Overview

This book addresses groundwater governance, a subject internationally recognized as crucial and topical for enhancing and safeguarding the benefits of groundwater and groundwater-dependent ecosystems to humanity, while ensuring water and food security under global change. The multiple and complex dimensions of groundwater governance are captured in 28 chapters, written by a team of leading experts from different parts of the world and with a variety of relevant professional backgrounds. The book aims to describe the state-of-the-art and latest developments regarding each of the themes addressed, paying attention to the wide variation of conditions observed around the globe. The book consists of four parts. The first part sets the stage by defining groundwater governance, exploring its emergence and evolution, framing it through a socio-ecological lens and describing groundwater policy and planning approaches. The second part discusses selected key aspects of groundwater governance. The third part zooms in on the increasingly important linkages between groundwater and other resources or sectors, and between local groundwater systems and phenomena or actions at the international or even global level. The fourth part, finally, presents a number of interesting case studies that illustrate contemporary practice in groundwater governance. In one volume, this highly accessible text not only familiarizes water professionals, decision-makers and local stakeholders with groundwater governance, but also provides them with ideas and inspiration for improving groundwater governance in their own environment.

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9780367890100

Table of Contents

Reviews

[...] the book's team has done a commendable job in wrapping up existing knowledge, broadening the discussion further and delineating gaps. The book will undoubtedly contribute to raising the much-needed awareness for groundwater governance and boosting its implementation. Recommended to those interested in the fascinating and complex topic of groundwater governance, particularly researchers, several chapters provide a wealth of synthesized information that can also serve as a useful source for academia. From the practical standpoint, professionals and practitioners aiming to address groundwater governance issues where political will for doing so exists should be able to find pragmatic solutions informed by the specific contexts of the concerned groundwater systems. The solutions - often reached through dialogue with stakeholders and their engagement - should target the materialization of improved governance as a dynamic process. Examples of such successful solutions are given; additionally, the book provides case studies that illustrate numerous options for improving groundwater governance in a given context, as examples of how the launch of the dynamic process can be facilitated. Dr. Mohamed Bazza, formerly Senior Water Resources Officer at FAO. Through 28 chapters, in the first book on this topic, Villholth et al. (2017) successfully capture the moment and momentum of groundwater governance research from concepts to application to synergies to international case studies. [.......] Being interested in both policy and science, we found the book an enjoyable read, with some new-to-us terminology such as hydro-schizophrenia (something we are familiar with in Texas), ISD (invisible, slow, distributed), water endowment, groan zone, and hydro-hegemony. [.......] But quibbles aside, this book is a great - and thorough - introduction to groundwater governance [.....] Robert E. Mace and Todd H. Votteler, in: Groundwater, Vol 57, No. 2, March-April 2019

[...] the book's team has done a commendable job in wrapping up existing knowledge, broadening the discussion further and delineating gaps. The book will undoubtedly contribute to raising the much-needed awareness for groundwater governance and boosting its implementation. Recommended to those interested in the fascinating and complex topic of groundwater governance, particularly researchers, several chapters provide a wealth of synthesized information that can also serve as a useful source for academia. From the practical standpoint, professionals and practitioners aiming to address groundwater governance issues where political will for doing so exists should be able to find pragmatic solutions informed by the specific contexts of the concerned groundwater systems. The solutions - often reached through dialogue with stakeholders and their engagement - should target the materialization of improved governance as a dynamic process. Examples of such successful solutions are given; additionally, the book provides case studies that illustrate numerous options for improving groundwater governance in a given context, as examples of how the launch of the dynamic process can be facilitated. Dr. Mohamed Bazza, formerly Senior Water Resources Officer at FAO. Through 28 chapters, in the first book on this topic, Villholth et al. (2017) successfully capture the moment and momentum of groundwater governance research from concepts to application to synergies to international case studies. [.......] Being interested in both policy and science, we found the book an enjoyable read, with some new-to-us terminology such as hydro-schizophrenia (something we are familiar with in Texas), ISD (invisible, slow, distributed), water endowment, groan zone, and hydro-hegemony. [.......] But quibbles aside, this book is a great - and thorough - introduction to groundwater governance [.....] Robert E. Mace and Todd H. Votteler, in: Groundwater, Vol 57, No. 2, March-April 2019

Author Information

Karen G. Villholth has more than 25 years of experience in groundwater resources assessment and management. She deals with research, policy advice, and capacity development related to groundwater irrigation for smallholders, transboundary aquifers, groundwater resources assessment and modelling, climate change and groundwater, adaptation through underground solutions, role of depleting aquifers in global food production, groundwater and eco-system services, and groundwater management and governance for institutions at various levels, from local to global. She engages with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders in co-developing tools, approaches, and policies to a more sustainable use of groundwater for livelihoods, food security, and environmental integrity. Karen is a Principal Researcher and a Research Group Leader at IWMI, International Water Management Institute at the Southern Africa regional office. She is leading the global IWMI-led partnership initiative on Groundwater Solutions for Policy and Practice (GRIPP). Karen holds a PhD in Groundwater Assessment and a MSc in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark and a MSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington. She previously worked for DHI-Water and Environment and the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland. She is co-author of three books related to groundwater and more than 50 peer-reviewed journal papers. Elena López Gunn is the Founder and Director of ICATALIST and a Cheney Fellow at University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. Elena finished her PhD at King's College, London. She also holds a Masters from the University of Cambridge. She was an Associate Professor at IE Business school and a Visiting Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics as Alcoa Research Fellow. Professionally, Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including UNESCO, FAO

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