Coping with water challenges requires robust public policies, targeting measurable objectives in pre-determined time-schedules at the appropriate scale, relying on a clear assignment of duties across responsible authorities and subject to regular monitoring and evaluation.

The OECD Principles on Water Governance help governments navigate the tenets of good public policy on water, and distil what they need for their own challenges. The principles promote efficiency and effectiveness in water management.

The session Principles on Water Governance: from Vision to Action at the 7th World Water Forum provided a platform for multi-stakeholder experience-sharing on the building blocks of good governance covered in the 12 Principles. Participants echoed how such principles translate in their day-to-day management and activities and which concrete commitments can help support their implementation on the ground.

The session was chaired by the OECD’s Secretary General and discussions focused on 12 Principles. 

The Principles are based around the following aspects:

1. Multi-level governance
2. Managing water at the right scale 
3. Policy Coherence
4. Capacity
5. Data and Information
6. Governance-Financing nexus
7. Regulatory Frameworks
8. Governance and innovation
9. Integrity and transparency
10. Stakeholder Engagement
11. Equity across users, people and places
12. Monitoring and evaluation

OECD Principles on Water Government

World Water Forum 7, Opening remarks by Angel Gurría

OECD Water Governance Programme

OECD at the World Water Forum, 2015

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