Water management involves the control and management of water sources. Water management also includes water security.
In federations, water sources usually exits or merge through multiple jurisdictions making the management of this resource complex. Moreover, the physical scarcity of water can also be a problem in some countries since the global water crisis has its roots in power, poverty and inequality and not in physical availability. These challenges dictate government policies related to the use of water resources, including surface water and groundwater and the legal and administrative arrangements by which federal, state, and local government bodies share responsibility and authority over the broad issue of water management. Thus, in federations, the dynamic dimension of water management intersects, including the forces driving the emergence and resolution of issues and conflicts between the jurisdictions at the central and local levels.