Resilience will only materialize when water balances account for all actual uses. This can only be achieved through coordinated action by actors at different scales and sectors. Participants will engage to understand water tenure, including customary rights, as a key element of water governance, for equitable access to water.

Water governance and tenure are recent concepts which embrace various SDG goals, and hence are useful for achieving the Agenda 2030, in particular through the inclusion of the most vulnerable through enhancing equitable access to water, increasing water security, and improving climate resilience. In partnership with governments, civil society and academia, FAO has been continuously working to define the concepts in line with the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure, unpack core elements and explore their practical implications. Recent work includes development and field-testing of methodologies for water governance and tenure assessment to map the diversity of coexisting water tenure arrangements in Africa, Asia, and the Near East.

This interactive session will create a forum for building stronger water governance and tenure concepts and define to achieve a more equitable and secure access to water, even in conditions of scarcity. It will attempt to refine our understanding of the water governance and tenure and contextualize its various elements with a series of case studies.

The session is aimed at policy makers, water professionals, and researchers from all over the world.