Table of contents
Executive Summary
National Freshwater Resource Management
National Problems, Challenges, Limitations
National Problems, Challenges, Limitations
Ultimately, the management of water – from ensuring the delivery of basic services for citizens, for economic growth, and for maintaining healthy environments – is the responsibility of governments; however, as is often the case, water management is a low priority and poorly coordinated, which leads to water resources being over-committed and undervalued [Orr et al., 2009]. Rather than focusing on long-term planning, governments tend to respond with expensive “quick fixes” – the construction of water supply infrastructure, inter-basin transfers, water trucks, or desalinization schemes – that seldom generate sufficient revenue to cover their cost ([Orr et al., 2009]; [Pittock et al., 2009]).
National level institutions responsible for water management are (text exerted from [Pegasys, 2010]):
- Ministries/Departments responsible for Water have a mandate to manage water resources and water supply & sanitation in terms of policy and legislation, with intent outlined in national water strategies.
- Other Sector Departments are critical in terms of setting national and even regional development objectives around energy, agriculture, industry, etc., thereby complicating cooperation and alignment at the national level.
- Infrastructure and development agencies are established in many countries to develop, finance and operate water resources (and energy) infrastructure.
- Interest, sector, and stakeholder groups engage national institutions on water policy, strategy and implementation.
- National education and research institutions provide important capacity within countries to support national water management.
An increasing number of countries have enshrined the right to water within their national constitutions or have framed the right explicitly or implicitly within national legislation. In the following regions the right to water is covered in national legislation: 15 in Africa, 5 in Asia, 2 in the Middle East, 15 in Latin America, and 4 in Europe18. Some nations that declared a right to water are still struggling with the practical implementation because it implies changes in providing access, securing necessary financial resources, and building up the institutional and managerial capacity to secure access to safe drinking water and sanitation, particularly for the poor.
In regards to achieving the MDG drinking water target, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) report that the target was met in 2010; however, 783 million people still lack access to safe water [UNICEF & WHO, 2012]. Additionally, the world is still far from meeting the MDG target for sanitation and is unlikely to do so by 2015. Only 63% of the world has improved sanitation access, a figure projected to increase only to 67% by 2015, well below the 75% aim in the MDGs.19
