Evolutionary procedures of water resources management in the world: Transition from "Integrated Water Resources Management" to "Polycentric Governance of Water-Energy-Food Nexus"

Document Type : Research

Authors

• Ameneh Yadegari ¹
• Abbas Amini ²
• Ali Yousefi ³

¹ PhD Candidate in Geography and Rural Planning, Faculty of Geographical Sciences and Planning, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

² Dept. of Geography and Rural Planning Faculty of Geographical Sciences and Planning, University of Isfahan

³ Assistant Professor, Department of Rural development, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22067/jgrd.2024.84996.1352

Abstract

Despite for years the problem of water shortage was attributed to the gap between the existing demand and the necessary supply, evidence showed, Water scarcity in the world's water-scarce countries has been created by inefficient water governance. On the other hand, because of that have emerged water sector problems from interaction of natural, social and political variables, they are complex and wicked and are basically interdisciplinary in nature. Such considerations, weakens water management based on pure scientific or technical assessments, and accordingly finding the optimal solution for such problems is considered as capacity of the water governance system. In this situation the sustainable management and governance of water resources requires a framework that changes our understanding of the way water resources are managed. As has been emphasized in the central message of the UN 2023 Water Conference on accelerateing change to solve water crisis. However, more than two decades of application (IWRM), as a governmental water management method in countries, why has not created change in sectoral boundaries. The purpose of the current study, which is a review-analytical study with a systematic review method, is analyzing the evolution of water resources management in the world, examining the problems of the centralized administration of the water sector and introduced the Polycentric Governance of Water-Energy-Food Nexus (WEFN). According to the results of this study, Nexus approach which has emerged as a new approach among researchers of water sector after the failure of sectoral management strategies has been noticed as a metaphor to describe the integrated nature of resources and bridge to change sectoral thinking.

Keywords

• Water Resource Management
• Integrated Water Resources Management
• Water Governance
• Polycentric Governance
• Water-Energy-Food Nexus

Main Subjects

• Sustainable development and environmental sustainability