Why Governance Matters. The values expressed in water management depend on who is making the decisions, and what interests they are representing. When business interests are in control of water decisions, the values expressed will be aligned to the interests of the businesses, which are normally profits for the shareholders. Finding governance arrangements that include "checks and balances" of competing interests can save water ecosystems from environmental destruction by short-term interests. Effective integration of multiple stakeholders can also result in weakening environmental protections, as when local communities fight for access to resources within adjacent national parks. Conscious design and negotiation about the options for governing water offer opportunities for debating and mediating among conflicting values. In this way, the process of selecting among governance options fits naturally with the process of examining and prioritizing values about water and its many uses.
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