Water Governance and Policymaking in Iran Over the Last Half-Century: Inefficiencies and Shortcomings

Over the past five decades, the mismanagement of water resources and the overexploitation of surface and groundwater resources have accelerated a process of “anthropogenic drought” leading to “water bankruptcy”, with repercussions spanning environmental, socioeconomic, and political spheres. Perhaps the most significant shortcoming in Iran’s water management during this period has been the failure to establish effective water governance based on principles of sustainable development. This is in part due to over-reliance on a top-down technocratic approach within the governance system, as well as by reactive strategies rather than proactive ones, among other factors. Consequently, the country has witnessed a surge in socio-political conflicts over recent decades, manifesting in various forms and scales. Another underlying cause of this issue is the inefficiency of water resource management and systemic corruption that can limit the benefit of science-informed decisions and plans. This has led to the development of solutions that place disproportionate emphasis on technical aspects, while overlooking other critical factors such as socio-economic, organizational, institutional, legal, political, hydro-political, and environmental dimensions.  Socioeconomic changes during this period, combined with other external factors like climate change, have placed additional pressures on policymaking for water resource management. For instance, efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in agricultural production in pursuit of food security have widened the gap between available renewable water resources and the demands required to meet such ambitious goals. These issues have even contributed to escalating hydro-political tensions between Iran and its neighboring countries over shared transboundary water resources.  In summary, the issues arising from five decades of water governance and management can be attributed to inefficient policies driven by a lack of a holistic perspective on natural resources, top-down governance, systemic corruption, unresolved transboundary water-related challenges, the absence of an interdisciplinary approach and well-defined institutional mechanisms to address these interconnected water issues. Therefore, an effective solution to Iran’s water bankruptcy, is that policymaking must move toward institutional reforms that embrace dynamic, integrated perspectives considering the climate-water-food-energy nexus grounded on actionable science and polycentric stakeholder engagement. 

Keyword: Integrated Water Resources Management, Sustainable Development, Water Governance, Water Bankruptcy.