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The OECD Water Governance Principles provide a guideline for good water governance. However, these principles can conflict with each other when applied in practice. This contribution aims to understand which dilemmas arise and how such conflicts play out. It is explored in an in-depth case study on Dutch flood risk management in which conflicts between the principles emerge when applied to flood risk management practice. Interviews with water managers were used to collect data on which principles contradict each other and how these conflicts work out in practice. The study reveals that although the principles seem obvious, some principles indeed clash when applying them, while others do not lead to conflicts. Principles on efficiency, trust, and engagement have high potential for conflicts.

Digital solutions are increasingly deployed in water management to support decision-making and to realize the automatization of processes. These solutions have a high potential to foster the sustainability of water management and related fields and thus to contribute to achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the same time, more and more digital solutions aim to increase public awareness of specific urban water management aspects. To date, however, evidence is limited on the relevance and effectiveness of such digital solutions and on the effect of the governance settings on the potential of such solutions to raise awareness about the underlying water management issues. This paper aims to provide insights into the findings of two case studies, in Paris and Berlin, investigating the potential of digital solutions to make urban water management visible to the public and thus increase awareness about specific water management issues.

Integrated water resources management (IWRM) has been central to water governance and management worldwide since the 1990s. Recognizing the significance of an integrated approach to water management as a way to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), IWRM was formally incorporated as part of the SDG global indicator framework, thus committing the UN and its Member States to achieving high IWRM implementation by 2030 and measuring progress through SDG indicator 6.5.1. This paper examines the extent to which the implementation of IWRM improves the sustainable management of water and the health of water-related ecosystems—a first-of-its-kind in terms of quantitative analysis on a global scale. To achieve this objective, we conducted regression analyses between SDG 6.5.1 (both IWRM (total score) and the dimensions of SDG 6.5.1) and key water-related environmental sustainability indicators: SDG 6.2.1a (access to basic sanitation), 6.3.1 (treated wastewater), 6.4.1 (water-use efficiency), 6.4.2 (water stress), 6.6.1 (freshwater ecosystems, although here the trophic state and turbidity variables were used) and 6.3.2 (ambient water quality). Our analysis covers 124 countries for all these SDGs, with the exception of SDG 6.3.1 and SDG 6.3.2, which cover 112 and 85 countries, respectively. Results show that IWRM—to different degrees—is mainly associated with the good status of water-related sustainability indicators, with the exception of water stress, water quality, and turbidity. We observe a strong impact of control variables such as governance arrangements, economic situation and environmental and geographical conditions. Lagged effects and the scope of the framework may also explain some observed variations in the degree of association. Our study highlights the importance of further uncovering the interlinkages between IWRM implementation and the achievement of water-related environmental sustainability. Overall, the results suggest that although IWRM implementation is primarily linked to sustainable water management and the health of water systems, context-specific factors should be taken into account when evaluating its effectiveness, to enable policy- and decision-makers to make the necessary adjustments to optimize its outcomes.

Collaborative water governance in Indigenous territories requires the building of a nation-to-nation relationship where different water worldviews and knowledges are acknowledged, valued, and included in water governance. This article presents the Mistawasis Nêhiyawak Honour the Water Governance Framework, an alternative collaborative water governance approach in Saskatchewan, Canada. The Nêhiyawak principles, identity, knowledge, and self-determination are its foundation. Equitable dialogue is the central axis. The framework represents an alternative water governance structure to the current Canadian system that may more effectively respond to the water challenges of this First Nation. This framework supports the appeal from Mistawasis First Nation and other Nations, for the de-construction of hegemonic colonial water governance systems towards the co-construction of shared processes of water participation, decision-making, and responsibility.

In this article, we provide a review of research on the existing and abandoned wells in Marsabit County, Northern Kenya, and associated Indigenous Knowledge concerning water governance, institutions of leadership, and how these have contributed to sustaining a resilient pastoral economy in these harsh landscapes. The article discusses the socio‐ecological systems that have been maintained by pastoralists for generations, linking their sustainability to leadership structures and institutional memory, with a particular focus on the Gabra. It further highlights internal and external interventions by governmental and nongovernmental organizations that are expected to improve the livelihoods of the Gabra and other pastoralists inhabiting the area, but have sometimes had a negative effect on the traditional strategies of water governance and socio‐ecological systems, undermining the long‐term viability of the pastoral economy in Marsabit. This article is categorized under: Human Water > Water Governance Human Water > Value of Water Human Water > Rights to Water

We seek to advance a critical and relational concept of urban water security that theorizes urban processes in relation to the hydro-social dynamics that produce experiences of water securities and insecurities at multiple scales. Our intention is to set out an analytical framework that both examines the social relations that underpin water insecurity and goes beyond the urban as merely the context in which water provision and risk take place. We seek to mobilize this concept to envision meaningful water policies and hydro-social practices to enhance social equity and empowerment for urban communities.

This paper critically assesses the capacity of water sector actors in Dhaka to further support more collaborative and adaptive approaches to emerging freshwater pollution management challenges. Socio-economic, demographic and environmental changes (e.g., flooding) pose substantial and shifting barriers to effective freshwater pollution management in Dhaka, with direct implications for population health. We draw on the insights from 25 semi-structured interviews with government, non-government, industry and academic key informants to: (1) examine current levels of engagement and collaboration among key stakeholders in the freshwater pollution management context; (2) assess the subsequent capacity of those actors to adapt to challenging conditions and to improve water pollution management; and (3) consider the opportunities to enhance current institutional arrangements in ways that build linkages among key stakeholders across levels and sectors. Our research highlights a general interest among participants for more collaborative and adaptive processes in freshwater pollution management in Dhaka. However, findings also highlight the pressure water sector actors feel about the time required to make progress on water pollution management challenges, and the concern that collaboration will exacerbate those challenges. Furthermore, our findings show the overlapping jurisdictional claims and mandates in Dhaka that make concerted action difficult, and that ultimately undermine clarity for collaborative and adaptive action.

