In the Indian context where water is generally accepted as a key to improve livelihoods of a large number of poor people, the issue of Water Governance is one of building social support for equitable and sustainable development of the resource, based on comprehensive participatory planning.

Water governance involves formal and informal institutions through which authority
is exercised to allocate and regulate the resource while there is a need to harness and use water for maximum societal good. Concerns have been raised regarding water scarcity, pollution of water bodies, deterioration of water infrastructure, and lack of social justice in access to water.

The need for an adaptive framework for Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) has been voiced at various levels and of late there has been an increased interest in water governance as a result of a perceived change in the role of state to one of a minimal facilitator. Critical questions have been raised about this new paradigm of governance, especially on accountability and depoliticisation of public spaces.

There is a need to critically examine theories and practices underpinning the new governance paradigm especially from the angularity of poor and marginalised sections of society.

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