Area of Focus: Water Law and Policy

Created: Jan 05, 2007
Updated: Jun 06, 2007

Water Law and Policy

Water Law and Policy

Water law and policy refers to the practice of creating "working rules" for the volume and timing of withdrawal of water, its shared use, the required water quality of return flows as well as other aspects such as the minimum flow required in a creek (instream flows) or quantity of water reserved by the government (reserved rights). Water policy may attempt to coordinate consumptive users in one watershed, in one groundwater basin, or in a major river basin that spans multiple jurisdictions. Water policy and laws are made by legislative bodies, by government regulations, by litigation and the courts, by direct actions that sway voters and elected officials as well as local "informal" agreements. In nondemocratic nations, water policy is made by technocrats and the political leadership. Members of the "sustainability movement" have argued that a minimal volume of clean water for household use is an inherent human right.

FEATURED ORGANIZATIONS

Africa Civil Society Network on Water works to facilitate the coordination of diverse African Civil Society Organizations voices in water and sanitation. Its main objective...

Tn_aaapalestin

Palestinian Hydrology Group is a Palestinian non government non profit organization striving to promote the role of women and civil societies in managing local water and its related environmental...

FEATURED RESOURCES

Blueprint for Water: 10 steps for sustainable water by 2015, is the product of a UK-based coalition of environmental organizations. The Blueprint aims to guide the British Government...

Water Pollution Taxes: A Good Idea Doomed to Failure? This 2003 discussion paper from Resources for the Future reviews the arguments in favor of taxes...

Did You Know?

Photo source/Social Studies for Kids

In 1997, the Australian government introduced a cap-and-trade scheme for the Murray-Darling River Basin, Australia's most important source of freshwater located in the southeastern party of the country. This policy capped abstractions (primarily for irrigation) from the River at 1994 levels, in an effort to ensure the River's flow and the health of its ecosystems. Australia's is also one of a few governments in the world who have formally separated water rights from land rights, allowing a formal market in water entitlements to emerge in the Murray-Darling River Basin. A review of the Cap in 2000 revealed this policy has played a vital role in preserving the River's flow and ecosystems and in guaranteeing much of Australia's future drinking supply. See Australia: Murray-Darling River Basin Cap for more details!

Events

World Water Day 2007: Coping with Water Scarcity 2007-03-21

Tags/Keywords

water right, water law, water regulations, prior appropriation right, riparian right, Pueblo right, Indian water right, federal water right, reserved right, conjunctive use right, Clean Water Act, dispute resolution, water as a commons, water ownership, grandfathered right, reasonable use doctrine, instream water right, rule of capture, water allocation, water diversion, return flow, water quality, water claim, perfected right, water trust, private water right, public water right, clean water standards

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Water Law and Policy

Water Law and Policy

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