Groundwater: Legal and Policy Perspectives, Proceedings of a World Bank Seminar (World Bank Technical Papers)

Annotation World Bank Technical Paper No. 456. Water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource for most of the world's citizens. The current trends indicate that the overall situation is likely to deteriorate further, at least for the next decade, unless the water profession eschews 'business as usual' practices, which can only allow incremental changes to occur. Groundwater is the least understood and least appreciated, yet the most important, natural resource available to mankind. Groundwater represents about 97% of the existing fresh water resources, excluding the resources locked in polar ice. More than one and a half billion people in the urban parts of the world today depend on groundwater. Groundwater supply is more reliable than the seasonal, and sometimes erratic, surface water and provides the main line of defense against drought. Moreover, the quality of groundwater is, by and large, superior to surface water and cheaper to develop. However, when available, data on groundwater is very scanty. As a result, the World Bank is now paying increasing attention to this valuable resource, through both operations and sector work. This publication represents the proceeding of the seminar Groundwater: Legal and Policy Perspectives that was organized by the Legal Vice Presidency of the World Bank. It explains some basic technical aspects of groundwater, surveys the regulatory framework for it, and discusses the World Bank experience and international law regarding this precious resource. It is a timely publication and should also assist in a better understanding and appreciation of this valuable source. It will be of interest to Bank staff, borrowing country officials, international agencies and research organizations working on groundwater The structure of this report follows closely the design and format of the seminar on "Groundwater: Legal and Policy Perspectives" held in Washington on April 19,1999. The report consists of an introduction and four separates parts, each with a separate set of chapters. After the introduction, Part I deals with understanding groundwater. The chapters within explain some basic technical aspects of groundwater, discuss groundwater and society, and describe how the perception of groundwater as a private resources has thwarted the attempts to exercise a measure of equity and control over abstraction and protection of groundwater. Part II deals with regulatory framework for groundwater. These chapters survey a number of groundwater regulations and discuss institutional and legal issues relevant to implementation of water markets. Part III deals with the Bank's experience with groundwater. These chapters discuss the objective and components of the Bank-financed Bangladesh Arsenic Mitigation - Water Supply Project, groundwater resources management in Jordan, legal and institutional issues related to groundwater management in Mexico, Bank experience with groundwater irrigation in Nepal, and the groundwater situation in Yemen. Part IV deals with international groundwater law. These chapter describe the evolution and context of the legal principles that govern the use and protection of shared groundwater resources, international groundwater law, Bank policy for projects involving transboundary groundwater, and highlight principles of international environmental law that may be relevant to transboundary groundwater Water Crisis : Current Perceptions And Future Realities / Asit Biswas -- Essential Concepts For Groundwater / Stephen Foster -- Groundwater And Society : Problems In Variability And Points Of Engagement / Jacob Burke, Marcus Moench And Claude Sauveplane -- National Regulations For Groundwater : Options, Issues And Best Practices / Stfano Burchi -- Institutional And Legal Issues Relevent To The Implementation Of Water Markets / Miguel Solanes -- Mitigating Natural Groundwater Contamination In Bangladesh : Early Policy Lessons From A Development Project / Nadim Khouri And Sarwat Chowdhury -- Groundwater Resources Management In Jordan : Policy And Regulatory Issues / Andrew Macoun And Hazim El Naser -- Groundwater Management In Mexico : Legal And Institutional Issues / Karin Kemper -- Experience With Groundwater Irrigation In Nepal / Ohn Myint -- Groundwater Management In Yemen : Legal And Regulatory Issues / Karen Hudes -- International Groundwater Law : Evolution And Context / Stephen Mccaffrey -- International Groundwater Law And The World Bank Policy For Projects On Transboundary Groundwater / Raj Krishna And Salman M.a. Salman -- International Environmental Law : Principles Relevant To Transboundary Groundwater / David Freestone. Edited By Salman M.a. Salman. Includes Bibliographical References.