El presente informe evalúa los 18 indicadores de la metodología correspondiente al índice GWI para la gobernanza de cuencas rurales y sus posibles aplicaciones en las políticas locales en cuanto al manejo del recurso hídrico, el cambio climático, así como el manejo de vertimiento y aguas negras. De esta forma, a lo largo del informe se realiza la recolección de información, identificación y calificación de cada uno de los indicadores expuestos a partir de la información proporcionada por la empresa Acuapuente. This report evaluates 18 indicators of the methodology corresponding to the GWI index for the governance of rural basins and their possible applications in local policies regarding the management of water resources, climate change, as well as the management of discharges and sewage. In this way, throughout the report, the collection of information, identification and qualification of each of the indicators exposed is carried out based on the information provided by the acuapuente company. Pregrado

Environmental models are ubiquitous in assessing the environmental impacts of planned projects. Modelling is an inferential process and includes various mechanisms to address the uncertainty of the outcome. In this article, we acknowledge the continuum of uncertainty assessments and identify the legal mechanisms with which Finnish judicial review—characterised by broad scope of review and in-house expert judges—has encountered model uncertainty. Closely examining 10 waters-related cases heard by the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland, we explain the porous yet substantial boundary between science and law revealed by the cases. The cases demonstrate the elegance with which courts can strike a balance between the contingent precautionary principle, gradually decreasing scientific uncertainty, and the procedural constraints under which they operate. We conclude by analysing the traces towards reciprocality and adaptivity the cases reveal, encouraged by the iterative modelling mechanism and challenged by the constitutional restrictions on the scope of review.

Water security in Central Asia has been discussed by researchers and international organizations using hydrological, engineering, and modeling approaches. Various frameworks conceptualize water security through technical, socio-economic, and environmental aspects. This study attempts to identify the current trends of perceptions of experts about water security in Central Asian countries and Afghanistan as assessed through different regional and international experts with relevant knowledge and experience. The experts originate from diverse professional backgrounds like ministries, NGOs, international organizations, research, and academic institutes. The analysis was conducted through the Delphi approach, which has been widely used to identify experts' views by reaching a consensus on various subjects. The Delphi method assisted in the elicitation of experts' opinions about different water security dimensions in the overall region and each Central Asia country that have been suggested from the relevant literature. The two-round questionnaire was developed to infer the experts' views (round 1) on water security in Central Asia and then identify the agreement's rate with the initial findings (round 2). The results have shown that, while the relevant scientific literature gives priority to environmental factors, the experts emphasize water security's economic aspects. Experts suggested including transboundary challenges, legislative and institutional weaknesses in assessing water security in Central Asia and Afghanistan. Respondents highlighted the low effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the current institutions and mechanisms that dealt with water security-related issues in Central Asia and suggested strengthening water governance in the region.

Building on evidence of the links between bluespace and public health, this study explores the governance of bluespace infrastructure to promote human health and well-being in Plymouth (UK). Using in-depth retrospective interviews and document analysis, this study focused on the roleof governance in urban planning and development, specifically, theimplementation phase of abluespace infrastructure intervention.A deductive qualitative approach categorised content into themes related to pre-established water governance frameworks. Key findings from thisstudy emphasize: the importance of health and welfare concerns around blue spaces as an incentive to gettingstarted; collaborative stakeholder participation and engagement; the necessity of adequate funding; and the importance of continued monitoring and maintenance of urban blue space infrastructure. Based on reflective accounts of stakeholder experiences, the successes of the implementation process of the redevelopment are highlighted. More successful and sustainable bluespace interventions can be realized through ongoing considerations of effectivewater governance.

As is the case elsewhere in the world, water governance in Ethiopia is a by-product of a complex set of various global and local socio-political, economic, and ecological discourses and narratives. However, the many competitive and often conflicting discourses on shaping water governance in the Ethiopian Central Rift Valley (CRV) have not been examined and chronicled. This paper investigates the different discourses, narratives, and debates of water governance and their implications for satisfying the growing demand for water. The study was grounded in political economy and political ecology theoretical frameworks. Data were collected through literature surveys and intensive fieldwork, and were analyzed following a discourse analysis and using narrative analysis techniques. The study found that the dominant competing discourses that have greatly influenced water governance in the CRV focus on decentralization, water-centered development, marketization, land/water degradation, climate change, water scarcity, and weak water governance. We suggest that the analysis and documentation of the diverse narratives and discourses from multiple perspectives could help to unravel the complex nature of water governance in the CRV and lay the foundation for attempts to implement sustainable water resource management in the region.

We identify and describe social perspectives on the sustainability of the water sector in the metropolitan area of Phoenix, Arizona. Using Q methodology, we find evidence for different meanings of sustainability when stakeholders are presented with concrete policy options and applications in spite of an apparently widespread agreement on the concept of sustainability itself. We put the social perspectives articulated by local stakeholders in perspective by analyzing whether they adhere to a commonly used set of sustainability principles when applied to water management and governance. The analysis indicates that although there is some level of acceptance of sustainability principles among the social perspectives identified, there are important discrepancies in the salience of different principles. Results suggest that when people are interacting in policy-making processes they tend to support their previously held own vision of the problems and that their normative considerations may be opposed to broadly accepted sustainability discourses. The different visions of water sustainability may have a direct impact on the water policy-making process depending on the position and influence of the actors involved in the governance scheme. Highlights Key research to debate water policy in Phoenix.; Identify key perspectives that affect water governance.; Results suggest that when people are interacting in policy-making processes they tend to support their own vision of the problems and normative considerations.; Findings are useful to develop questionnaires or surveys in Phoenix.; Findings could be useful to minimize areas of conflicts

There is growing recognition that the effects of discourse in shaping environmental policy are nested within broader institutional contexts. Consequently, over the last decade there have been increasing efforts by institutionalism scholars to theorize the link between discourses and institutions. This emerging ‘discursive institutionalism’ perspective considers discourse not only as an ensemble of ideas and their expression in language, but also takes into account the institutional contexts in which discourses emerge and are institutionalized in social practices. The application of this perspective in the context of resource governance has mainly focused on how dominant discourses become institutionalized into regulatory frameworks. However, the converse scenario, whereby the institutional context shapes the very nature of the discourse itself, has received much less attention in the scholarly literature. In this study, we employ the discursive institutional perspective to better understand the policy processes in the province of Ontario and the state of Ohio regarding the problem of eutrophication in Lake Erie, shared between Canada and the United States. Data collected through interviews, documentary sources, the news media and other relevant sources was analyzed with a process tracing approach. Results show that the federal and provincial/state level institutional arrangements in the two regions have influenced the nature of the ideational and interactive dimensions of discourse differently in the context of developing Domestic Action Plans (DAP) to address the eutrophication problem. Divergences in policy discourses revealed in the analysis show how different institutional contexts acted as filters for the varying cognitive and normative aspects of the policy discourses ultimately adopted in the DAPs. These differences may shape the relative effectiveness of achieving nutrient runoff reduction targets that initially set in motion the development of the DAPs themselves.

