You are here: Publications > Water 
Water Allocation and Use > Online version >
3 Definitions
During the development of this briefing paper, it has become clear that there are many definitions associated with some key terms. To avoid any confusion, four key terms are defined below:
- Value: Value is defined in its holistic sense and not just in reference to economic value. 'Highest value use' therefore encompasses all aspects of sustainable development: environmental, social, cultural and economic. [Questions remain around who determines what is the highest value, and on what basis, as there is a risk that the values of minority groups, could be overwhelmed by the values of the majority. These questions will be considered further in later projects under the Water Programme of Action.]
- Efficiency: Efficiency in this paper is defined in terms of the technical efficiency of water use and not economic efficiency. [This does not preclude the consideration of a wider definition of efficiency in policy evaluation.]
- Water allocation:
- should determine the amount of water needed in rivers, streams and aquifers to sustain instream values
- grants legal authority to take, dam or divert water bodies up to a specified amount, sometimes subject to conditions concerning the maintenance of minimum flows or water levels in the water body, and relative priority amongst permit holders when there is insufficient water for all to exercise their legal authority in full
- also means the amount or quantity of water a permit holder is legally entitled to take from a water body.
- Instream: Instream refers to all forms of water in their natural location, whether on or below the surface - water in surface bodies (rivers, lakes, wetlands, etc), groundwater/ aquifers, transitional zones and geothermal.
