Rethinking Water Governance: Decentralized and Participatory Governance of Water Resources

Nik Kowsar and the Abangan Editorial Team

For water governance in Iran to align with the principles of sustainable development and environmental justice, the establishment of a clear, equitable, and dependable legal framework is imperative. A significant portion of the Iranian population aspires to a system in which water governance and management are grounded in both territorial and environmental justice, thereby fostering sustainable and rational conditions for future generations. The governance system must guarantee that disadvantaged regions experiencing water stress receive a fair allocation of water rights, investment, and representation in decision-making processes. Territorial justice is a foundational pillar of sustainable governance and must not be compromised by political interests or centralist tendencies.

Such a framework could be formalized through a “Comprehensive Water Law” or enshrined within a future constitution, outlining fundamental principles: the universal right to access clean and safe water, the protection of aquatic ecosystems, genuine public participation in water-related decision-making, and the establishment of withdrawal limits based on the carrying capacity of each watershed. In the absence of such a legal structure, no institution—even one designed to appear participatory—will be shielded from political interference, systemic corruption, or institutional fragility. The law must explicitly prohibit individuals or projects from appropriating water resources under the guise of development or through the exercise of political influence, thereby depriving both nature and communities of their rightful share.

Water Governance: The National Council for Water Governance

A review of what has transpired over the course of both the Islamic Republic and the Pahlavi monarchy reveals the pressing need to reassess water governance and resource management in Iran. If the aim is to structure water governance within the framework of sustainable development and environmental justice, there is no alternative but to adopt a participatory governance model. Such a system must emerge from a council in which the roles of individuals and institutions are clearly defined. If governance is understood as encompassing national water policy, strategic planning, and the adoption of principles of environmental and water justice, then representatives from river basins, environmental oversight bodies, independent experts, stakeholders with defined financial structures, as well as representatives of farmers, industry, civil society organizations, women, and youth must all be included—and the head of the council should not be appointed by the government.

The decisions of the National Council for Water Governance must be binding on relevant institutions such as the Ministries of Energy, Agriculture, Industry, Petroleum, and the Department of Environment. To prevent institutional overlap and conflicts of interest, an intersectoral committee should be established to coordinate policies and resolve institutional disputes.

At the same time, the council’s technical secretariat must operate independently to ensure that no institution can exert control through financial leverage.

Water Parliaments / Basin Councils

The function of these bodies is to plan, allocate water resources, monitor usage, and participate in the restoration of natural resources. Representatives from river basins will be elected through the water parliaments of each basin, and their sole responsibility is to serve in accordance with regulations, environmental standards, and the interests of basin residents.

The composition of each Basin Council includes representatives from the provinces within the basin, local community representatives from rural and urban areas, farmers, herders, industrial actors, NGOs active in the field of environment and natural resources, technical experts in water resources and meteorology, and a representative from the Natural Resources and Environment Organization. The voting system in these councils is designed to be hybrid, taking into account technical expertise, the degree of stakeholder involvement, and the population of each area in the decision-making process. Provincial representatives are obligated to protect the basin’s water and soil resources in proportion to their province’s share within the watershed.

Local Committees Under the Supervision of Basin Councils

Local Water Management Committees, formed at the county and plain levels, play a key role in implementing the approved programs of the Basin Council. Their responsibilities include public education and awareness, monitoring the use of wells, and promoting efficient water use. These committees are composed of members of local councils, rural administrators, agricultural cooperatives, local educators and academics, community media activists, and environmental volunteers. Drawing on local knowledge and direct community participation, these committees contribute to the sustainable management of water resources at the grassroots level.

Water Rights and Environmental Compliance Authority

One of the most critical components of future water resource management is addressing local and inter-provincial sub-basin disputes, especially in shared basins within and between provinces. Violations of water regulations and policies must be reviewed by specialized courts. A dedicated Water and Environment Court, acting as an oversight and complaint-resolution body, should be established to handle violations related to water and environmental resources, public complaints, conflicts of interest in decision-making, and breaches of governance principles. This court could be composed of a judge specialized in natural resources, public attorneys representing the interests of people and the environment, and experts in water, ecology, and environmental law. With a specialized and impartial approach, the court would ensure environmental justice at both national and local levels.

