Equity in water resource management: A theoretical dynamism

Abstract

AbstractAs elusive as the concept of equity may be, it has nevertheless been placed at the heart of global water policy. Yet inequities in access to water and participation in water resources management persist all over the world. The global water crisis is one of inequitable access rather than availability. This critical review explores equity and equality in water resources management through multiple lenses, considering its numerous philosophical underpinnings, and offers a definition of ‘water equity’. We suggest that human rights, procedural and distributive equity (social justice), and cultural, socioeconomic, and political elements (context) are the pillars of water equity. The inter‐relatedness between them and causal effects of each of the pillars are exposed, as are cross cutting features. This contribution to the theoretical interpretation of ‘water equity’ suggests that it is a complex dynamism, a complexity of interrelated features that are constantly in flux. Acknowledging the inherent characteristics of water equity will greatly facilitate its actualisation.