Participatory Water Management

Broad-based participation by stakeholders in water management decisions is important to management efficiency and effectiveness (economic values), promotes social equity, and helps safeguard both environmental and cultural values.   Participation is also a foundational governance value.  

Thomas Jefferson (a founding father of American democracy)  famously stated that given a choice of government without newspapers to newspapers without government, he would opt for the latter.   A similar statement could be made about water access  and participatory management.  If stakeholders are left out of management decisions, they are unlikely to retain water access for very long.

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