Coming Soon!
This handbook examines groundwater as a vital yet vulnerable resource that supports drinking water supplies, agriculture, industry, and ecosystems worldwide. Its sustainability is increasingly threatened by over-extraction, pollution, and inadequate management.
A central theme is that groundwater governance is inherently political. Decisions about access, allocation, and management are shaped by competing interests, power relations, stakeholder trade-offs, and institutional arrangements. Policies and institutions influence who can use groundwater, in what quantities, and who bears the costs of its protection and management.
Drawing on historical experiences and reforms in South Africa, Australia, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States, the book identifies common governance challenges, including fragmented responsibilities, limited monitoring, and insufficient stakeholder engagement. It outlines key elements of effective governance, adaptive policies, well-designed organisations, participatory decision-making, and coordination across sectors and scales. It also highlights the importance of monitoring, local management institutions, conflict resolution, sustainable financing, and ongoing research.
Overall, the handbook provides a comprehensive framework for understanding groundwater governance and practical insights on how institutions and policies can be strengthened to enable sustainable groundwater resources.