This research investigates the structure of rules and regulations that shape the governance of shared water resources. Governance emerges not just from the rules and regulations that govern water access, use, and withdrawal (aka property rights), but also from their effectiveness, which is influenced by the socio-economic, demographic, ecological, and political contexts in which these rules are embedded. Consequently, the key questions I ask are:
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Related selected publications:
- what combination of rules best addresses local contexts and problems?
- what mechanisms ensure that these rules are appropriately suited to the local contexts and issues they aim to address (i.e., "institutional fit")?
- how do these broader contexts affect the effectiveness of rules?
- once designed to "fit" local contexts, do these rules subsequently lead to positive changes in individual behavior related to water access, use, and withdrawal, as well as improvements in water conservation outcomes?
Related grants: Still holding out for a grant to trickle my way!
Related selected publications:
- Vallury, S., Shin, H. C., Janssen, M. A., Meinzen-Dick, R., Kandikuppa, S., Rao, K. R., & Chaturvedi, R. (2022). Assessing the institutional foundations of adaptive water governance in South India. Ecology and Society, 27(1).
- Vallury, S., Chaffin, B. C., Hamlin, S. L., & Allen, C. R. (2023). Communication in the science-policy interface: Evidence from a boundary organization in Nebraska, USA. Environmental Science & Policy, 148, 103558.
- Olivier, Tomás and Sechindra Vallury. (2024). “ Institutional Fit and Policy Design in Water Governance: Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts.” Policy Studies Journal 00 (0): 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/psj.12550.