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WATER FOR ALL NEWS
Issue 31, July 2007
WATER USER RIGHTS
Securing Water for People and Future
Online Version - http://adb.org/Documents/Periodicals/Water/2007/issue31-Jul07.asp <http://adb.org/Documents/Periodicals/Water/2007/issue31-Jul07.asp>
In a world with many waters and few users, sharing isn’t an issue. Unfortunately, that world has long been replaced by one with scarce water resources and escalating number of water users. Competition is stiff, and physical and legal battles regularly arise from the conflicting demands each user imposes on the resources. Water rights— and a legal system to allocate them— is logical and essential for managing the integrity of water resources and their ability to deliver to growing economies and populations. A water user right is a formal or informal entitlement that allows the holder to withdraw water from rivers, streams, ponds or any source of groundwater. This issue will focus on how such rights are applied in Asia, and the challenges faced by any country or institution introducing a new system of water rights and allocation.
