Improving the science-policy interface on water—how a new global mechanism could inform policymakers for more efficient and sustainable water governance

This paper explains the purpose and function of a global-scale science policy mechanism and recommends key features of:

• availability of global level assessments and information that can be downscaled;
• accessibility from the pursuit of efficient, low-cost solutions; 
• quality from state of the art in science and integrating traditional and other knowledge systems;
• stability from continuous assessment;
• relevance by addressing the demonstrated needs of policymakers;
• boundary conditions and how individual actions accumulate into larger scale changes and global and regional drivers on the state of water and impacts at a local level and recognize the influence of the global and regional drivers at a local level; and
• ownership through inter-governmental decision-making and oversight.