Towards new forms of water governance to improve indigenous inclusion

Abstract

One of the first objectives of the new Caledonian water policy is the implementation of a new governance system. This chapter explores possible new governance rules for New Caledonia. It presents different scenarios ranging from the status quo (conservation of the current system, with an inter-service management that coordinates provinces and municipalities, but led by the government), to the establishment of a single water office (to pool resources and skills), a water agency (based on the French model) or new forms of governance including public representatives. It focuses on the issues raised by the inclusion of indigenousness in water governance arrangements in order to provide perspectives for New Caledonian practitioners in the formalisation of their own governance model. This topic aligns with the broader theme of the incorporating indigenous claims into public social, economic and environmental policies affecting indigenous territories. The comparative study of the Australian, Canadian and Bolivian cases makes it possible to identify issues regarding the inclusion of indigenous peoples as an entity in its own right, and the integration of the cultural norms, values and practices of these peoples into the mechanisms and public policies as a result. This comparison therefore provides an opportunity to suggest key considerations regarding international concepts and water governance models, as well highlighting New Caledonia’s encouraging progress in integrating indigenousness within the water governance system