Governing shared water resources requires collaboration among multiple actors, often attained through formal or informal institutions. This paper analyzes how governments design institutions to address common challenges for collective action. More specifically, the paper asks whether variations in levels of transaction cost risk influence the design of formal mechanisms for monitoring, ensuring compliance, or sanctioning noncompliant behavior in the governance of shared water resources. To that end, four intergovernmental agreements for securing access to unfiltered drinking water in the United States are studied: in Boston, New York, Portland, and San Francisco. Results indicate that transaction cost risk may play a role in the design of monitoring and sanctioning mechanisms, but that variations in design are more nuanced than originally anticipated. Also, the analysis highlights the existence of common design strategies for addressing conflict, regardless of the levels of transaction cost risks.

This article discusses one of the great governmental challenges of the last centuries—universalization of access to potable water and sanitation services (WSS)—in view of the geographical difficulties for the provision of services in certain regions, and differences in ability to pay for water and sanitation services. It is necessary to reinforce the various links between social and environmental conditions. A review of the literature finds that countries work differently on the approach to universal access to water and sanitation services (Marques, 2010), addressing the problem according to their laws with variable results in how these services are defined. In order to achieve the desired universalization of water and sanitation services in Brazil, in addition to the investment of significant amounts of money, coordinated administration is necessary to leverage these investments. In addition to this challenging scenario, the present moment is worrying! At the beginning of the 21st century, a new pandemic is causing deaths at an alarming rate. Most countries around the world are combating the new coronavirus that has disrupted economies, caused panic, and raised hypotheses about political hegemonies. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of the disease caused by the new coronavirus (COVID‐19) to be a Public Health Emergency of International Importance—the highest alert level of the Organization, as provided for in the International Health Regulations. This study discusses the alignment of these dual challenges in Brazil and what can be done toward improved water and sanitation in this difficult context.

Over the last few decades processes of water governance have been characterized by a gradual evolution from “governance by unitary state” to “governance by partnerships.” However, there is limited understanding of how such shifts take place. The case of Bangalore's lakes is an interesting example of such a transition. In the past Bangalore's lakes have been governed by unitary state actors. But over time, this changed. Today a multiplicity of governance processes is associated with the lakes: state-dominated unitary-systems coexist with partnerships between state and nonstate actors. Therefore, in order to understand how governance by unitary state evolves into governance by partnerships, this article answers the following research question: “How did the governance of some of Bangalore's lakes evolve from a state-dominated, publicly governed model to one in which local communities have a much larger say?” Using data collected via semi-structured interviews and secondary research, this article argues that while processes of urbanization may indeed have contributed to changing the city's landscape, in more recent years, socio-political processes have contributed to governance transition: actor interactions and changing power dynamics interacted with processes of learning to bring about changes in mental models leading to change. This finding assumes significance in view of the fact there is limited research which demonstrates how these socio-scientific processes interact with each other for bringing about governance transition.

International watercourses law, as primarily codified in the UN Watercourses Convention which reflects the basic principles of customary international water law, provides only a broad framework for states to follow. It does not explicitly address the trade-offs of water uses across multiple sectors, such as energy and food, and the interplay between water and sustainable development. These gaps could be filled by turning to policy frameworks such as the Water-Energy-Food Nexus (WEF) and the global development agendas, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This monograph argues that utilizing these frameworks in an integrated manner, could aid riparian states and non-state actors in the consideration of competing water uses, thereby helping to resolve tensions and promoting cooperation among concerned states, as demonstrated using the Zambezi River Basin as a case study.

Au cours des 80 dernières années, le fleuve Columbia, au Canada et aux États-Unis, a été soumis à une importante série d’interventions liées à l’irrigation, à l’hydroélectricité, à la gestion des crues et aux activités industrielles qui ont transformé un fleuve coulant librement en une « machine organique » (White 1995). Le traité du fleuve Columbia, conclu entre le Canada et les États-Unis à la fin des années 1960, est le dernier d’une longue série d’importants projets de développement remontant au barrage de Grand Coulee, construit dans les années 1940, et au Projet du bassin du Columbia (Columbia Basin Project), réalisé dans les années 1950. Le traité du fleuve Columbia est actuellement réexaminé et le processus de révision a révélé de nombreux points de tension entre les organismes gouvernementaux, les sociétés de production d’hydroélectricité et les nombreuses voix divergentes dont les intérêts n’ont pas été bien servis par le traité. Parmi ces voix se trouvent celles des peuples autochtones de part et d’autre de la frontière, des familles d’agriculteurs dont les terres et les moyens de subsistance ont été détruits par les barrages, des défenseurs de la justice sociale et des environnementalistes cherchant à restaurer les pêcheries et les habitats riverains dans tout le bassin. Collectivement, ces voix alternatives constituent un mouvement émergent de démocratie participative que nous appellerons, dans cet article, la « nation du bassin du Columbia ». Nous pensons que ce mouvement offre un modèle viable pour comprendre de quelle façon la justice sociale et environnementale, les droits des peuples autochtones, la résilience des écosystèmes et la restauration des habitats peuvent être intégrés dans un futur système de gouvernance de l’eau pour le bassin du Columbia., Over the past 80 years, the Columbia River in Canada and the US has been subjected to a massive series of irrigation, hydropower, flood control and industrial interventions, transforming it from a free-flowing river to an « organic machine » (White 1995). The Columbia River Treaty between Canada and the United States, implemented in the late 1960s, is the most recent in a long series of massive development schemes dating back to the Grand Coulee Dam, constructed in the 1940s, and the Columbia Basin Project implemented in the 1950s. The Columbia River Treaty is now under review and the review process has revealed the multiple lines of tension that exist among government agencies, hydropower entities and the many alternative voices whose interests have not been well served by the treaty. Those voices include Indigenous People on both sides of the border, farming families whose lands and livelihoods were destroyed by dam projects, social justice advocates and environmentalists seeking to restore fisheries and riparian habitat throughout the Basin. Collectively, these alternative voices constitute an emergent, grassroots movement that in this paper we refer to as the « Columbia Basin Nation ». This movement, we argue, provides a viable model for understanding how social and environmental justice, Indigenous rights, ecosystem resilience and habitat restoration can be integrated into a future water governance system for the Columbia Basin., En el transcurso de los últimos 80 años, el río Columbia, en Canadá y Estados Unidos, ha estado sometido a importantes intervenciones relacionadas con el riego, la hidroelectricidad, el control de las inundaciones y a actividades industriales, que han convertido a un rio que fluía libremente en una «máquina orgánica» (White 1995). El Tratado del río Columbia entre Canadá y Estados Unidos, realizado a fines de los años 1960, es el último de una larga serie de proyectos importantes de desarrollo que remontan a la presa Grand Coulee, erigida en los años 1940, y al proyecto de la cuenca del Columbia (Columbia Basin Project), realizado en los años 1950. El Tratado del río Columbia actualmente está siendo revisado y dicho proceso muestra muchos puntos de tensión que existen entre los organismos gubernamentales, las sociedades de producción de hidroelectricidad y las numerosas voces divergentes cuyos intereses no han sido bien atendidos por el tratado. Entre dichas voces se halla la de los pueblos autóctonos de un lado y otro de la frontera, de familias de agricultores cuyas tierras y medios de subsistencias han sido destruidos por las presas, de defensores de la justicia social, de medioambientalistas que tratan de restaurar las pescaderías y los habitantes ribereños de toda la cuenca. Colectivamente, dichas voces alternativas constituyen un movimiento emergente de democracia participativa que hemos denominado, en este artículo, la «nación de la cuenca del rio Columbia». Consideramos que ese movimiento ofrece un modelo viable para comprender de qué manera la justicia social y medioambiental, los derechos de los pueblos autóctonos, la resiliencia de los ecosistemas y la restauración de hábitats pueden integrarse en un futuro sistema de gobernanza del agua de la cuenca del Columbia.

