May 2025
Research Articles
How to manage regime shifts: insights from a dryland social–ecological system
Majid Rahimi, Mehdi Ghorbani and Khaled Ahmadaali
Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
Contact: Mehdi Ghorbani | Email: mehghorbani@ut.ac.ir
Abstract
Effective water resource management in the Zayandeh-Rud River Basin, a critical region in the Middle East, requires understanding system dynamics and anticipating regime shifts. This study uses system dynamics to model water consumption changes in the basin, analysing various scenarios (10% to 30% increase/decrease) in agricultural, urban, and industrial sectors. Results show that increased consumption harms water systems, while reductions, especially a 30% decrease, stabilize systems and improve water quality. Upstream reductions benefit downstream resources, highlighting the importance of integrated management. Proactive strategies can mitigate adverse impacts, ensuring a sustainable water future for the region’s inhabitants.
Pages: 513–539
https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2024.2421960
Towards water regionalism? Examining the linkages between water, infrastructures, and regionalism in Turkey
Ramazan Caner Sayana, Arda Bilgenb and Ayşegül Kibaroğluc
aPolitics, Philosophy and International Relations, Swansea University, Swansea, UK; bMiddle East Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK; cMEF University, Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, Department of Political Science and International Relations, TR-34396 Istanbul, Turkey
Contact: Ramazan Caner Sayan | Email: r.c.sayan@swansea.ac.uk
Abstract
Moving beyond the purely material understanding of infrastructures, new perspectives in infrastructural regionalism assert that infrastructures and regions simultaneously shape each other. Drawing on this reciprocal relationship, we introduce the concept of ‘water regionalism’ to examine how regional factors, dynamics, and complexities shape water infrastructures, and how water infrastructures concurrently shape regions. Through qualitative research methodologies, we empirically demonstrate how this concept operates in practice by examining the history of regional planning and hydraulic infrastructure development in Turkey, particularly the process of how the South-eastern Anatolia Project (GAP) and the GAP region have shaped each other since the 1970s.
Pages: 540–562
https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2024.2423743 (Open Access)
Transformative change of Jordan’s water system: reconfiguring competitive water users into mutual service providers
Gerardo E. van Halsemaa, Chris Seijgera, Maria Christoforidoua, Gerlo Borghuisa, Barteld J. Verveldeb and Petra Hellegersa
aWater Resources Management Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands; bAgrosystems Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Contact: Chris Seijger | Email: chris.seijger@wur.nl
Abstract
By 2050 and without fundamental policy change, demand for freshwater will exceed renewable supply by a factor of four in Jordan. A water-allocation game was designed to let stakeholders reallocate water and attempt to close the gap between demand and renewable supply, making use of supply augmentation and reutilization options that were defined with stakeholders. Stakeholders who played the game grasped that agriculture will have to completely shift to wastewater reuse in order to preserve precious freshwater resources for the drinking water supply. This paper reflects on the transformation needed to turn competing water users into mutual service providers.
Pages: 563–579
https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2024.2429422 (Open Access)
Collaborative multiscale water resources planning in England
Ali Leonarda, Jaime Amezagaa, Richard Blackwellb, Elizabeth Lewisc, Chris Kilsbya and Anna Murgatroyda
aNewcastle University Centre for Water, School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK; bWater Resources West, UK; cSchool of Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Contact: Ali Leonard | Email: a.leonard4@newcastle.ac.uk
Abstract
Practitioners in water resources planning in England are navigating new multiscale planning structures. A National Framework introduced in 2020 embeds strategic cooperation across a privatized industry to meet higher resilience standards. This study presents a critical analysis of the National Framework to identify feasible solutions to navigate England’s water crisis. Findings are based on engagement with practitioners identifying successes, challenges, and lessons learned throughout 2020–2024. Recommendations include establishing a national coordination office as part of an explicit multiscale framework. Over time, the framework can continue to be built upon for a more informed transition to adaptive, collaborative, integrated planning.
Pages: 580–605
https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2024.2438209 (Open Access)
Legal frameworks and mechanisms for resolving transboundary water disputes in Malaysia: insights from the Kedah-Penang Muda River dispute
Muhammad Nazrul Abd Rania and Rasyikah Md Khalidb
aSchool of Law, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Malaysia; bFaculty of Law, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
Contact: Muhammad Nazrul Abd Rani | Email: m.nazrul.abd@uum.edu.my
Abstract
The ongoing water dispute between Kedah and Penang over the shared use of the Muda River highlights critical inadequacies within Malaysia’s legal framework for managing inter-state water disputes. This paper employs a doctrinal legal research approach to analyse relevant statutes, international water law principles and Malaysia’s integrated water resources management (IWRM) and integrated river basin management (IRBM) policies. The objective of this study is to identify legal gaps and challenges within the current framework and to propose actionable solutions for effective dispute resolution. The findings reveal significant legal gaps, particularly in compensation mechanisms and inter-state coordination, that hinder effective dispute resolution within a federated governance structure. To address these issues, the study recommends legal reforms and an establishment of a federal mediation entity. These measures are designed to foster equitable and sustainable water management practices, contributing to Malaysia’s alignment with SDG 6 on clean water access and sustainability.
