One of the questions that the study should focus is related with the role of water management policies in agriculture and food production. More specifically, how can we integrate the rising trend in water management, i.e. "water quality focus" with priorities of the developing nations which aspire to expand the areas under irrigation in order to keep up with the population pressures. This dichotomy, for instance, demonstrates itself even in several regions of the EU (in agriculture-based regions in particular) where rules of the Water Framework Directive, with its challenging full-cost-recovery principle, can be at odds with what most of the farmers are thinking as well as practically doing. Implementation of such policies could be counterproductive in settings where water users, mainly farmers, are unable to pay the new price tag on water. On the other hand, continued "wild" water-use and excessive groundwater use for irrigation could equally be disastrous for the sustainablity of the fields. Can we rely on "virtual water" for resolution of the problems associated with water-scarce regions and/or water-expensive settings? Multiple layers of governance, be they national, regional, local, international; adds more complexity to decision-making, and more difficult than that, to implementation of what has been decided. Reaching a balance among competing interests, competing water-uses etc., which are prerequisites for sound policies is not straighforward.
Vakur Sumer