ABSTRACT
This chapter sets out the core themes of the text as it explores water allocation law and policy in the form of a comparative analysis with Australia. It provides the context of the research with the problem starting with the increasing global demand for water. The United Nations has identified that addressing the increasing water scarcity and associated problems is one of the core challenges facing the world. When looking at the water scarcity problem from the New Zealand perspective, it may seem that at first it is not such a problem where there is a high global ranking for per capita water availability. However, New Zealand is experiencing economic water scarcity with many catchments reaching full allocation and over-allocation.
