Definitions
- Number of hectares reached
- Water governance interventions
- River basins and deltas
- Good water quality and quantity
Number of hectares reached An area is considered ‘reached’ when it is directly affected by a water governance intervention that is aimed at river basins and deltas with good water quality and quantity (see below). Demonstrate where the boundaries of this area are. This is expressed in hectares.
Water governance interventions This indicator includes any governance intervention aimed at safe river basins and deltas with good water quality and quantity. Such a governance intervention can take the shape of both effectiveness, efficiency and/or trust and engagement interventions; following the OECD Principles on Water Governance. The principles provide 12 must-haves for efficient, effective and inclusive water governance. Governance interventions do not only refer to building up new governance institutions, but also to interventions whereby existing institutions are further supported and assisted by (technical) assistance related to one of the 12 principles. Additionally, governance interventions also include for example setting regulatory frameworks or developing (national) policies. Furthermore, interventions such as early warning systems or water efficiency monitoring systems (e.g. WaPOR) should also be listed as ‘governance’ interventions as well, as they are part of the OECD Principle nr. 5 (Produce, update, and share timely, consistent, comparable and policy-relevant water and water-related data and information, and use it to guide, assess and improve water policy). The partner organization needs to explain how the intervention contributes to safe river basins and deltas with good water quality and quantity. If the intervention arguably contributes to either river basins or deltas, it counts. Partners are encouraged to address multiple challenges simultaneously with the same intervention. It is assumed and accepted that it might take a while before water governance interventions show any benefits/impact for the area where it is implemented. Interventions should have a sustainable character, and therefore the long-lasting effect is more important than the exact moment when the interventions start showing the benefits/impact.
River basins and deltas A river basin is an area of land where all water that falls on that land, flows into one river. It can flow directly into the river or go through smaller rivers or streams that flow into the larger river. A river basin can be divided in subbasins. A delta or delta system is part of a river basin, it’s a landform shaped by the influence of rivers and other water bodies (ocean, sea, estuary, lake, or reservoir). Deltas are geographically well-defined flat sediment plains, subject to frequent inundation by river and sea.
Good water quality and quantity Water quality refers to the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. The most common standards used to monitor and assess water quality convey the health of ecosystems, safety of human contact, extent of water pollution and condition of drinking water. Good water quality is water that fulfills the criteria as defined by the national competent authorities. In case there are no national criteria, the criteria of the WHO should be applied. Water quantity is the amount of water in a water body. The qualification of ‘good’ is to be defined by the partner organization, based on (local) standards and criteria.
