On the Water Security Concept: State of the Art

Abstract

This chapter attempts to place the reader in tune with current trends, debates and sometimes contradictions that dominate the issue of water on a global scale. A historical overview traces the progress of water status, describes the international community action in addressing the water issue and analyzes the implementation of the right to water. It is followed by a review of water security and water scarcity assessments methods focussing on the progress achieved towards more holistic approaches which go beyond conventional assessments of water availability and water scarcity, to include the multiple dimensions of water security. At National scale, water security is a central political issue for which public authorities develop appropriate strategies to secure supply for all uses and promote human well-being through socio-economic development. These aspects fall within the concept of National Water Security with its “soft” and “hard” components. The essential elements of a framework that conceptualizes the National Water Security concept are developed, with particular emphasis on the arid and semi-arid countries. Considering water scarce regions, the starting point of National Water Security is to raise awareness on the limits of the resource in order to guarantee the natural environments conservation and the protection of the resource.