Appropriate water management is essential for healthy urban and rural metabolism. Unfortunately, many challenges are associated with water governance, encompassing varying degrees of cooperation and conflict. This technical note describes the multiple water governance models in place in Ecuador such as public, private, community, and partnerships; supported by literature, and discusses the efficiency level of each model for drinking water supply and democratic citizen participation. The analysis articulates how the heterogeneity of governance models across the country respond to different socio-economic and environmental characteristics, and how the distinctive models of water governance lead to vast differences in how people understand and experience governance. The presentation and qualitative case comparison of the existing water management models revealed the transversal character of the problems affecting efficient water management, as well as the sector associated challenges and limitations. The note attempts to establish some insights about the conditions under which the various water management models are suitable and effective. The manuscript concludes by outlining several directions for future research.

The article examines how the design and governance of Peru’s water infrastructure shape the social practices and cultural values stakeholders engage in and draw on when negotiating water rights in a year of drought. Reviewing ethnographic data on a large irrigation project in south-western Peru, we discuss how the project both perpetuates power relations between water experts, authorities and users and creates room to challenge its hierarchical organization. The project’s infrastructural assemblage of state and community canals offers an interesting case to explore how the stakeholder cooperation encouraged by Peru’s water law produces hydrosocial communities.

Background In South Africa, community participation has been embraced through the development of progressive policies to address past inequities. However, limited information is available to understand community involvement in priority setting, planning and decision-making in the development and implementation of public services. Objective This narrative review aims to provide evidence on forms, extents, contexts and dynamics of community participation in primary health care (PHC) and water governance in South Africa and draw cross-cutting lessons. This paper focuses on health and water governance structures, such as health committees, Catchment Management Agencies (CMA), Water User Associations (WUAs), Irrigation Boards (IBs) and Community Management Forums (CMFs). Methods Articles were sourced from Medline (Ovid), EMBASE, Google Scholar, Web of Science, WHO Global Health Library, Global Health and Science Citation Index between 1994 and 2020 reporting on community participation in health and water governance in South Africa. Databases were searched using key terms to identify relevant research articles and grey literature. Twenty-one articles were included and analysed thematically. Results There is limited evidence on how health committees are functioning in all provinces in South Africa. Existing evidence shows that health committees are not functioning effectively due to lack of clarity on roles, autonomy, power, support, and capacity. There was slow progress in establishment of water governance structures, although these are autonomous and have mechanisms for democratic control, unlike health committees. Participation in CMAs/WUAs/IBs/CMFs is also not effective due to manipulation of spaces by elites, lack of capacity of previously disadvantaged individuals, inadequate incentives, and low commitment to the process by stakeholders. Conclusion Power and authority in decision-making, resources and accountability are key for effective community participation of marginalized people. Practical guidance is urgently required on how mandated participatory governance structures can be sustained and linked to wider governance systems to improve service delivery.

En el presente trabajo se procederá a realizar una revisión bibliográfica acerca de las diferencias en la gestión de los recursos hídricos por parte de la planificación hidrológica intracomunitaria e intercomunitaria, para posteriormente destacar las ventajas y desventajas de este tratamiento diferencial desde un punto de vista técnico. Se analizará también el modelo de presentación de los programas de medidas de las diferentes demarcaciones, y por último, se ofrecerá una síntesis sobre la estructura institucional de gestión entre cuencas y actual paradigma de la política de aguas a nivel nacional., In this paper we will proceed to carry out a bibliographical review of the differences in the management of water resources by intra-community and inter-community hydrological planning, in order to subsequently highlight the advantages and disadvantages of this differential treatment from a technical point of view. The final presentation of the programmes of measures of the different demarcations will also be analysed, and finally, a synthesis will be offered on the institutional structure of inter-basin management and the current paradigm of water policy at national level., Máster Universitario en Hidrología y Gestión de Recursos Hídricos (M173)

