Guidelines for equitable participation in water decision-making

Abstract

Human decisions on water can have a wide effect, impacting rivers, ecosystems, economies, livelihoods, cultures and spiritual values. To make decisions more equitable, researchers and practitioners need to engage directly with the people affected and understand the norms, values and forms of knowledge surrounding water which underlie these decisions. The participation of people affected by the decisions, known as “stakeholders”, is deeply connected to power relations, and effective models are needed to understand these relations and enable meaningful participation for diverse stakeholders.