Making Water Policy in Developing Countries: Water Resources in Tegucigalpa

Abstract

The management of water resources around the world, and especially in countries with limited financial resources involves challenges that defy the sustainability and equitative use of the water. Governments have tended to respond through legislation to restrict uses and to redirect water management decisions to the Government itself. However, these fixed responses have proved not being effective due to the limited presence of central governments in the different watersheds. Consequences of this type of setting are a poor understanding of the hydrological issues, poor sustainability of the resources and unequitative distribution of water. On the other hand management of water resources, under a systematical view and under the administration of local users has been proved effective. The implementation of such managements allows a better adaptation of rules to local settings, the participation of the people and a permanent learning from the system. They seem a more advantageous water management approach for those countries where financial crisis do not allow a good monitoring and administration of their resources. Discussions about the topic are provided in the present thesis.