The Governance of Water Quality Protection

Abstract

Clean water is a vital resource for humans and the environment, but significant pressures on water quality persist. To improve water quality, abundant research has been undertaken in the natural sciences. However, decision-making, governance and implementation challenges have been identified among the core obstacles towards clean water. Contributions by political science, also crossing disciplinary boundaries between social and natural sciences, are necessary to enhance our understanding of these challenges and to be able to find better solutions for improving water quality. This Panel focuses on the governance of water quality protection and pollution prevention, linking political approaches to the status of water resources. Potential topics include the choice of relevant policy instruments for water quality, cross-sectoral stakeholder participation and policy integration (e.g. industry, water quality, health), or the challenge of emerging pollutants.

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