Implications for governance
As water security focuses on the end goals of water management, there are
implications for water governance. IWRM places the water system at the
centre of planning and operational management (the ‘water box’) which
needs to account for water balance considerations and upstream-downstream
users when developing and managing water systems. This is best done at
a river-basin scale. As a logical next step IWRM encourages a governance
approach at river-basin scale by means of river-basin organisations, in which
all key stakeholders are represented. However, outcomes, such as sufficient
water for food and energy security, are not restricted to river basins but are
higher level, often national-scale goals. The IWRM process accommodates
these outcomes at different scales.
A risk-based approach to water security also has an important consequence
for governance. As the future is uncertain, an adaptive approach to water
management is needed, which in turn requires an adaptive governance
structure, partly based on social learning.
Bakker and Morinville (2013) also refer to the centrality of social power in
negotiating conflicts generated by tensions between the various end goals of
water security. Differences in social power should be addressed in governance
structures.
The governance issues in water are not new; they have frequently featured in
discussions on putting IWRM into practice. Governance has been addressed
before, in particular in applying IWRM at national level, such as in National
IWRM Plans. However, the concept of water security does make these
issues more explicit. As with IWRM, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to
improve governance for water security. Local conditions determine what will
be the ‘best’ governance structure for each specific situation.
Adapting to change
The context of water security is constantly changing. Demand for water may
increase as a result of population growth and economic activities. Supplies
of water may decrease due to climate change. Protection from water risks
may get better as people’s life styles improve. Putting IWRM into practice is
a process of adaptive management – a virtuous spiral of incremental progress
and adaptation (UNESCO, 2009) that increases the economic, social, and
environmental benefits of water resources while maintaining a balance among
uses and users (Figure 4).