda for the first time—pledged to institute reforms in thewater sector to improve governance.

WATER FOR ALL

Governance is also central to ADB's Water fo r A l l po l icy . ADB hascommitted through its policy to promote decentralization; buildcapacity; and strengthen monitoring, evaluation, research, andlearning at all levels, particularly in public sector institutions.

The water policy also promotes accountability, participation,predictability, and transparency—the cornerstones of ADB’sgovernance policy.

The policy suggests a framework for improving water governance thatincludes strategic policy actions that can be classified into threeareas: creating a favorable enabling environment for reforms,restructuring the institutional framework to ensure the integration andcoordination of all activities, and developing and implementing themanagement instruments for effective water governance.

 

AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

The enabling environment for effective water governance consists of the basic laws, policies, and regulations for developing and managingwater resources, which governments provide through legislative andexecutive actions.

Considering the huge investmentsrequired to develop waterresources projects, governmentswill increasingly rely on the privatesector to provide additionalinvestment.

The enabling environment should

attract private sector investment without compromising the rights andassets of all stakeholders: government, private sector, and the public.

Among the strategic policy actions that would enhance the enablingenvironment are those related to water legislation on quantity,quality, conservation, service delivery, and institutional responsibility;water policy as a framework for development and management; thedecreasing role of government as a service provider and more focuson policy making and regulation; service providers that areresponsive, autonomous, and accountable; private sector participationto attract investments, improve performance and efficiency; andresource and economic regulation.

AN INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

The institutional framework includes the roles and relationshipsamong the various water agencies, at all levels of the bureaucracy,involved in developing and managing water resources.

In all countries, the authority and responsibility for developing andmanaging water resources belong to the State as represented by thehead of state, parliament, or a central government agency, dependingon the form of government. This basic policy of governance is usuallyenshrined in the constitution or some other form of the fundamentallaw of the country.

In some countries that have adopted a policy of decentralization, theauthority and responsibility of the State is devolved from the centrallevel to the lowest appropriate level of the bureaucracy. The principleis nothing should be done at a higher level of government that can bedone at a lower level.

Among the strategic policy actions to ensure an effective institutionalframework are those related to an apex body as the central nationalagency to coordinate planning of subsectors and planning acrosssectors, including decentralization; river basin organization, or suchother regional models for decentralization and devolution of activities;and local government units as models for decentralization anddevolution of water supply, sanitation, and other activities.

 

SOME MANAGEMENT I NSTRUMENTS

The management instruments are the tools and techniques thatenable decision makers to make rational and informed choicesbetween alternative actions that would make governance moreeffective. These choices should be based on agreed policies, availableresources, environmental impacts, and social and economicconsequences.

The management instruments may be grouped into water resourcesassessment, communication and information systems, waterallocation and conflict resolution, legal instruments, and economicinstruments.

Proposed government efforts to improve water governance include

creating a favorable enabling environment for reforms, restructuringthe institutional framework to ensure the integration and coordinationof all activities, and developing and implementing the managementinstruments for effective water governance.

LEADING THE WAY

ADB is well positioned to be a catalyst to improve water governancein its developing member countries. Water projects supported by ADBmay incorporate some of the policy actions outlined in its Water for Allpolicy.

The combined and concerted efforts of all stakeholders will bringabout the necessary changes to improve governance in the watersector.

However, strategic policy reforms take time to develop and must beadapted to rapidly changing environments. To be successful, aprudent, measured approach may be necessary with countries

prioritizing proposed actions rather than trying to change everythingat once.

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*This article was first published online at ADB's Water for All website  in 2003: http://www.adb.org/Documents/Periodicals/ADB_Review/2003/vol35_1/governance.asp.