GEF

Unit 4  |  The Global Water Crisis 112 ■■ Principle 3: Women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water. ■■ Principle 4: Water has an economic value in all its compet- ing uses and should be recognized as an economic good. Governments and individuals are finding ways to make water sustain- ability a priority. Principle 1 recognizes water’s essential role in human and envi- ronmental well-being. Furthermore, it emphasizes that it is not an infinite resource and must be treated with care. Principle 2 recognizes the essential role of water governance in water sustainability. The twentieth century approach of top- down water infrastructure constructed and managed without citizen input is coming to an end. In its place, water is increas- ingly being approached from a participatory framework in which the full range of water stakeholders are involved with making decisions about water supply and use. GOVERNANCE The act or manner of governing. STAKEHOLDERS The individuals or groups with a direct interest in something such as a project or business.