The Spanish water policy, particularly after the Water Framework Directive, is being designed and implemented according with the multilevel governance paradigm as it is the case in other European countries. Particularly in the inter-regional basins, this new model challenges the so-called Autonomous State as it requires new collaborative inter-administrative procedures in order to integrate different regional interests into nation-wide decisions. Water policy is going to demand new practices of shared government, which is not easy to fit into a system like the Spanish one, in which a relatively low development of its dynamics of intergovernmental collaboration has often been highlighted, both due to certain institutional characteristics as for a certain political culture and territorial perception not very consistent with federalism. The aim of this article is contributing to a a theoretical reflection upon the importance of territorial state model, political culture and territory perception at the time of design and implementing public policies, departing from the analysis of a sectoral policy that deals with natural resources such as continental waters. In this sense, we think that the spatial projection of some public policies could induce stake holders to modify their traditional territorial perceptions, internalizing values like diversity and inter-dependence, making them going deeper in their way to federalism. La política de aguas española, especialmente a partir de la aprobación de la Directiva Marco del Agua, se diseña e implanta de acuerdo al paradigma de gobernanza multinivel al igual que sucede en otros estados europeos. Particularmente en el caso de las Demarcaciones Hidrológicas intercomunitarias, ello va a suponer un desafío al modelo territorial del Estado Autonómico al exigir nuevos procedimientos para integrar la diversidad territorial en las decisiones comunes. Esto es, la política de aguas va a demandar nuevas prácticas de gobierno compartido, lo que no es sencillo de encajar en un sistema como el español, en el que frecuentemente se ha destacado un desarrollo relativamente escaso de sus dinámicas de colaboración intergubernamental, tanto por determinadas características institucionales como por una cierta cultura política y percepción territorial poco acordes al federalismo. El objetivo de este artículo es contribuir a una reflexión acerca de la trascendencia del modelo de estado, la cultura política y la propia construcción del territorio en las políticas públicas, a partir del análisis de una política sectorial destinada a gestionar recursos naturales como son las masas de agua continentales. En este sentido, creemos que la proyección espacial de determinadas políticas públicas podría inducir a los actores participantes a modificar las maneras tradicionales de entender el territorio, interiorizando valores como la diversidad e interdependencia y, en definitiva, profundizando en el tránsito al federalismo.

Collaborative water governance deals with diverse actors under participatory systems of decision making. This form of water governance involves stakeholders with fundamentally different values and premises about water resources, as well as different understandings of the problem and how to approach it. Thus, one of the major challenges of collaborative water governance relies on the diversity of frames carried by stakeholders involved and the shift from hierarchical decision-making to a more collaborative and participative process. The fragmentation of frames can represent an obstacle, impede mutual understanding, and negatively influence decision making and policy outcomes. Based on participative observation, interviews, and document analysis, we explored the drivers behind the framing process in the multi-actor platform of the Katari River Basin, located in Bolivia. The results highlight a participatory process design favoring the fragmentation of frames and a unidirectional decision-making process, where public authority, scientific–technical expertise, and the local community’s knowledge are insulated, and communication among actors is asymmetrical. At the same time, this research reveals the influence of the political context in the framing process.

Wastewater treatment and reuse practices are limited in India despite the known benefits of preventing water resources pollution and contributing to sustainable production and consumption systems. We identify the perceived key drivers and barriers to wastewater treatment and reuse governance in a two-round Delphi study, including literature and case study analyses and consultation with 75 panelists. Panelists indicated that the most significant driver for wastewater treatment and water reuse is persistent water scarcity that necessitates diversification to alternative water supplies. In contrast, the most significant barriers are the lack of enforcement of pollution monitoring and control, the lack of an umbrella directive for integrated water resources management, and insufficient collaboration between responsible governmental organizations, central and state water authorities. Given the absence of central guidelines, only a few Indian states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat or Punjab have adopted effective governance structures. These states showcase that defined reuse standards can create successful wastewater treatment and reuse practices but require target-based regulations which are enforced and regularly monitored and financing mechanisms for their long-term operation. The new effluent discharge standards by the National Green Tribunal, the government support programmes, and increasing water scarcity in many parts of India will supposedly drive innovative wastewater treatment and reuse structures. Panelists agreed that efforts are needed to develop technology guiding frameworks following the fit-for-purpose principle and that strengthening institutional and monitoring capacity is crucial to increase confidence in the quality of recovered water resources, create demand, and ultimately safeguard human health and the environment.

Achieving sufficient sustainability in urban water management systems poses a major challenge for cities across Europe. The Digital-water.city (DWC) project aims to improve the performance of urban water integrated management by means of innovative digital technologies and data The DWC project develops and validates 15 advanced ICT solutions to address a range of current issues in urban water management. Accompanying governance research ensures that these digital solutions are not only developed successfully, but that they are also effectively implemented and actively used by end users. The DWC project developed an assessment framework for digital water governance along five criteria of “governance qualities”: context, extent, coherence, flexibility and intensity. The application of this framework is document in this poster., This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 820954.

Cities face several water challenges which ask for more pro-active management approaches. One option that cities have is to start networking and build learning alliances with other cities. Forming meaningful alliances however asks for clear and easily accessible city-matching methodologies which are based on a standardised assessment approach and the presence of structured and large databases. The City Blueprint Approach is an example of such a methodology. Aim of this paper is to demonstrate the potential of this approach as a substantive methodology for enhancing learning on urban water management. This is done by illustrating the use of the approach in four cities, which were studied in the H2020 project POWER (Political and sOcial awareness on Water EnviRonmental challenges) and by comparing the results found with good practices present in the City Blueprint database. These good practices however cannot simply be copy-pasted from one city to another. We therefore outline in what way more in-depth city-to-city (C2C) learning results can be achieved and be tailored to best-fit particular urban areas. The paper concludes with some suggestions for enhancing the potential for C2C learning in urban water management networks.

The water governance discourse focuses on the use of water from rivers—and increasingly lakes and aquifers—for a variety of human uses, often in a competing manner. Largely missing from this discourse are wetlands. Despite an increased understanding of the benefits of wetlands, global wetland area continues to decrease. Particularly in international river basins, upstream water withdrawals are having negative impacts on wetlands, and the communities that rely on them downstream. Following the framework of transboundary water cooperation, the joint management of transboundary wetlands in the context of integrated basin management may prevent conflict and lead to further collaboration. As a first step to understand how wetlands may fit into water cooperation, this research employs spatial analysis and document analysis to identify transboundary wetlands and possible institutions to manage them, providing a basis for analyzing conflict and cooperation dynamics in them. The products of this research are a database and map of 300 transboundary wetlands, including the river basins (and, when applicable, the River Basin Organizations) they fall within.

