Water is everybody's business. It is indispensable for human survival, agricultural and industrial pro- gress, and freedom from lethal diseases. The United Nations has flagged 2005-2015 as the International Decade for Action: Water for Life, which aims to implement internationally agreed water-related goals set in the UN Millennium Declaration. Priority must be given to coping with water scarcity, facilitating access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, and reducing disaster risk.

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights defined access to water as a human right. Although there is enough water in the world for everyone, about 1 billion or one sixth of the world's people still lack access to it. Population growth, war, migration to urban areas, floods, droughts, climate change and the relations among countries and between all levels of government and citizens account for the inequitable distribution of water. Essentially, the water crisis is a crisis of governance. To tackle this, international investment in the water sector needs to be increased and water issues should be integrated within the broader processes of trade, stability and equitable governance.

Poor water governance takes many forms. Conflicting or overlapping jurisdiction of governing authorities hampers the formulation of a coherent governance strategy to make drinking water available to consumers. Highly centralized government may contribute to inefficient water governance. Decentralization, however, is not a cure-all for water shortages; the power of local government to raise revenues and the amount of money it gets from the central government can affect its ability to repair and maintain the infrastructure. Opaque and corrupt governance exacerbate water problems. Even in some democracies, governance needs to be more transparent and accountable.

Ordinary consumers pay the price for poor water governance, such as the "coping costs" for standing in queues, paying for water delivery or for the power needed to pump water. Good governance can help to ameliorate the quality of people's lives by improving delivery and reducing disparities in availability of water in urban and rural areas. This could help to reduce poverty, preserve ecosystems and prevent outbreaks of disease. The prospects for effective implementation of reforms could be improved if programmes are economically sound and sensitive to the political, social, economic and institutional factors of each country.

The collection of accurate information on water resources is a must for highlighting the issues and enhancing the quality of governance. To improve water availability and distribution, information about many different aspects is also needed, such as population statistics, water rates and billing systems, governing authorities' accountability and responsibilities, and the incidences of corruption and water theft. Anti-corruption laws should be strengthened and partnerships forged among the Government, civil society and private businesses. Stemming corruption requires multilateral cooperation and coordination, as well as integrated policies and outcomes that encourage multi-stakeholders' participation and decentralization.

Privatization is not necessarily a panacea for efficient water governance. A rich country like the United Kingdom shows that privatization does not necessarily stop water wastage. The issue of privatization is controversial in many countries as consumers do not understand why companies should make profits out of a basic necessity. The real issue is better management and efficient delivery of clean drinking water. The political will for reform is essential, and the responsibilities of government agencies for supplying water should be defined clearly. Partnerships between the Government and citizens can create a greater awareness of water issues, ranging from fighting corruption, conservation and reaching consensus on appropriate water rates, to creating laws to protect resources and mechanisms to resolve water disputes.

The framing of a holistic strategy could lead to better coordination among governing authorities, integrate the different resources, make adequate funding available and raise public awareness, thus facilitating the provision of a more equitable water delivery. The second UN World Water Development Report, Water: a shared responsibility, stresses that collective responsibility is needed to assess and monitor progress and meet internationally agreed targets. Good water governance is essential to preserve the natural ecosystems so that everyone can have access to clean water and derive the health, social and economic benefits that it can sustain.