• Which benefits?Which benefits?• Implementation?Implementation?• Main interactions? Main interactions? • Need to linkNeed to link groundwater & surface groundwater & surface waterwater

The responsibility of the government A ‘water right’ = the right to use (…not

ownership of) Granted under certain terms or conditions → through permits, licenses, concessions or authorizations…

Is there permit or license to abstract GW in your country?

Reduce interference, and conflicts;

Foster the participation of water users;

Improve economic efficiency;

…Do GW rights guarantee a given water quantity/quality?

Sufficient detail to minimize conflict between users

Specify conditions: time, rate, the volume,… the priority

Appropriated judicial or review mechanism.

Include economic, social and environmental factors

Flexibility & security of tenure;

Political & public acceptability;

Efficacy → changes existing undesirable situation;

Administrative feasibility and sustainability.

Are there other criteria ?

Interactions between ground and surface water; Important issues: level of surface water connection :- how much,

which bodies, over what period? are third parties affected? is baseflow/ecosystem/springs affected?

Holder of a water-use right, a lawful user who … have to pay fees and charges .

Other users in the same aquifer and its dependent surface water.

Other stakeholders, third-party actors. The water resource authority:

◦ can deny grant water right The judiciary may prosecute or hear appeals

How are you dealing with the compliance problem?

Conflict resolution mechanisms are well-accepted, economic and rapid;

Sanctions balanced to discourage non-compliance … not to cripple water users;

Monitoring realistic and commensurate with institutional capacity.

Stakeholder participation → better compliance;

Transparency to allocation process → information system;

Effects on third parties, watercourse baseflow, environmental ecosystems, and sustainability of springs ;

Political and public awareness.

What is major constraint to implement GW rights system?

If no accurate data on GW balance, all users should be given permits of short duration

Customary rights should be dealt with comprehensively.

No exceptions should be tolerated. Specification of abstraction rate thresholds, a

dynamic process. Certain minor uses may be exempted from

water rights bureaucracy.

Implementation → high priority.

Consistent with the hydrogeological reality.

Permits time-limited, and subject to initial review and modification.

Transboundary:◦ harmonization of

legislation and regulations

Internationally shared aquifers in Northern Africa (IHP-VI, 2001)

The impacts of new water allocation on traditional users;

The difficulties in estimating impacts on ecosystem;

Considering the “what happen after” question

Extractable groundwater of acceptable quality is left .

Thank you!