Water Allocation and Water Sharing: An Overview

A Review of Water Allocations and Water Sharing

While water is an essential resource for development and survival, it is also a scarce commodity. The allocation and sharing this precious resource can be a challenge for many countries, especially those with multiple users. This paper will focus on the two most common methods of water sharing and allocation: the permit system to manage groundwater, and the riparian doctrine to manage surface water. Additionally, the simulations of the Nubian aquifer system and the “Harmon Doctrine” used by the countries sharing the Brahmaputra River will be discussed. The United States uses a permit system for managing groundwater. This system allows the state to grant permission to individuals or companies to use the water, as well as to limit the amount of water that can be used (“Groundwater Permits,” 2020). The riparian doctrine, however, is designed to control surface water. This doctrine states that the owner of land bordering the water source is the only one entitled to water use. (Heidler 2020).