GROUNDWATER SECURITY &

GOVERNANCE:

LINKING ISSUES AND THREATS WITH RULES AND

NORMSKirstin I. Conti

UpGro Groundwater, Poverty and Development Event

November 28, 2014

Based on Research with Dr. Neno Kukurić, & Prof. Joyeeta Gupta

PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

• Why I’m Here…• Key Concepts• GW Security & Governance

– Global– Transboundary– National – Sub-national

• Conclusions• A Way Forward

HOW DO WE GET FROM HERE….

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Groundwater Security?

KEY CONCEPTS

State of Resource(s)

Groundwater GovernanceFramework?

Specific Governance

Arrangements

Rules & Norms

Drivers of Groundwater

Change

GLOBAL LEVELSecurity? MOSTLY

State of Resource(s)•Footprint > aquifer area•Abstraction ↑ 3% per yr.•39% abstraction = depletion•31 km3 per yr. mined•Emerging contaminants

Governance Framework? EMERGING

Arrangements•Sustainable Dev. Goals•Rio Declaration•UN Watercourses Conv.•UNECE Water Conv.•Draft Articles on TBAs

Rules & Norms•Sustainable dev.•Polluter pays•Human right to water•Equitable use

Drivers•Climate change•Global dev. policy •Trade •Demography

REGIONAL-TRANSBOUNDARY LEVELSSecurity? MOSTLY

State of Resource(s)•Use tripled in Cen. Asia•Use ↑ 40% in N. & C. America

•8% of TBAs stressed•Several contaminated TBAs

Governance Framework? SCATTERED

Arrangements•EU WFD•Guaraní Agreement•SADC Protocol•Hueco Bolsón MOU•Stakeholder groups

Rules & Norms•Monitoring/data sharing•No harm•Equitable use•Sovereignty?

Drivers•Biophysical conditions•Demography•Potable water/ag/industry•Pol. dynamics btw states

Security? SOME

State of Resource(s)•High abstraction•Low recharge•Arsenic/fluoride/salinity•Other quality problems

Governance Framework? NEEDS ENFORCEMENT

Arrangements•National water laws and policies

•Basin commissions•Public or private water providers

Rules & Norms•Allocation/rights•Water quality standards•Licenses and permits•Monitoring

Drivers•Potable water/ag/industry•Culture•Economy•Non-groundwater policy

NATIONAL LEVEL

Security? LITTLE

State of Resource(s)•Often lacking data•Variable GW availability•Local depletion or contamination

•Ecosystem degradation

Governance Framework? INFORMAL/SEPERATED

Arrangements•Municipal regulations•Community level regimes

•Public or private water providers

Rules & Norms•Community-level allocation/rights

•Possible pollution prevention measures

•Technology incentives

Drivers•Potable water/ag/industry•Infrastructure•Culture•Poverty•‘Land grabbing’

SUB-NATIONAL LEVEL

CONCLUSIONS

• Groundwater security decreasing with geographic level

• Drivers are physical, socio-cultural, political, and economic

• Rules and norms serve as counter-drivers; however, governance arrangements use them inconsistently

• Groundwater governance frameworks need:– Strengthening – Cohesion – Enforcement

A WAY FORWARD

• Impacts from drivers will increase post-2015

• Need more specific norms, informed by drivers, which can support inclusive development (poverty alleviation)– Need norms to be beyond legal?– Alternative technologies (e.g. supply augmentation)– Equity within socio-political contexts

• Equity in allocation difficult without data – need monitoring

• Keep in mind what happens after the pump is installed

THANK YOU!