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Over the last 30 years leading thinkers have taken us beyond mechanistic and reductionist analysis into systems theory and the critical boundary judgements that are fundamental to systems analysis. In defining and discussing boundary conditions, we also redefine values and facts imposed on hydrological and economic analysis that underpins decisions about government policy in water resources. The repeal of legislation for distributed interventions (water-efficient appliances and rainwater harvesting) that was previously enacted to improve the security of a regional water supply system is examined as a case study. The results of the analysis were defined by the costs and benefits that are inside or outside of the boundaries of legitimate and recognized consideration. This paper refers to those differences as boundary conditions and considers how those boundary conditions affect the outcome of analysis. Setting of boundary conditions (what is included, what is excluded and assumptions) in engineering and economic analysis dominates outcomes of decisions about government policy. These insights have general application to development of government water policy. The investigations outlined in this paper were combined to create an enhanced version of a systems analysis of a policy for setting targets for water savings on all new dwellings. It was established, using appropriate boundary conditions, that a 40% target for water savings is feasible for South East Queensland (SEQ) and provides a cost-benefit ratio of 2.1. These results indicate that a policy of mandating targets for sustainable buildings would provide substantial benefits to the state of Queensland, water utilities and citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid growth in demand for water, the resource is increasingly being transferred from agriculture to cities and industries. This paper examines trends and expected future changes in sectoral water demand, which drive water transfers. It then describes alternative mechanisms for water reallocation, including administrative reallocation, market-based reallocation, collective negotiation, and other means, including combinations of mechanisms, and illegal transfers. Transfer mechanisms and implications for rural livelihoods and the environment are illustrated for case studies in the western United States and Asia. The paper concludes with a series of suggestions for alternative policies and institutions for reallocation that could help reduce adverse consequences for the poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing a secure water supply for future population growth that accommodates climate change is a high priority of governments. Moreover, investing in such costly infrastructure must meet obligations for economic, social and environmental sustainability and high standards of governance. In this research, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) sustainability framework is used to assess alternative water supply options proposed in the 2009 draft South East Queensland (SEQ) Water Strategy. While it has become the norm for large companies to use the GRI to report on progress using economic, social and environmental sustainability indicators, this paper investigates the applicability of the GRI 2005 Public Agency Supplement designed for use by governments. By including indicators about public policy disclosures, efficiency and effectiveness, governments can be called to account for decision-making that affects future generations. The results illustrate the value of the GRI approach as a basis for improving transparency in governance and decision-making to achieve sustainability performance in water source options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the recently developed 'Guidelines for the design and control of intermittent water distribution systems'. These guidelines outline a new approach to the design of urban water distribution systems for developing countries in order to maintain adequate and equitable supplies under the common conditions of water resource shortage. The guidelines are novel in that they recognise the reality of intermittent supply and hence provide new methods of analysis and design, appropriate for such systems. Design objectives specifically tailored to intermittent systems are developed and drive the design process. These objectives are expressed in terms of equity in supply, adequate pressure at water connections and duration or time of supply that are convenient to the consumers. The modifications required to model such systems have been incorporated into a new network analysis simulation tool coupled with an optimal design tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After nearly half a century of planning, the construction of the controversial south-to-north water transfer (SNWT) project in China was officially launched just before the end of 2002. This paper looks into the decision-making process of the project in the context of the country's transition from a centrally-planned economy to a market economy, rapid economic development, and severe environmental degradation. Uncertainties concerning future water demand in individual sectors are examined with reference to the latest projection prior to the launch of the project. Adjustment of project objectives and shut of the focal issues concerned over the years are elaborated. The analysis suggests a high degree of uncertainty in future water demand. The expansion of project objectives to include ecosystem recovery in the late 1990s, however provided a decisive argument for implementing the project as no other alternative was considered available to meet the estimated ecosystem water requirement Consequently, remaining doubts on the need for the project and concerns on adverse environmental impacts have tended to be sidelined. With the implementation of the project, the government is caught in a dilemma of keeping water prices low to substantiate the economic needs and improving water use efficiency to honor the environmental objective of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how agencification, in terms of increasing arm's length governance, may influence governance control with municipal service-provision if the principal and the agent develop different institutional logics. The basic expectation is that structural separation between principal and agent will challenge the principal's control of the agent, and that this challenge will be accentuated if the structural change also leads to cultural separation, conceptualised as different institutional logics. Our findings lead to the conclusion that the relationship between formal structure and institutional logics is reciprocal; structural separation creates a separation in culture and identity, thereby accentuating the perceived distance between principal and agent, which stimulates their sense of belonging to different types of organisations. Still, development of appropriate control mechanisms is in its infancy. Formally, output control exists, but receives scarce political attention. Informal control may also work depending on adherence to a common community logic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the development of public–private partnerships (PPP) in water services in Asia over the last two decades and situates the Asian experience within the wider global context. Through a comparative analysis of PPP data from two different sources, the article highlights the critical issue of how ‘private’ is defined in understanding the extent of PPP in Asia, due to the important role played by enterprises under mixed public and private ownership. The article identifies cyclical patterns of development of PPP in the water sector across countries and the use of hybrid contractual and institutional arrangements for PPPs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]