The fact that a lot of fresh water resources in Ethiopia are shared between several sovereign states creates a difficult situation in terms of water governance and management. Since there is no central agency that can regulate the utilization of water, the autonomous riparian actors pursue their respective interests. Water is shared at local, national and international levels; and difficulty in water supply management arises from lack of coordination between local, national and international authorities. Most of the Ethiopian rivers are trans-boundary, i.e. shared by several sovereign states. The purpose of this paper is to examine water governance and management systems in the Tekeze River basin. The author uses the qualitative research method to critically examine the existing scarce literature sources and governmental policy documents. The findings of the study revealed the absence of any kinds of bilateral agreements among the riparian states of the Tekeze River basin. As the water governance system in the region is highly politicized, there exists a certain clash of interests between the Tekeze River nations. The constant conflict in the region disrupts cooperation needed for facility maintenance in the Tekeze River basin. The problems in the area arise due to the following factors: no demarcated boundaries between the basin states; no effective water governance system, and, as a result, no efficient and cooperative utilization of fresh water resources; lack of institutional and legal arrangements between the major riparian states.

The 1987 Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement required Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) be collaboratively generated between local stakeholders and government agencies to implement an ecosystem approach in cleaning up 43 historically polluted Areas of Concern (AOCs) throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes. The institutional arrangements that have emerged over the past 35 years to foster an ecosystem approach in RAPs are expected to have changed over time and be varied in some aspects—reflecting unique socio-ecological contexts of each AOC—while also sharing some characteristics that were either derived from the minimally prescribed framework or developed convergently. Here we surveyed institutional arrangements to describe changes over time relevant to advancing an ecosystem approach in restoring beneficial uses in the 43 AOCs. While eight AOCs evidenced little institutional change, the remaining 35 AOCs demonstrated a growing involvement of local organizations in RAPs, which has enhanced local capacity and ownership and helped strengthen connections to broader watershed initiatives. We also noted an expansion of strategic partnerships that has strengthened science-policy-management linkages and an increasing emphasis on sustainability among RAP institutions. Our study details how institutional arrangements in a decentralized restoration program have evolved to implement an ecosystem approach and address new challenges.

Technocratic decision making has been long criticized for dampening participation and limiting the range of adaptive choices through its overreliance on infrastructure-based solutions. There has been growing attention to how technocratic approaches shape long-term resilience of water systems, especially under the threat of climatic change impacts. In Brazil, even under its highly decentralized and participatory water management system, technical expertise and science-based decisions have been often promoted as a desirable mechanism to insulate governance outcomes from the country's prevailing clientelistic and rent-seeking politics. Yet, Brazilian river basins continue to struggle with long-standing problems (such as universal access to sanitation) and increasing challenges for guaranteeing water provision under recurrent drought. In this study, we examine how technocratic insulation, different ways of knowing (WoKs), and participatory governance shape long-term resilience in one of Brazil's most important river basins, the Piracicaba-Capivari-Jundiaí (PCJ). By taking an in-depth look at how the PCJ River Basin's governance system responded to the 2014 Brazilian water crisis, we seek to understand how planning decisions in the aftermath of the crisis were influenced by different actors, and how the outcomes of those decisions are likely to shape long term resilience. Based on 27 in-depth interviews with members of the PCJ River Basin Committees, we show how a distinct preference for infrastructure-based solutions to deal with on-going and upcoming challenges may be unsustainable under climate change as the basin's traditional technocratic approach failed both to insulate its decisions from politics and to explore adaptive water management solutions that might be key to shape long-term resilience.

El presente informe es la síntesis de las actividades realizadas en el semillero de investigación en recursos hídricos SHWR (Seedbed in Hydrology and Water Resources Management) de la Universidad Santo Tomas seccional Tunja, donde se diseñaron las metodologías para la evaluación de 18 indicadores de gestión hídrica y análisis en referencia a la gobernanza del agua en cuencas rurales (Indicadores pertenecientes al índice GWI ideado por Carlos Caro, PhD en 2019. Las investigaciones de las buenas prácticas y experiencias a nivel mundial son el punto de partida para la evaluación en términos de gobernanza y mercado del agua, aunque, esto debe ir de la mano de la aplicación a las políticas gubernamentales con el cuidado y la importancia de la gestión del recurso hídrico, sin dejar de lado los procedimientos, prácticas y leyes que se ejercen en Colombia en torno al recurso hídrico. De esta manera, se realizó la identificación, agrupación y clasificación de los 18 indicadores según su naturaleza y se definieron las metodologías teóricas y prácticas, para la obtención del índice de gestión de cuencas rurales (GWI), con el fin de calcularlo de forma experimental al caso de estudio en el municipio de Motavita, situado en el departamento de Boyacá, evidenciando en general que el municipio presenta características no sostenibles, pero cuenta con elementos para su mejora continua al corto y mediano plazo El proyecto se titula metodologías específicas de seguimiento en el cálculo del índice GWI para la gobernanza del agua en cuencas rurales, del cual hice apoyo asistencial del proyecto, con el autor principal, el Ing. Civil Juan Diego Hernández Torres y como director de proyecto el PhD. MSc. Carlos Andrés Caro Camargo, creador del índice GWI. This report is the synthesis of the activities carried out in the SHWR (Seedbed in Hydrology and Water Resources Management) research seedbed of the Santo Tomas Tunja sectional University, where the methodologies for the evaluation of 18 water management indicators were designed and analysis in reference to the governance of water in rural basins (Indicators belonging to the GWI index devised by Carlos Caro, PhD in 2019. Research on good practices and experiences worldwide is the starting point for evaluation in terms of governance and the water market, although, this must go hand in hand with the application of government policies with the care and importance of water resource management, without neglecting the procedures, practices and laws that are exercised in Colombia around water resources. In this way, the 18 indicators were identified, grouped and classified according to their natural Theoretical and practical methodologies were established and defined to obtain the rural watershed management index (GWI), in order to calculate it experimentally for the case study in the municipality of Motavita, located in the department of Boyacá, evidencing In general, the municipality presents unsustainable characteristics, but has elements for its continuous improvement in the short and medium term The project is titled specific follow-up methodologies in the calculation of the GWI index for water governance in rural basins, from which I provided assistance to the project, with the main author, Civil Engineer Juan Diego Hernández Torres and as project director the PhD. MSc. Carlos Andrés Caro Camargo, creator of the GWI index. Pregrado

This study aims to understand the potential relationship between water vulnerability and corporate financial performance for listed companies in China. Studies have argued that water risk has begun to affect the sustainability of firms, but few studies have included water conditions in the research framework to examine whether and how water conditions have a direct impact on firms. In addition, studies on environment governance have emphasized the impact of government environmental regulation on firms. This study focuses on both regulation and government investments that have been previously neglected. Using a sample of Chinese listed companies from 2016 to 2020, this paper uses pooled cross-sectional regressions with year and industry fixed effects to examine the effects of water vulnerability on corporate financial performance and analyze the mechanism of government water governance (which can be divided into water regulation and water investment) on the relationship between water vulnerability and corporate financial performance. This study finds that water vulnerability could negatively impact corporate financial performance, and water regulation can intensify but water investment couldn’t significantly relieve the negative impact. The relationships above differ between SOEs and non-SOEs and water-intensive and non-water-intensive industries.

