Scale, governance and the management of river basins: a case study from Central Iran

Aquatic socio-ecological systems show pervasive cross-scale interactions and problems of fit between ecosystems and institutions. Nested bio-hydrological processes within river basins are prone to third-party impacts, and equitable/sustainable management of water resources requires adequate governan...

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Main Authors: Molle, Francois, Mamanpoush, A.R.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34738
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author Molle, Francois
Mamanpoush, A.R.
author_browse Mamanpoush, A.R.
Molle, Francois
author_facet Molle, Francois
Mamanpoush, A.R.
author_sort Molle, Francois
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Aquatic socio-ecological systems show pervasive cross-scale interactions and problems of fit between ecosystems and institutions. Nested bio-hydrological processes within river basins are prone to third-party impacts, and equitable/sustainable management of water resources requires adequate governance patterns that both cover relevant scalar levels and handle cross-scale interactions. This paper provides the example of the Zayandeh Rud basin, in central Iran, and describes the historical evolution of water use at three different nested scales. It shows how the gradual overallocation of water resources (basin closure) and the manipulation of the hydrological cycle by the state and other actors have resulted in a constant spatial and social redistribution of water use and associated benefits and costs. State-centered modes of governance characterized by the priority to large-scale infrastructure, vested political and financial interests, lack of attention to local processes and hydrological interconnectedness, and the neglect of environmental degradation, must give way to forms of comanagement that better articulate the different levels of control and governance.
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spelling CGSpace347382023-09-23T17:57:17Z Scale, governance and the management of river basins: a case study from Central Iran Molle, Francois Mamanpoush, A.R. ecosystems institutions watersheds watershed management sustainability governance environmental degradation Aquatic socio-ecological systems show pervasive cross-scale interactions and problems of fit between ecosystems and institutions. Nested bio-hydrological processes within river basins are prone to third-party impacts, and equitable/sustainable management of water resources requires adequate governance patterns that both cover relevant scalar levels and handle cross-scale interactions. This paper provides the example of the Zayandeh Rud basin, in central Iran, and describes the historical evolution of water use at three different nested scales. It shows how the gradual overallocation of water resources (basin closure) and the manipulation of the hydrological cycle by the state and other actors have resulted in a constant spatial and social redistribution of water use and associated benefits and costs. State-centered modes of governance characterized by the priority to large-scale infrastructure, vested political and financial interests, lack of attention to local processes and hydrological interconnectedness, and the neglect of environmental degradation, must give way to forms of comanagement that better articulate the different levels of control and governance. 2012 2014-02-02T16:39:50Z 2014-02-02T16:39:50Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34738 en Limited Access Molle, Francois; Mamanpoush, A. 2012. Scale, governance and the management of river basins: a case study from Central Iran. Geoforum, 43(2):285-294.
spellingShingle ecosystems
institutions
watersheds
watershed management
sustainability
governance
environmental degradation
Molle, Francois
Mamanpoush, A.R.
Scale, governance and the management of river basins: a case study from Central Iran
title Scale, governance and the management of river basins: a case study from Central Iran
title_full Scale, governance and the management of river basins: a case study from Central Iran
title_fullStr Scale, governance and the management of river basins: a case study from Central Iran
title_full_unstemmed Scale, governance and the management of river basins: a case study from Central Iran
title_short Scale, governance and the management of river basins: a case study from Central Iran
title_sort scale governance and the management of river basins a case study from central iran
topic ecosystems
institutions
watersheds
watershed management
sustainability
governance
environmental degradation
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34738
work_keys_str_mv AT mollefrancois scalegovernanceandthemanagementofriverbasinsacasestudyfromcentraliran
AT mamanpoushar scalegovernanceandthemanagementofriverbasinsacasestudyfromcentraliran