Publisher's Synopsis
Welcome to the seventh issue of New Water Policy and Practice Journal: A platform for the world's emerging water leaders and thinkers. Record-breaking temperatures in Portugal, the largest wildfires in history in California, one of the worst droughts on record in Australia, heatwaves throughout Europe, the worst floods in 100 years in southern India - no matter where you are or what news you watch, it's hard to miss the severe weather events occurring around the world, and the impact they have on local communities and regional economies. Yet even these terrible events fade in comparison to the pain and suffering caused by our continued failure to provide the basic human right to decent water and sanitation for all the people on this earth. We have a long way to go to deliver the policy and practice needed to secure a better water future. NWPP aims to provide a platform for the world's emerging water leaders and thinkers, and to support global efforts in capacity building for water management. In this issue we present a diverse group of papers, each reflecting on an important area of water management as a step towards that better water future. Firstly, we take an in-depth look at the nexus between water and energy in Brazil, with a focus on energy planning and the future of hydroelectric power in the context of climate change. Stakeholder engagement for governance leadership has drawn increasing interest and we present some interesting work to develop a model for a holistic view of the engagement process for IWRM. Taking another angle on the water and energy nexus, we present reflections on adaptive management approaches to the growing unconventional gas industry in Australia where governments have been attempting to balance the benefits with environmental risks and community concerns. There are over 58,000 large dams around the world and we present reflections on the social activism, and subsequent impact on the land and local people, of just one-the Sardar Saroval Dam in India. On a global scale, knowledge sharing for IWRM can be improved and in the final paper we present research to support the development of a global community of practice for water management practitioners. We hope you enjoy this new issue of New Water Policy and Practice.
