Water is a common resource. But water resources are largely related to land and land owners. Institutional structures around water are also focus on the land owners in the command areas like the water users' associations. The ground water is usually treated as private resource by the well owners and the bore well owners, while the aquifer is a common resource.
Though the policies tend to recognize the 'common' nature of the water resource, the programmes tend to focus on the farmers who use the resource. The environmental benefit of the watershed conservation usually accrue to the land owners down stream.
The other stakeholders usually have token inclusion like the use of water bodies for domestic use and for drinking water for livestock.
through this discussion, I am trying to seek information on
* Various initiatives across the world on how poorer and landless communities can have access to water resources?
* How governance institutions can help in more equitable distribution of water?
* Various mechanisms such as water rights, water allocation, alternate benefits, etc that can help in more equitable distribution of water?
The suggestions would help in evolving village level rules and regulations for water use and strengthening water governance in the water shed projects being implemented across various locations in India.
The water can be distributed depending upon availability and requirement. For instance for domestic purpose per head requirement is 100-200 lt./day for Indian conditions where as foe agriculture purpose water discharge requirement 3.25 lt/sec. hectare for 8 hours running water for non paddy crops where as 35 % more for paddy crops for Indian Punjab. You may calculate irrigation requirement depending upon prevailing cropping pattern for different seasons.
By including the voices of the "lowers", the local actors and several users, usually the forgotten voices, both the demand and the supply management strategies might be more suitable and better prioritized as well as included in water allocation and distribution policies. Of course, the standpoints of local stakeholders, especially the environment, is one of those that deserve to be fully considered. This particularly important in desert areas or in regions with high pressure for scarce and highly contested water resources. A common sense of stewardship must be put into practice.
I think in this case a ground work on the issue of ownership of the resssource water must be done with participation of all civil, scientific and political society to include articles in the constitution which states that water is a shared resource of all citizens and ensuring equitable access for all citizens.
Thank you for your comments. I firmly believe in the fact that linking land rights with water is wrong.
if we consider both surface water and ground water (aquifer) as commons, the entire discussion on the perception of land and negotiation for right to irrigation changes.
there are several thriving examples of recognition of water as commons has led to innovative measures of allocation of water.
Large scale govt programmes tend to maintain status quo and thereby strengthens inequity.
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