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Normative Assessment of Enabling Factors for Adaptive Water Governance; Evidence and Lessons from the Hirmand River Basin, Iran

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Abstract

Based on analyzing the composing elements of the water governance regime in the Hirmand River Basin, Iran, this paper examines the factors that facilitate the emergence of Adaptive Governance in a Global South context. Although the literature provides valuable insights into the characteristics of a well-established Adaptive Governance regime in the context of the Global North, relatively little research has been conducted on Adaptive Governance’s fostering factors in the states in the Global South. To address this gap, this study utilizes an analytical framework upon which the features of water governance regimes are assessed. A combination of primary and secondary qualitative data (survey research and document analysis) is used to evaluate the assessment framework, which aims to analyze the characteristics that enhance resilience to the imposed changes and disturbances in complex environmental and water systems. The analysis suggests that addressing scalar and sectoral tensions, well-functioning reflecting mechanisms, adaptable policies, and flexible financial mechanisms are vital requisites for the transition towards more adaptive forms of water governance. The results also propose that the formal water governance system in the region has felt the urgency to adapt to new circumstances; however, unlike cases from the Global North, it lacks the required agility to escape from the rigidity trap it finds itself in.

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Notes

  1. “Enhancing integrated natural resource management for the restoration of wetland ecosystems and support to alternative livelihoods development of local communities” in the Sistan and Baluchistan province of Iran is a project developed by UNDP and EU to promote integrated natural resource management for the restoration of wetland ecosystems and support alternative livelihoods.

  2. This is in line with Marx’s Alienation Theory, which states that through the process of social alienation, poverty gives people a sense of powerlessness, meaninglessness, mistrust, and violence which subsequently result in normlessness, social isolation, and disrespect for social values (Lystad 1972).

  3. E.g., Urmia basin as a pilot project for “Crop pattern reformation”; Golestan Province for “Rice cultivation prohibition”; Maroun-Jarahi basin for “Allocation of wetland rights”.

  4. Chahnimeh 1, 2, and 3 are big natural holes used for water storage; the 4th Chahnimeh is artificial and holds more storage capacity than the other three combined.

  5. The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance 1971 (for more information, please visit https://www.ramsar.org)

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Author Contributions

SB: conceptualization, data curation, methodology, original draft preparation. HM: conceptualization, supervision, review and editing. SS: resources, data curation. AG: supervision, validation, review and editing. BD: validation, review and editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

    Saeed Bagherzadeh

  2. Department of Water Engineering and Management, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-336, Tehran, Iran

    Hojjat Mianabadi & Behavar Deylami

  3. Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

    Shahrzad Sadeghizadeh Bafandeh

  4. Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands

    Amineh Ghorbani

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  1. Saeed Bagherzadeh
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Bagherzadeh, S., Mianabadi, H., Sadeghizadeh Bafandeh, S. et al. Normative Assessment of Enabling Factors for Adaptive Water Governance; Evidence and Lessons from the Hirmand River Basin, Iran. Environmental Management 73, 144–161 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-023-01896-9

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