Policy Brief No. 3: Land and Water Governance in Urban Regions.

Abstract

Water International and IWRA Policy Briefings are published by IWRA with the support of Routledge. They aim to provide high quality analysis and practical recommendations for policy makers on important development issues. Key Policy Messages: • As urbanisation intensifies, good governance must include better integration of shifting boundaries between land and water. • Effective governance must confront the unique challenges of three distinct landwater frontiers: vertical (concealed interdependencies), horizontal (conflicting uses) and fluid (uncertainty). • It is necessary to break down the current institutional divide between spatial planning and water management to produce a more united and coherent strategy that carefully balances flexibility and robustness in the management of land and water in urban areas.