Toolkit for Water Policies and Governance
Converging Towards the OECD Council Recommendation on Water
The Toolkit for Water Policies and Governance compiles policies, governance arrangements and related tools that facilitate the design and implementation of water management practices in line with the OECD Council Recommendation on Water. It is designed to inspire and support countries which have either adhered to, are considering adhering to, or aim to converge towards the OECD standard.
The Recommendation was unanimously adopted by the OECD Council in December 2016. The adoption marked the outcome of a two-year consultation process with delegates from ministries active in the fields of agriculture, development assistance, environment, public governance, regional development, and regulatory policy, as well as with relevant stakeholders (the business sector, trade unions, environmental organisations) and the OECD Water Governance Initiative.
The Recommendation puts forward an international standard with high-level policy guidance on a range of topics relevant for the management of water resources and delivery of water services. The areas covered include managing water quantity, water risks and disasters, improving water quality, ensuring good water governance as well as sustainable finance, investment and pricing for water services.
The practices reported in the toolkit have been compiled by the OECD Secretariat, in close consultation with delegates from adhering countries. Regular updates will be made available.
Executive summary
In 2020, the COVID-19 crisis was a stark reminder of how critical access to safe water is for human health and livelihood and consequently for sustainable and inclusive development. With 2.1 billion people without access to safe water services and over 4.4 billion lacking access to safe sanitation, the world is not on track to meet its global commitments on water, most notably the Sustainable Development Goal on clean water and sanitation and the United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation. Climate change only adds to the challenge. Due to the cross-sectoral and strategic nature of water, failure to deliver on water commitments is consequential for the achievement of other global agendas such as the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework and the New Urban Agenda.