Water governance emerges through the interactions between ecological change, infrastructural systems, and institutional arrangements. Institutions determine how water is accessed, allocated, and conserved, but their effectiveness depends on the broader political, demographic, and ecological contexts in which they are embedded. The challenge lies in whether institutions align with these broader contexts: when they do, they can shape cooperation and conservation; when they do not, they often entrench scarcity and inequality.
This work examines the design and effectiveness of rules that govern water access, withdrawal, and allocation, and how their alignment with local ecological and social contexts shapes water use and conservation outcomes. Although rooted in agriculture, this work also informs urban water infrastructure, stormwater management, and regional water planning, treating governance as a central mechanism through which inequalities or resilience emerge across human–environment systems.
Research Questions
- Institutional design. What combinations of rules and property rights best address local water challenges under conditions of stress?
- Institutional fit. What drives the alignment (or misalignment) of governance mechanisms with ecological and social contexts, and how does this shape their effectiveness?
- Contextual influences. How do political, demographic, and ecological factors condition the performance of water institutions over time?
- Equity and outcomes. How does the alignment of governance institutions with local contexts shape cooperation, access, and conservation, and under what conditions does it reproduce inequality?