To evaluate the barriers to sustainability of current practices in water management in EU countries and to identify required changes towards water policies that are more compatible with sustainable development objectives.

OBJECTIVES:
To evaluate the barriers to sustainability of current practices in water management in EU countries and to identify required changes towards water policies that are more compatible with sustainable development objectives.
DESCRIPTION:
The traditional objective of water management is to match availability and needs, in space and time, with regard to quantity and quality, under economically and technically feasible conditions. This objective is usually pursued through technological development. However, this is quite limited and insufficient, if a sustainable development goal is sought. The achievement of such goal requires the analysis of the policy formulation process, its actors, context and dynamics.
The research project focuses on the analysis of the policy formulation process with regard to water management. This is intended to provide a better insight of the social, economical and technological factors supporting and conditioning water policies and their dynamics. It matters not only how questions are answered but which questions are asked. Therefore, the analysis of the requirements of water management and the driving forces of water policy definition, are an essential element of this project. Moreover, a comprehensive literature review and critical evaluation of research results in this area is undertaken in order to select a set of indicators of sustainability specifically related to water resources management.
WATER 21 is divided in four phases: contextual analysis of water policy formulation; policy dimensions relevant for sustainability; review of criteria and indicators for sustainable development; and an in depth appraisal of water policies and development of policy recommendations. These tasks are conducted on the basis of case studies in five EU countries: Portugal, France, Germany, Netherlands and United Kingdom.