The OECD Principles on Water Governance and implementation strategy

Co-designed with the members of the OECD Water Governance Initiative (WGI) in 2015, the OECD Principles on Water Governance have been endorsed by 170+ stakeholder groups or governments, including 37 OECD Member Countries, 7 Non-Member Countries and 140 Stakeholder Groups.

The OECD Principles apply to the overarching water policy cycle. They cut across water management functions (e.g. drinking water supply, sanitation, flood protection, water quality, water quantity, rainwater and stormwater), water uses (e.g. domestic, industry, agriculture, energy and environment) and ownership of water management, resources and assets (e.g. public, private, mixed)

The OECD Water Governance Indicator Framework is a self-assessment tool designed to measure and evaluate the implementation level of water governance systems. The indicator framework is composed of a traffic light system based on 36 input and process indicators, a checklist with questions on a number of more specific governance condition and an action plan.

54 evolving water governance practices provide examples and lessons on the implementation of the OECD Principles on Water Governance. They help policy makers, practitioners and other stakeholders learn from each other and identify pitfalls to avoid when designing and implementing water policies. 

The OECD Guide How to Assess Water Governance provides a one-stop-shop guide to conduct an effective, efficient and inclusive assessment of water governance systems. It is based on a ten-step methodology, and provides examples to motivate and inspire the end users throughout the process.

The Handbook aims to further drive the implementation of the OECD Principles on Water Governance at subnational level (e.g. municipal, regional and basin) through a compilation and analysis of evolving water governance practices highlighting lessons learned for national and subnational governments. The practices illustrate how cities, regions and basins address the underlying issues covered by the OECD Principles