Mechanisms for Conflict Resolution and Managing Conflicts of Interest

In a country with complex watersheds and overlapping interests, conflict is inevitable. To address disputes between provinces, sectoral institutions, or stakeholders, a specialized and independent committee should be established—separate from the executive structure—with access to technical data and stakeholder input. The absence of such a mechanism would pave the way for distrust and crisis-prone decision-making.

The new governance system must also include a process for reviewing previously issued exploitation permits. In line with environmental justice and the carrying capacity of each watershed, illegal extractions should be limited or revoked, and legal ones should be updated. Equitable water allocations must be based on technical assessments and dialogue with stakeholders.

The Necessity of Establishing a National Water Data Center

The National Water Data Center should be mandated to register, maintain, and publish water-related data with maximum transparency. This data must include information on precipitation, surface and groundwater resources, water withdrawals and consumption, allocations, and water rights. Aimed at enhancing accountability and informed participation, the center should provide open and easy access to data for the public, media, researchers, and civil society organizations. This will lay the foundation for public oversight and evidence-based policymaking.

Technology and Smart Water Governance

The future water governance system cannot be separated from technology. The use of remote sensing data, early warning systems for crisis prevention, smart monitoring of groundwater resources, and digital tools for water allocation are essential components of a scientific, transparent, and accountable governance model. Developing a data-driven infrastructure must be a top priority for the national water management authority.

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) of Projects

One of the key pillars of sustainable water resource governance is the mandatory implementation of thorough and comprehensive environmental and social impact assessments prior to the execution of any major water-related or development projects. These assessments must be based on scientific data, involve independent institutions, and their results must be publicly disclosed and binding in the decision-making process. Projects such as dam construction, inter-basin water transfers, or agricultural expansion in arid regions must not receive execution permits without environmental clearance. Continuous post-implementation monitoring is also essential to ensure compliance with environmental commitments and to prevent secondary crises. Without institutionalizing EIA as a fundamental decision-making tool, development is likely to follow an unsustainable and costly path. Assessment and Evaluation of Governance Quality

To evaluate the quality of water governance, a set of precise and measurable indicators must be established. These include transparency in resource allocation, the degree of stakeholder participation, open access to data, and adherence to each basin's ecological carrying capacity. An independent oversight body should be responsible for monitoring and publicly reporting on these indicators.

Iran Water Authority (IWA)

The Iran Water Authority (IWA) is envisioned as an independent public institution with legal, financial, and administrative autonomy, operating under the supervision of the National Council for Water Governance. It is tasked with implementing policies and managing integrated water resources at both national and basin levels.

Key responsibilities of the IWA include:

• Planning and managing surface and groundwater resources within river basins;

• Implementing the decisions of basin and national councils;

• Monitoring and recording water data while ensuring open access to information;

• Regulating and enforcing rules on water withdrawal, allocation, use, and recycling;

• Collaborating with environmental organizations to secure environmental water rights;

• Actively engaging in public education and capacity building for local communities and water users.

Organizational Structure of the Iran Water Authority

The organizational structure of the IWA consists of three main levels:

1. National Headquarters: Responsible for formulating operational policies, overseeing inter-basin coordination, advancing water monitoring technologies and systems, and managing international relations and water diplomacy.

2. Basin-Level Offices: These units serve as the operational management centers for each watershed. Their responsibilities include project implementation, water use monitoring, data collection, and direct engagement with local committees and basin councils. They also coordinate and supervise water consumption across sectors—agriculture, industry, municipal, and environmental—and apply water allocation rules based on priorities and the natural capacity of each basin using accurate data.

3. County and Local Units: These offices handle day-to-day operations, farmer and user training, promotion of water-efficient practices, and the processing of complaints and violations. Their work ensures grassroots participation and public oversight, helping to guarantee sustainable water use—especially in agriculture—at the most local levels.

   
   

Additional Requirements for Achieving Environmental Justice and Sustainable Development

To fully realize environmental justice, regulations must be grounded in principles such as the ecological carrying capacity of each watershed, which should serve as the accepted limit for resource exploitation. Water rights holders must reach a consensus that no economic activity—particularly in agriculture and industry—should exceed these limits. Moreover, in policy and program design, the impacts of climate change—such as recurring droughts and extreme flooding—must be seriously considered to enhance the resilience of water systems.

Preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services, alongside ensuring ecological water allocations, must be central priorities in governance. Genuine participation of vulnerable groups—especially women, youth, and local communities—must be ensured through dedicated representation in councils and committees. Intergenerational justice—defined as safeguarding water resources for future generations—should also be emphasized. This includes reforming financial and subsidy systems to discourage unsustainable extraction behaviors through taxation or economic disincentives.

The National Water Authority must first and foremost develop a long-term, comprehensive water resources plan based on land use planning, ecological carrying capacity, and the actual needs of the population. This plan should be implemented through binding regulations and reviewed every five years, with updates based on new data, climate trends, and local feedback. To facilitate this, an independent center for policy monitoring and reform must be established alongside the National Council for Water Governance.

Economic Framework for Water Governance

Sustainable water management is impossible without a revision of economic policies. In the absence of accurate pricing, incentives for efficiency, and the removal of subsidies that encourage overconsumption, water resources will continue to face waste and inequity. The Comprehensive Water Law must enable the creation of local water markets, the imposition of taxes on withdrawals exceeding basin capacity, and support for sustainable agriculture.

Policy Monitoring and Reform

To ensure water governance remains dynamic, adaptive, and responsive to changing climatic and social realities, a mechanism for continuous monitoring, institutional performance evaluation, and periodic policy revision must be established. Ignoring field data and feedback increases the risk of error accumulation and the repetition of failed models.

Iran’s watersheds are already facing, and will continue to face, a wide range of crises—from drought and land subsidence to severe flooding and groundwater contamination. Water governance must have the capacity for rapid response, institutional coordination, and crisis management at both basin and national levels. Each crisis must not become an excuse for impulsive decisions or diversionary mega-projects.

Food Security and Agricultural Reform

Water sustainability is unattainable without a fundamental overhaul of agricultural policies. Water planning must align with crop pattern strategies, soil productivity, and virtual water trade. The primary objective must be sustainable production, guided by basin carrying capacities rather than mere output statistics.

Transparency, Conflict of Interest, and Anti-Corruption Measures

Participatory governance only holds meaning when financial transparency, public registration of water allocations, and strict prohibitions against overlapping political and economic interests are clearly embedded and enforceable within institutional structures. Without these safeguards, councils may simply become new instruments for perpetuating rent-seeking and monopolies.

Water Diplomacy and Transboundary Basins

In modern water governance, treating political borders as hydrological boundaries is a costly mistake. Cooperation with neighboring countries over shared basins—such as Helmand, Aras, Tigris, and Arvand—is essential and must be part of the national water strategy. Water diplomacy is not merely a technical task—it is also a matter of national security and environmental stewardship.

The Role of Education, Media, and Public Behavior Change

No sustainable governance system can succeed without reforming societal behavior patterns. It is essential to institutionalize the principles of sustainable water use within the formal education system, equip media outlets to raise broad public awareness in this domain, and strengthen local networks in promoting environmental consciousness. Policy change without a corresponding shift in consumption culture will ultimately be ineffective.

Ultimately, the establishment of institutional, legal, technological, and community-based frameworks is a prerequisite for overcoming Iran’s accumulated water crises. Experts, academics, civil society activists, and the leaders of a future democratic Iran can reverse the degradation of water resources by drawing on global experiences and designing a decentralized, participatory, and environmentally focused governance model. This paradigm shift is not only vital for saving aquifers and semi-depleted rivers but can also serve as a foundation for rebuilding public trust, reducing inequality, and enabling a dignified and humane life for all Iranians.

In the future structure of water governance, no project—whether related to dam construction, water transfers, agricultural expansion, or industrial development—should commence without a thorough environmental and social impact assessment. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must be institutionalized as a mandatory, independent, and transparent tool in the decision-making process—not merely a bureaucratic formality to be bypassed. Oversight bodies must have the authority to suspend or revise projects that contradict the principles of sustainable development, exceed the ecological carrying capacity of basins, or violate the rights of local communities. Only with a robust system of pre- and post-project evaluation and oversight can we prevent the recurrence of irreversible environmental damage and restore public confidence in development decisions.

The drafting and enactment of a Comprehensive Water Law, the establishment of a National Council for Water Governance, and the guarantee of meaningful local community participation must be top priorities on the agenda of Iran’s future government. Without such structural reforms, the salvation of Iran’s water resources—and the assurance of environmental and food security—will remain out of reach.