Water allocation: a strategic overview

Abstract

Water allocation has been identified as a priority water management issue. This priority has come from the increasing demands on water, especially from the rural sector. Closing some resources to further allocation has occurred in some regions, while the reliability of water supply from some catchments is considered insufficient. These scarcities have an effect on rural productivity. There is a perception that the current water allocation system does not encourage optimal use of water and that improvements in allocation practice could increase the value of water resources to communities. Concerns relate to both macro-allocation (the decision on when and in what quantities water can be abstracted from a resource) and micro-allocation (the decision as to who can use the water and how much). This paper presents an overview of water allocation in New Zealand with the aims of: · Clarifying problems in existing water allocation practice; · Providing suggestions at the strategic level on how to improve water allocation; · Identifying roles and responsibilities.