Dimensions of Water Security and the Ecosystem Services Concept on the Governance Level

Absztrakt

The concept of water security has received increasing attention in the scientific, political and business communities in recent years. This growing interest reflects the rise in concern about the state of freshwater resources, changing hydrological cycles and their impacts on human security. Despite efforts to reform water governance at local, regional and global levels, there is still clear evidence of growing pressures on water systems across the planet. Enhancing water security has always been related to reducing uncertainty in the delivery of waterrelated services and to reducing negative impacts from water-related extremes (i.e. floods and droughts). Enhancing water security in an increasingly uncertain and complex world requires water governance and management systems to perform under conditions of irreducible uncertainty and surprise. Growing water scarcity, increased water variability due to climate change and rapidly deteriorating water quality have led to a proliferation of definitions and publications on the topic of water security. Water is an essential component of all ecosystems, not just aquatic systems. Typically, the provision and use of water for human needs requires relatively predictable or stable supply, which is in direct contrast to the importance of variability in river flows that is vital for aquatic ecosystems. The author reflects of this article, mainly is to elaborate on the trade-offs between human water security on the one hand and environmental water needs on the other, on the governance level.