Public participation in water resources management

Individuals and affected communities are often excluded from decision-making processes regarding the use of water resources. However, in the last two decades, non-state actors have been increasingly integrated into water management processes. Some international instruments, such as the 1998 Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, put emphasis on access to information and transparency in natural resource management. Public participation – encompassing the rights of individuals and groups to have access to information and participate in decision-making processes – is an increasingly common obligation in international agreements. Furthermore, mechanisms like the Aarhus Compliance Committee have been developed to providing individuals and groups direct access to decision-making procedures. The article identifies some of the main features of public participation in water management, drawing on the texts of international instruments and the practice of international actors