Strategy

Strategy

Water Governance in the Zayandeh-Rood Catchment: Challenges and Policy Solutions

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
Akram Hamidian
Assistant Professor of Sociology, Isfahan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Iran
10.22034/rahbord.2025.528758.1821
Abstract
Over recent decades, the Zayandeh-Rood catchment has faced significant challenges due to declining water resources, climate change, unbalanced development, and inter-provincial conflicts. This study examines a century of water governance in the basin, focusing on its historical evolution and impacts. Using an analytical-documentary approach, it addresses two key questions: What has been the historical approach to water management in the Zayandeh-Rood basin? and What have been the consequences of this approach? Findings reveal that water governance has lacked coherence and integration, fluctuating between centralized and fragmented models since the Safavid era. Major obstacles include sectoral governance, political centralization, limited stakeholder participation, lack of transparency, and overlapping institutional structures. The study advocates transitioning from traditional management to a multi-level, participatory, and accountable governance framework. Recommended strategies involve strengthening inter-provincial institutions, developing transparent information systems, empowering local communities, and establishing basin-level regulatory mechanisms.
Keywords
Zayandeh Rood catchment basin
Water Governance
Water Management
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 06 May 2025
  • Revise Date 06 June 2025
  • Accept Date 19 June 2025