"Environmental governance (EG) consists of a system of laws, norms, rules, policies and practices that dictate how the board members of an environment related regulatory body should manage and oversee the affairs of any environment related regulatory body which is responsible for ensuring sustainability and manage all human activities—political, social and economic."
The system of laws, policies, and institutions that manage and regulate water resources, including the roles of government, communities, and stakeholders.
Water resources: This topic includes the natural sources of water, their characteristics, availability, and accessibility.
Water cycle: Understanding the water cycle is important to comprehend the movement of water through different natural processes such as evaporation, precipitation, infiltration, runoff, and transpiration.
Water scarcity: This topic deals with the growing concerns of water scarcity, causes, and how to mitigate the problem.
Water quality: The quality of water is essential to ensure its viability for consumption and other uses. Water quality management encompasses different approaches to maintain its quality.
Water governance: This topic deals with the policies, laws, and regulations that govern the management of water resources, including stakeholder involvement and decision making.
Water rights: It includes understanding the legal and equitable distribution of water and the administration of such rights.
Water management systems: Water management systems refer to various methods, techniques, and practices used to conserve, allocate, and manage water resources sustainably.
Water efficiency: This topic deals with developing efficient water use practices and technologies to reduce water wastage.
Water-related disasters: Understanding the impact and management of water-related disasters such as floods, droughts, and hurricanes.
International water governance: The governance of transboundary waters across countries and regions, as well as the legal framework for cooperation and management.
Water security: This topic includes the holistic approach to water resources management to ensure equitable and sustainable access to water and the related benefits.
Public participation and engagement: This topic deals with ways of involving and engaging the public in decision-making processes regarding water resources management and governance.
Water and climate change: The impact of climate change on water resources and the necessary adaptation measures to manage the challenges.
Water pricing and financing: Understanding the economic and financial mechanisms to support the management and delivery of water services, including pricing policies and funding mechanisms.
Institutional arrangements: It includes the different organizational and institutional arrangements for water governance, such as water authorities, water user associations, and regulatory bodies.
Centralized Water Governance: A government agency or other centralized entity manages water resources and makes decisions about allocation and distribution.
Decentralized Water Governance: Water management is decentralized to regional or local authorities, allowing for more localized decision-making and implementation of policies.
Integrated Water Governance: This approach considers water management alongside other environmental, social, and economic factors, recognizing the interconnectivity between them.
Participatory Water Governance: In this model, water management is participatory and community-led, involving local stakeholders in decision-making and implementation of policies.
Private Sector Water Governance: Private companies manage water resources for profit, often utilizing market-based mechanisms.
Co-governance: In this approach, water management is shared between government and non-governmental organizations, allowing for more collaborative decision-making and implementation of policies.
Transboundary Water Governance: This involves managing shared water resources between different countries or regions, often requiring international cooperation and diplomacy.
Adaptive Water Governance: This approach recognizes the dynamic and uncertain nature of water resources and emphasizes flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
Ecosystem-based Water Governance: This approach prioritizes the preservation and restoration of water ecosystems, recognizing their importance for both human and ecological well-being.
Climate Change Adaptation Water Governance: This approach focuses on managing water resources in the context of climate change and its impacts on water availability and quality.
"Environmental governance is responsible for ensuring sustainability (sustainable development) and managing all human activities—political, social and economic."
"Environmental governance includes government, business and civil society and emphasizes whole system management."
"To capture this diverse range of elements, environmental governance often employs alternative systems of governance, for example watershed-based management."
"It views natural resources and the environment as global public goods, belonging to the category of goods that are not diminished when they are shared."
"Everyone benefits from, for example, a breathable atmosphere, stable climate, and stable biodiversity."
"Public goods are non-rivalrous—a natural resource enjoyed by one person can still be enjoyed by others—and non-excludable—it is impossible to prevent someone consuming the good (such as breathing)."
"Public goods are recognized as beneficial and therefore have value."
"The notion of a global public good thus emerges, with a slight distinction: it covers necessities that must not be destroyed by one person or state."
"The non-rivalrous character of such goods calls for a management approach that restricts public and private actors from damaging them."
"One approach is to attribute an economic value to the resource."
"For example, a breathable atmosphere, stable climate, and stable biodiversity are global public goods."
"Environmental governance includes government, business and civil society and emphasizes whole system management."
"Sustainable development refers to the responsibility of environment-related regulatory bodies to ensure long-term ecological, social, and economic well-being."
"To capture this diverse range of elements, environmental governance often employs alternative systems of governance, for example watershed-based management."
"Natural resources and the environment are viewed as global public goods, benefiting everyone."
"Attributing economic value to natural resources helps protect them by discouraging damage from public and private actors."
"A global public good covers necessities that should not be destroyed by individuals or states and benefit humanity as a whole."
"The non-rivalrous and non-excludable nature of public goods necessitates management approaches to prevent damage and ensure their availability for all."
"Water is an example of a public good that should be managed and protected for the benefit of all."