TY - JOUR

T1 - Comparative studies of water governance

T2 - A systematic review

AU - Özerol, Gül

AU - Vinke-De Kruijf, Joanne

AU - Brisbois, Marie Claire

AU - Flores, Cesar Casiano

AU - Deekshit, Pranjal

AU - Girard, Corentin

AU - Knieper, Christian

AU - Mirnezami, S. Jalal

AU - Ortega-Reig, Mar

AU - Ranjan, Pranay

AU - Schröder, Nadine

AU - Schröter, Barbara

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2018 by the author(s).

PY - 2018/12/1

Y1 - 2018/12/1

N2 - Governance is key to tackling water challenges and transforming water management under the increasing pressures of competing water uses and climate change. Diverse water governance regimes have evolved in different countries and regions to regulate the development and management of water resources and the provision of water services. Scholars and policy analysts have been comparing these water governance regimes to analyze elements and processes, to assess performance, or to draw lessons. Although the number of such studies has increased since the 1980s, no comprehensive synthesis exists. We present such a synthesis by conducting a systematic review of the emerging field of comparative water governance studies, and we critically reflect on how water governance is defined, conceptualized, and assessed in different contexts. Based on the resultant insights, we identify four areas for future research: (1) improving the balance between small-, medium-, and large-N studies that are used in comparative studies of water governance; (2) conducting longitudinal comparisons of water governance to identify temporal governance trends and patterns; (3) expanding the geographical coverage of the comparisons to include underrepresented countries and regions, focusing more broadly on the global South; and (4) addressing the issues of justice, equity, and power, which are becoming increasingly important in tackling the water governance challenges that are exacerbated by the effects of climate change, industrialization, and urbanization.

AB - Governance is key to tackling water challenges and transforming water management under the increasing pressures of competing water uses and climate change. Diverse water governance regimes have evolved in different countries and regions to regulate the development and management of water resources and the provision of water services. Scholars and policy analysts have been comparing these water governance regimes to analyze elements and processes, to assess performance, or to draw lessons. Although the number of such studies has increased since the 1980s, no comprehensive synthesis exists. We present such a synthesis by conducting a systematic review of the emerging field of comparative water governance studies, and we critically reflect on how water governance is defined, conceptualized, and assessed in different contexts. Based on the resultant insights, we identify four areas for future research: (1) improving the balance between small-, medium-, and large-N studies that are used in comparative studies of water governance; (2) conducting longitudinal comparisons of water governance to identify temporal governance trends and patterns; (3) expanding the geographical coverage of the comparisons to include underrepresented countries and regions, focusing more broadly on the global South; and (4) addressing the issues of justice, equity, and power, which are becoming increasingly important in tackling the water governance challenges that are exacerbated by the effects of climate change, industrialization, and urbanization.

KW - Comparative analysis

KW - Comparative studies

KW - Systematic review

KW - Water governance

KW - Water management

KW - Water policy

KW - Politics

KW - Sustainability Science

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85059510975&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.5751/ES-10548-230443

DO - 10.5751/ES-10548-230443

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85059510975

VL - 23

JO - Ecology and Society

JF - Ecology and Society

SN - 1708-3087

IS - 4

M1 - 43

ER -