Pages: 625–646
https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2024.2443766
Tap water consumption choices in out-of-home settings: insights from a survey of German adults
Jale Tosuna,b, Marc Debusc, Simon Schauba,b, Sina Kleind, Ulrike Scherere, Timo Goeschlb,d and Harald Horne
aInstitute of Political Science, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; bHeidelberg Center for the Environment, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; cSchool of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany; dDepartment of Economics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; eEngler-Bunte-Institut, Water Chemistry and Water Technology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
Contact: Jale Tosun | Email: jale.tosun@ipw.uni-heidelberg.de
Abstract
European water policies aim to promote tap water consumption among citizens. Our survey of 5815 German respondents investigates factors influencing tap water consumption in key out-of-home settings: workplace, recreational sports, hospitality and travel. Results show tap water is consumed most frequently in sports settings and least in hospitality, highlighting the importance of situational factors over price. Strong correlations between at home and out-of-home drinking water choices suggest stable preferences and habit effects. Policy interventions should focus on encouraging tap water consumption at home, offering carbonation options out-of-home, and shifting norms and industry discourse in hospitality settings.
Pages: 647–666
https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2024.2423742
Tanker trucks in Chile: from the normalization of an emergency to the commodification of water
Chloé Nicolas-Arteroa and Gustavo Blanco-Wellsb,c,d
aInstitut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR SENS, Montpellier, France; bCentro de Ciencia del Clima y la Resiliencia, Santiago, Chile; cInstituto de Historia y Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile; dCentro de Investigación en Dinámicas de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes, Valdivia, Chile
Contact: Chloé Nicolas-Artero | Emails: chloe.nicolas-artero@ird.fr; chloenicolasartero@gmail.com
Abstract
This article examines the institutionalization and normalization of one mode of water access – water tanker trucks – in rural communities in Chile. Our findings reveal four explanations for community acceptance of this socio-technical device: challenges in measuring nationwide tanker truck usage, the tanker truck as a symbol of state presence in marginalized areas, its integration into existing practices that do not challenge water policies and its combination with local strategies. The institutionalization and normalization of this ‘solution’ allows for the commodification of water and the continuation and deepening of inequalities in water access for domestic consumption.
Pages: 667–687
https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2024.2423734
Review Article
Water right society – a history review from Three-Valley of Hejin County, 1389–1947
Dajun Shena, Fei Fana and Tingting Zhangb
aSchool of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China; bInstitute of Ecological Civilization, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China
Contact: Tingting Zhang | Email: 20230223@zafu.edu.cn
Abstract
The study develops a water rights society framework for examining the influence of a water rights system on water-related activities and formation of society and applies it in Three-Valley. The water rights system in Three-Valley was developed on the spring–flood rule in 1389 and remained unchanged until 1947. It resulted in the establishment of a dual-canal system, formation of water reallocation rules, delineation of land development areas, and classification of village types. These caused cooperation and conflict between villagers and villages. These elements formed a water rights society comprising spring and flood classes, functioning through economic, political, and ideological mechanisms.
Pages: 606–624
https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2024.2431831
Viewpoint
Depoliticizing disasters: the need to break down water bureaucracy with the changing climate in South Asia
Anamika Baruaa, Protiva Adhikaryb and Sumit Vijc
aSchool of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India; bCentre for Disaster Management and Research, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India; cSociology of Development and Change Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Contact: Anamika Barua | Email: anamika.barua@gmail.com
Abstract
The 2024 floods in India and Bangladesh, triggered by heavy rainfall and upstream runoff, affected millions and displaced hundreds of thousands. This disaster exposed critical gaps in transboundary water management, especially in the areas of data sharing and early warning systems between the two countries. We argue for the urgent need to depoliticize disasters and prioritize improving cross-border data-sharing mechanisms, adopting a decentralized approach to flood forecasting. Moreover, interdisciplinary strategies that combine both hydrological and socio-political insights are essential to effectively manage the human impacts of such disasters, which are expected to worsen with climate change in South Asia.
Pages: 688–696
https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2024.2432576