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WATER & IRRIGATION
Water Stewardship: A Pathway to Sustainable Agricultural Futures
By Dr. Sandra J. Hall
As the global agricultural sector faces mounting pressure from climate change, water scarcity, and the growing need for food production, sustainable solutions are more critical than ever. Water stewardship has emerged as a fundamental approach to managing water resources in a way that promotes ecological balance, economic vitality, and social equity.
Water Stewardship: Defining Re- sponsible Water Use Water stewardship refers to re- sponsible water management that ensures equitable and sustainable water use for people, the planet, and economies. It’s a voluntary commitment from users to under- stand and mitigate their water-re- lated impacts, adopt sustainable practices, and collaborate with others to achieve better outcomes. In the agricultural context, water stewardship promotes farmers and agricultural businesses to con- sider the entire water cycle - where water comes from, how it’s used, identifying risks related to climate variability, and the downstream impacts. This involves using effi- cient irrigation methods, reducing water pollution from runoff, and conserving freshwater ecosystems. The stewardship approach moves beyond the individual farm level to encourage collaboration across the
individual users, acting in their self-interest, deplete a shared re- source to the detriment of all. In agriculture, the commoning framework encourages farmers to see themselves as part of a larger ecosystem, where their water use practices directly affect neigh- bouring farms, local commun- ities, and broader ecosystems. This sense of shared responsibil- ity fosters cooperative manage- ment and reduces competition for water resources. By implementing commoning principles, Water Stewardship helps create frameworks for local water governance that include diverse perspectives. Farmers, First Nations communities, en- vironmental advocates, and water managers collaborate to create systems that benefit all, ensuring equitable water distribution, pres- ervation of ecosystems, and long- term sustainability.
whole of the catchment enabled by a stakeholder inclusive process, working with local authorities and communities. Water Stewardship Asia Pacific (WSAP) has been at the fore- front of implementing strategies that enhance sustainable water management across agricultural landscapes. By adopting innovative frameworks like "Commoning" and systems thinking, Water Steward- ship provides a holistic approach to addressing water-related chal- lenges in agriculture. Commoning: Collective Manage- ment of Shared Resources The idea of commoning, grounded in Elinor Ostrom’s work on the governance of common resources, emphasises the need for collective management of resources that are used by multiple stakehold- ers. This approach addresses the “tragedy of the commons” where
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