Water Law and Policy

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Abstract This book examines water management in Europe, and the difficulties and policy dilemmas involved in creating integrated water management institutions. The book is unique in that it concentrates on institutional development, norms and guiding principles, implementation strategies, and public participation mechanisms at the local level, European Union level, and globally. The book examines the European Union Water Law and Policy as it was adopted at the beginning of 2000 and the attempt to apply integrated water management in Europe. Today, many speak of a water crisis in that the supply of water is unlikely to meet demand and because of pollution that mars many water ecosystems. Water is one of the most mismanaged natural resources. Deficient management policies and fragmented water management institutions can have catastrophic results for the management of water resources. In Europe, water management has been fragmented as states have used water resources within their borders often ignoring the impact of their actions on co-riparian states. The effort to apply integrated water management in Europe is in essence an attempt to put a stop to the fragmentation of water management policies and to integrate: upstream and downstream uses, land use planning, and water management. Water Law and Policy provides insights that can guide water development policies across national borders. It is a must-read for policymakers, water managers, and students who need to understand national and transnational water management.