Comparative Public Law and Water Crisis. Environmental Cost, Participation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution

Environmental degradation and anthropogenic climate change severely affect natural resources, thus fostering the need for effective tools to cope with multiple concerns. Within this scenario, the article aims to address public law policies and legislation in reference to water management, with a focus on three specific issues: 1) environmental cost, 2) participation and water management, 3) alternative dispute resolutions (adr s) and water disputes. The first part is based on the analysis of environmental cost related to the degradation and exhaustion of water ecosystems as a result of an activity (e.g., as a result of withdrawal and/or pollution), as well as related to the supply scarcity. The second part deals with participation, co-participation and multi-level governance systems in the context of deliberative decision-making processes. The third part highlights the key role of participation and proximity in resolving disputes within local communities through the analysis of specific cases (i.e., the Tribunal de las Aguas, the Sudovi za vodu, and the Médiateur de l’eau)