Water is essential for life and a necessary requirement for all forms of agricultural enterprises, mining and industry.

The problem is that frequently water is not available in the right place, at the right time in the required amounts and the demand for water in many parts of the world now exceeds supply.

In many places groundwater resources are being used faster than they can be replaced but the demand for groundwater is increasing and is likely to continue to rise as the effects of climate change become more pronounced.

Because of the problems of access to, and availability of, reliable sources of water more and more marginal sources of water are being accessed, for example recycled water and sea water. However, accessing these sources of water increases both the economic and environmental cost.

Because water is an essential requirement for the environment and for all forms of human enterprise, the laws that mediate the relationship between water resource management the environment and human activity are becoming increasingly complex.

Today, if anyone is considering any enterprise for which water is a necessary resource, they must understand how the relevant laws will affect the capacity for the enterprise to be carried out, ongoing availability of water, and the current and future costs involved, that is, they must determine whether it is the best available use for the water resources that will be attributed to it, environmentally, socially and economically.

Our blogs will address current issues for water resource management. If there are any issues of particular interest, please include this in your comment and we will attempt to address them in future blogs.