Water security is crucial to achieving sustainable and inclusive growth. A water secure world harnesses the productive power of water and minimises its destructive force. It is a world where every person has enough safe, affordable, clean water to lead a healthy and productive life. It is a world where communities are protected from floods, droughts, landslides, erosion, and water borne diseases. Water security promotes environmental protection as well as social justice, and addresses the consequences of poor water management. This is the Global Water Partnership’s (GWP’s) vision and, over the past 20 years, researchers and practitioners have sought to understand the economic, social, and environmental implications of increasing water security and what this means in practice. Strategic decision-making in the water sector has always been challenging. Climate change increases this complexity and forces us to question established approaches to dealing with future uncertainty.
So, can we quantify and measure water security? If so, what do we measure? Indeed, what can we measure? Should we be seeking absolute measures of security or indicators that enable us to compare and assess change and improvements? These are key questions to which policy-makers, who are responsible for making well-informed decisions and investments in national and regional development, seek answers.