15 May 2015: The High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE), a group convened by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), released a report reviewing the current state of water governance, arguing for the promotion of a rights-based approach to water for food security and nutrition (FSN).

The HLPE acts as its science-policy interface to the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). The HLPE was formed in October 2009, and this report is the ninth in its series.

In its report, the HLPE highlights that national water policies often do not prioritize water for food security, and that numerous policies, including those relating to manufacturing, energy and trade, are having an increasing impact on water resources. The authors describe the growing influence of corporate actors from sectors such as plantations and the beverage industry, which compete with agriculture smallholders, fishers and poor households for access to water. They argue for more attention to be given to the impacts of decisions around land ownership and tenure on water access, and the subsequent impacts on agriculture and FSN, particularly in relation to local communities.

The authors explore the limitations of the widely-used concept of integrated water resources management (IWRM) in addressing conflicts, suggesting that IWRM, while providing a comprehensive framework that can bring together economic, social and environmental objectives, is not well-equipped to tackle implementation challenges at the ground level.

Instead, they recommend: ensuring sustainable ecosystem management and conservation to ensure the continued availability, quality and stability of water for FSN; improving the resilience, water efficiency and water productivity of existing agricultural systems; and improving the governance of water for FSN, including promotion of a rights-based approach. They refer to relevant guidelines and principles, such as the right to adequate food, the right to safe drinking water and sanitation, the Voluntary Guidelines for Security Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (VGSSF), and the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT), to provide a basis for further action to safeguard water for FSN. Various tools for managing water scarcity and allocation are discussed, including water use authorization, tradable water permits systems, and water pricing.

In his introduction to the report, Per Pinstrup-Andersen, HLPE Steering Committee Chair, notes that safeguarding water for the dignity, health, food and nutrition security of everyone on the planet is one of the greatest challenges faced by humanity, and is “a fundamental dimension” of the sustainable development agenda.

The report summary and recommendations are available in the six UN languages.[Publication: Water for Food Security and Nutrition] [Report Web Page]