ABSTRACT

Water plays a key role in addressing the most pressing global challenges of our time, including climate change adaptation, food and energy security, environmental sustainability and the promotion of peace and stability. This comprehensive handbook explores the pivotal place of law and policy in efforts to ensure that water enables positive responses to these challenges and provides a basis for sound governance.

The book reveals that significant progress has been made in recent decades to strengthen the governance of water resource management at different scales, including helping to address international and sub-national conflicts over transboundary water resources. It demonstrates that ‘effective’ laws and policies are fundamental drivers for the safe, equitable and sustainable utilization of water. However, it is also shown that what might constitute an effective law or policy related to water resources management is still hotly debated. As such, the handbook provides an important and definitive reference text for all studying water governance and management.

part 1|184 pages

Comparative national water law and policy

chapter 3|13 pages

Water rights and permitting

A South African approach

chapter 4|14 pages

The EU approach for integrated water resource management

Transposing the EU Water Framework Directive within a national context – key insights from experience

chapter 5|13 pages

Water markets

chapter 6|17 pages

Water pollution and water quality

Shifting regulatory paradigms

chapter 7|14 pages

Contaminants of emerging concern

chapter 8|11 pages

The human right to water

chapter 10|14 pages

Legal aspects of flood management

chapter 13|15 pages

Monitoring and enforcement

The United States Clean Water Act model

part 2|120 pages

Transboundary water law and policy

chapter 19|15 pages

Joint institutional arrangements for governing shared water resources

A comparative analysis of state practice

chapter 20|12 pages

Strengthening the implementation of transboundary water agreements

Insights from the UNECE Water Convention Implementation Committee 1

part 3|95 pages

Cross-cutting issues

chapter 24|13 pages

Water justice

Understanding the philosophical underpinning of decision-making in the context of international water governance

chapter 25|13 pages

Adaptive water governance

A theoretical approach reflected in the Mauri and Desaguadero River Basin adaptation plan

chapter 27|15 pages

The sustainable development goals in relation to water management

What role for legal frameworks?

chapter 28|13 pages

Water security as an evolving paradigm

Local, national, regional and global considerations

chapter 29|11 pages

Conclusions