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WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST 1
Author(s) -
Curran Terence P.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
jawra journal of the american water resources association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.957
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1752-1688
pISSN - 1093-474X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-1688.1971.tb01676.x
Subject(s) - water resources , public interest , process (computing) , politics , business , public participation , public relations , environmental resource management , environmental planning , public administration , political science , economics , computer science , environmental science , law , ecology , biology , operating system
ABSTRACT. The water resources manager, concerned with providing for citizen needs for water in all its varied aspects, is obliged to consider the public interest in his decision making. But the public interest, although inferring the superiority of public over purely private interests, is more of a concept of political ethics than an operational objective. Recent attacks on water resources developments place in question just how responsive the water resources manager has been to the public at large during the planning process. The recent broadening of planning objectives beyond economic efficiency to include greater attention to social goals is an encouraging development. Efforts should be expanded toward greater citizen participation and more attention should be given to sampling surveys to determine citizen attitudes on water resources proposals. In the last analysis, the decision‐making process must combine the expertise of the water resources manager and the participation of the people through the political process.