Values-Based Scenarios of Water Security: Rights to Water, Rights of Waters, and Commercial Water Rights

Abstract

Although a wide body of scholarly research recognizes multiple kinds of values for water, water security assessments typically employ just some of them. In the present article, we integrate value scenarios into a planetary water security model to incorporate multiple water-related social values and illustrate trade-offs among them. Specifically, we incorporate cultural values for environmental flows needed to sustain ecosystem function (rights of waters), the water requirements of a human right to food (rights to water), and the economic value of water to commercial enterprise (commercial water rights). Pairing quantitative hydrological modeling with qualitative systems of valuing, we suggest how to depict the available water for realizing various combinations of the values underlying those rights. We account for population growth and dietary choices associated with different socioeconomic pathways. This pluralist approach incorporates multiple kinds of values into a water security framework, to better recognize and work with diversity in cultural valuation of water.

Technical and Economic Irrigation Potentials Within Land and Water Boundaries

“…Jenkins et al. (2021)), and (b) environmental needs are provided as part of the water management plan (cf. Richter and Thomas, 2007; Yin et al., 2011).…”

“…Only by including potential cropland in the determination of irrigation potentials, these models have the full option space for cropland and irrigation expansion and can assess how much area to put into production effectively, while taking further criteria such as food demand, greenhouse gas policies and sustainability tradeoffs into account. With the estimation of Potential Irrigation Water Consumption (PIWC), our research also adds to the literature on a potential "planetary water opportunities" boundary (Gerten et al, 2013;Jenkins et al, 2021;Rockström et al, 2009). To estimate this boundary, assessing societal water demands and areas where the water would actually be used is important (Gerten et al, 2013).…”

Global water security: A shining star in the dark sky of achieving the sustainable development goals

“…managed aquifer recharge through improving soil infiltration) (WWAP-UN-Water, 2018) can also increase and save limited available freshwater resources on Earth. Combining different sustainable irrigation deficit practices with sustainable irrigation expansion strategies ( Rosa et al, 2019 , 2020 a) cannot only contribute to progress towards achieving the SDG6 (“Clean Water and Sanitation”) by ensuring adequate water resources for humans (rights to water) and ecosystems (rights of waters) ( Rosa et al, 2020b ; Jenkins et al, 2021 ) but also the SDG1 (“No Poverty”) by increasing agricultural production, the SDG2 (“Zero Hunger”) by improving global food security, and the SDG15 (“Life on Land”) by impeding biodiversity loss. Moreover, employing new sanitation infrastructure and approaches (e.g.…”

Appraising the Water‐Energy‐Food Nexus From a Sustainable Development Perspective: A Maturing Paradigm?

“…Arguably, these examples demonstrate a positive progression in the utilization of the nexus, though equally, they also reveal considerable scope for wider and more extensive applications. For instance, they continually downplay or ignore the value choices underlying industrial extraction activities, or indeed, the social and environmental value consequences of those decisions, even though values—their diversity, synergies and trade‐offs—are central to improving sector security (Jenkins et al., 2021).…”