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The amount of rainfall in Mazandaran province of Northern Iran is high. Mazandaran has man-made water reservoirs called Ab-bandan , to collect rainfall for irrigating rice farms during the growing seasons. However, rice farms face water scarcity because only a small amount of rainfall is being stored in Ab-bandans , while either the remaining water runs off into the sea, or causes water-logging or flooding. This research addresses Ab-bandan s governance gaps in the Mazandaran province, using the ‘Multi-level Governance Framework’ introduced by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). A modified Delphi technique with face-to-face interviews and a ranking round is used to identify Ab-bandan s governance gaps. The identified gaps are classified into seven categories by applying the OECD's framework. In each of the categories there is one most important gap: the lack of a specific law for Ab-bandans , lack of long-term and strategic planning, low recognition of Ab-bandans at the national level, insufficient budget, lack of water user associations, lack of research in practice, and lack of using technology. The findings show that lack of a specific law for Ab-bandan s in the country's water law is the most acute gap of all. In addition, the analysis highlights the fact that the policy category is the most critical one. The identified gaps are interlinked and exacerbate each other, therefore, a holistic perspective is needed to understand and resolve them. This study recommends a reform in the country’s water law, improved linkage between levels of government, co-operation among organizations involved in Ab-bandan s management, and participation of local stakeholders in planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decision making in agricultural production is a complex process in which many risks such as natural, economic and social ones need to be considered. Climate change is one important example for complex risks causing ambiguities. How can farmers be supported to pro-actively deal with and adapt to climate change? A comprehensive answer to this question can create a good potential for an improved risk communication and governance within agricultural sector. The aim of this paper is to conceptually argue farmers' risk perceptions, roles and tasks that intervention agents such as agricultural advisory services may adopt in order to support farmers' risk management and adaptation to climate change. Two specific approaches namely 'risk communication' and 'social learning' in the frame of risk governance were discussed followed by conclusions drawn on cross-cutting insights and deficits in research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An increasing focus on integrative approaches is one of the current trends in impact assessment. There is potential to combine impact assessment with various other forms of assessment, such as risk assessment, to make impact assessment and the management of social risks more effective. We identify the common features of social impact assessment (SIA) and social risk assessment (SRA), and discuss the merits of a combined approach. A hybrid model combining SIA and SRA to form a new approach called, ‘risk and social impact assessment’ (RSIA) is introduced. RSIA expands the capacity of SIA to evaluate and manage the social impacts of risky projects such as nuclear energy as well as natural hazards and disasters such as droughts and floods. We outline the three stages of RSIA, namely: impact identification, impact assessment, and impact management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]