Special Issue in Water International containing a number of publications about the introduction of a rights-based approach in river management

Stakeholder participation is a requirement for environmental decision-making in the European Union. Despite this, numerous instances can be seen in water governance in which stakeholders feel undervalued and unheard, thereby creating unfavourable procedural outcomes, resistance and conflict. In this article, we propose that a process of early-stage deliberation constructed around the values of the stakeholders involved can reduce, and even prevent such conflicts. We suggest that if values that stakeholders perceive as relevant can be identified and discussed as part of the deliberation process then (1) stakeholder preferences can change, and (2) participants can develop a mutual understanding of each other’s values and perspectives. To explore these propositions, facilitated workshops were conducted at two Dutch water institutes, based around the topics of land subsidence and the pharmaceutical contamination of water systems. Participants deliberated on values that they considered relevant. The results suggest that mutual understanding of stakeholders’ perspectives increases as a result of value-based deliberation.

The past two decades have witnessed increasing global concern about the need for sustainable water and land management in an era of rapid change, and persistent water insecurity. Good water governance is a prerequisite to improve water management all over the world. The OECD Water Governance Initiative developed Water Governance Principles to enhance the process from water policy design to implementation. This contribution aims to examine how the OECD Water Governance Principles fit actual water governance on the local scale. Therefore a Dutch case is employed here to almost serve as a benchmark test for the framework of the OECD water governance principles.

International audience; This article explores how Palestinian led, donor supported water projects have transformed societal interactions concerning water since 1994. It distinguishes spatial, institutional and sectoral trajectories of water and explores the impacts on each type of trajectory. It demonstrates that the overall impact of these projects is more than the sum total of the individual projects. All together, they entail territorial change. Wastewater and reuse projects transform the largest flows and have the greatest impact on water trajectories. Overall, the recharge of the upper unconfined aquifer is compromised, with the effect that grass-root farmer institutions managing it are negatively affected.

Conceptualizing and analyzing collective policy learning processes is a major ongoing theoretical and empirical challenge. A key gap concerns the role of exogenous factors, which remains under-theorized in the policy learning literature. In this paper, we aim to advance the understanding of the role that exogenous factors play in collective learning processes. We propose a typology of exogenous factors (i.e. material, socioeconomic, institutional, discursive), and subsequently apply this in a comparative study of flood risk policymaking in two municipalities in the Netherlands. We find that exogenous factors are indeed essential for understanding collective learning in these cases, as the combined influence with endogenous factors can steer similar learning processes towards different learning products. We conclude our contribution by identifying two opportunities for further developing the collective learning framework, namely regarding the distinction of varying learning products, and the dynamics of exogenous factors over time.

In recent decades, an agro-export boom has deeply transformed Peru’s coastal valleys, resulting in dramatic territorial changes and social inequality in the Ica Valley. This article explains how politico-economic and socio-institutional forces have triggered the emergence of a new ‘hydrosocial territory’, transforming the Ica Valley into a virtual-water extraction zone that produces luxury export crops for the North and China. In addition, it shows how these territorial reconfigurations have led to ecological damage, water scarcity and increasing rural–urban inequality sustained by a hegemonic development discourse that supports agribusiness-elite territorial dominance and discourages social unrest.

The tank cascade system, which emerged as early as the fifth century BC in Sri Lanka’s dry zone, has been portrayed as one of the oldest water management practices in the world. However, its important function as flood management has not yet been thoroughly examined. In this paper, we argue that the main principle behind the tank cascade system is not only to recycle and reuse water resources by taking advantage of natural landscapes but also to control floods. This paper examines the evolution of traditional water management and flood mitigation techniques that flourished in pre-colonial Sri Lanka. This historical examination also sheds light on recent policies that exhibited renewed interests in revitalizing some aspects of the tank cascade system in Sri Lanka’s dry zone. This paper shows how ancient Sinhalese engineers and leaders incorporated traditional scientific and engineering knowledge into flood mitigation by engendering a series of innovations for land use planning, embankment designs, and water storage technologies. It also discusses how this system was governed by both kingdoms and local communities. Water management and flood control were among the highest priorities in urban planning and management. The paper thus discusses how, for centuries, local communities successfully sustained the tank cascade system through localized governance, which recent revitalized traditional water management projects often lack.

This research was funded by a Scottish Government Hydro Nation Scholarship. A growing body of research suggests that people’s values may be important predictors of their preferences regarding water governance and policy. However, this assertion is rarely tested empirically. The present study summarises the results of a large-scale quantitative study on the link between public water policy preferences and people’s values, based on data from a representative sample of the general population collected in a household survey in the Upper Paraguay River Basin, Mato Grosso, Brazil (n=1067). Structural equation modelling is applied to represent the clusters of values, or ‘value landscapes’, that shape attitudes and water policy preferences, in this case, for or against the construction of the highly controversial Paraguay-Paraná Waterway across the Pantanal wetland. Results demonstrate that opponents of the waterway share a value landscape composed of closely related self-transcendence values, democratic governance-related values, and ecological and cultural water values, whereas supporters hold self-enhancement values, economic governance-related values, and economic water values. Beyond this individual case study and beyond water governance, our findings may explain the protracted nature of, and seeming impossibility to resolve, environmental conservation vs. economic development conflicts more broadly. Postprint

