Title: Participatory decision-making process of water resources management: the arid and semi-arid region of the Iranian plateau

Authors: Shahla Choobchian; Elham Akbari; Fatemeh Sheidaei; Mohammad Sadegh Allahyari; Enayat Abbasi; Tarek Ben Hassan

Addresses: Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, 1497713111, Iran ' Faculty of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, 1411713116, Iran ' Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehran, 1497713111, Iran ' Department of Agricultural Management, Ra. C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, 41476-54919, Iran; Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, North-West University, Private Bag X2046, Internal Box 575, Mmabatho 2735, Mmabatho, South Africa ' Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, 1497713111, Iran ' Department of International Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar

Abstract: Effective water governance requires building strong ties between and within institutions and communities horizontally, i.e., between organisations, cities, and rural communities, and vertically, i.e., from the urban to international levels. We aim to allow stakeholders to express their opinions by promoting participation in decision-making and water management. The participation of stakeholders is a prerequisite of all sustainable water resources management systems. In this regard, a new interpretation of the participation of the government and the public in water management is required, which needs fundamental revisions in the decision structure of institutions in charge of decisions for water resources and the redefinition of roles, authorities, and responsibilities. To implement a practical participatory approach, we must understand what tools and methods can help design and speed up the decision process. The current inquiry aims to explain the factors that influence the participatory decision process and use them to propose a model for identifying the relationships of all relevant stakeholders for their participation in decisions on water resources management in the agricultural sector.

Keywords: water governance; sustainable water resources management; decision structure; participatory approach; agriculture; Iran.

DOI: 10.1504/IJW.2025.151231

International Journal of Water, 2025 Vol.17 No.2, pp.113 - 152

Received: 07 Jan 2024
Accepted: 22 Dec 2024
Published online: 19 Jan 2026 *

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