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T16:56:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-11-03. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2022-04-28T17:11:45Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 S1414-753X2021000100332.pdf: 331444 bytes, checksum: c2ca2923272fd0aad9451c90669a642a (MD5) São Paulo Research Foundation Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Os comitês brasileiros de bacias hidrográficas são uma inovação democrática cada vez mais estudada em todo o mundo como um exemplo positivo de governança da água, com algumas limitações. Em nosso projeto de pesquisa de dois anos (2018-2020), objetivamos ativar, preservar e divulgar narrativas e histórias da participação de vários atores sociais, econômicos e políticos no Comitê da Bacia Hidrográfica do Alto Rio Tietê (São Paulo), para obter memórias organizacionais. Nossos dados de entrevistas trazem lições aplicáveis a contextos com sistemas de governança semelhantes e outros, sugerindo como os arranjos participativos e democráticos podem ser aprimorados como estratégias que uma sociedade pode explorar no processo de aprender a lidar com os efeitos das mudanças climáticas, incluindo a ameaça de escassez de água que cresceu na região metropolitana de São Paulo após 2014. As entrevistas apontam para a necessidade de esclarecimento dos papéis do comitê e de seus membros perante à sociedade, a fim de fortalecer a autoridade e a legitimidade. Brazilian river basin committees are a democratic innovation increasingly studied throughout the world as a positive example of water governance, with some limitations. In our two-year research project (2018-2020), we aimed at activating, preserving and circulating narratives and stories from the participation of the various social, economic and political actors in the Upper Tietê River Basin Committee (São Paulo), in order to gather organisational memories. Our interview data bring lessons applicable to contexts with similar governance systems and others beyond, by suggesting how democratic, participatory arrangements can be improved as strategies that a society can explore in the process of learning how to cope with the effects of climate change, including the threat of water scarcity that grew in the metropolitan region of São Paulo after 2014. Interviews point to the need to clarify the roles of the committee and its members before society, to strengthen authority and legitimacy. Los comités brasileños de cuencas hidrográficas son una innovación democrática que se estudia cada vez más en todo el mundo como un ejemplo positivo de gobernanza del agua, con algunas limitaciones. En nuestro proyecto de investigación de dos años (2018-2020), nuestro objetivo fue activar, preservar y difundir narrativas e historias de la participación de varios actores sociales, económicos y políticos en el Comité de la Cuenca del Río Alto Río Tietê (São Paulo), para obtener memorias organizacionales. Los datos de nuestra entrevista proporcionan lecciones aplicables a contextos con sistemas de gobernanza similares y otros, sugiriendo cómo los arreglos participativos y democráticos pueden mejorarse como estrategias que una sociedad puede explorar en el proceso de aprender a lidiar con los efectos del cambio climático, incluida la amenaza de escasez de agua que creció en la región metropolitana de São Paulo después de 2014. Las entrevistas apuntan a la necesidad de clarificar los roles del comité y sus miembros ante la sociedad, a fin de fortalecer la autoridad y la legitimidad. São Paulo State University University of Warwick São Paulo State University São Paulo Research Foundation: 2018/02270-9 CNPq: 305689/2019-3

This thesis presents analysis of the status of IWRM implementation along with the challenges with regards to policy and institutional measures as well as the required basin information and management instruments. The research entailed a detailed analysis of water resources systems based on a case study from the Awash River Basin in Ethiopia, covering the historical and present state of the challenges and gaps in policies, institutional arrangements and management instruments. The status quo of practical water management, implications of plausible management alternatives in terms of their impact to future water availability, demand fulfilment, patterns of use, and sustainability of the environment were examined. Moreover, the interlinkages and dynamics between key water dependent resources sectors, broadly categorized into water, energy, food, and ecosystems (WEFE) was explored to identify key tradeoffs and synergies. This was deliberated as to improving the synchronization of sectoral plans and resources management programs, thereby fast-tracking the coordination process in IWRM. Overall, the research provides a clearer understanding of the system-wide problems, structural challenges and possible future consequences regarding the management and sustainability of the entire water resource system. Ultimately the purpose is to set in motion new strategies and mechanisms to improve the implementation of the currently applied IWRM framework in the context of the SDGs.

This thesis presents analysis of the status of IWRM implementation along with the challenges with regards to policy and institutional measures as well as the required basin information and management instruments. The research entailed a detailed analysis of water resources systems based on a case study from the Awash River Basin in Ethiopia, covering the historical and present state of the challenges and gaps in policies, institutional arrangements and management instruments. The status quo of practical water management, implications of plausible management alternatives in terms of their impact to future water availability, demand fulfilment, patterns of use, and sustainability of the environment were examined. Moreover, the interlinkages and dynamics between key water dependent resources sectors, broadly categorized into water, energy, food, and ecosystems (WEFE) was explored to identify key trade-offs and synergies. This was deliberated as to improving the synchronization of sectoral plans and resources management programs, thereby fast-tracking the coordination process in IWRM. Overall, the research provides a clearer understanding of the system-wide problems, structural challenges and possible future consequences regarding the management and sustainability of the entire water resource system. Ultimately the purpose is to set in motion new strategies and mechanisms to improve the implementation of the currently applied IWRM framework in the context of the SDGs.

Somali post-conflict development faces many challenges that affect the sustainability of the water sector. This paper reviews and analyses the post-conflict development activities in the water sector through local communications and reviewing published materials and databases from international players in Somalia, funding agencies and financial tracking service. The paper has shown that there has been great attention and support given to the country during its post-conflict development. However, most of these initiatives and projects have focused on emerging issues such as tackling food security and water, sanitation and hygiene services. The paper also shows that the continuous funding of emerging issues in Somalia has reduced its long-term sustainability of the water sector and limited its national and long-term benefits but has increased corruption due to increase the gap between actors and local people. Therefore, new transparent cooperative initiatives are needed based on transparent involvement and coordination among donors, local authorities and implementers to improve and develop the water sector and the livelihood in Somalia through a solid water governance system.

Research in water governance and management is a complex subject that involves the appraisal of social, economic, and environmental–biophysical aspects. Cultural and social values are regarded as key drivers in decision-making processes in both domains. Identifying relevant cultural values however is difficult given the interdisciplinary nature of theoretical frameworks and the implementation and operational needs of water governance/management research. In this work, we conduct a systematic literature review and thematic analysis of existing theories of culture (ToC) to identify common cultural values, theoretical frameworks, disciplinary trajectories and implementation trends relevant to water management and governance. Results indicate that the dominant ToC corresponds to Cultural Theory with its four defined categories (Egalitarian–Hierarchist–Individualist–Fatalist). In addition, results show emergent cultural values linked to “local” place-based knowledge perspectives indicating a more pluriversal understanding of cultural values. Cultural values associated with water management revolve around anthropocentrism, whereas values associated with water governance revolve around concepts of provenance/places. Implementation of ToC/cultural values is limited in practical applications, and we provide an example on how to improve on that. We suggest a succinct theory of culture such as Schwartz’s cultural values be considered to be an alternative to capture a greater heterogeneity across the breadth of water governance/management-related and basin-specific contexts.