Assessment of the Ecosystem Balance of Integrated Water and Food Governance using an Adaptive Actor-Oriented Approach

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 MSc Student of Water Resources Engineering, Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Aburaihan Campus, University of Tehran, Iran

2 Professor, Department of Irrigation Engineering, Aburaihan Campus, University of Tehra, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Department of Irrigation Engineering, Aburaihan Campus, University of Tehran, Iran

4 Associate Professor, Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Genetics and breeding of vegetables, Iran Aburaihan Campus, University of Tehran, Iran

5 PhD, Newcastle Research teammate for Sustainability Research, Iran

Abstract

The shortcomings of unitary governance have increased the need to refer to integrated governance of food and water to achieve sustainable development. In this research, an approach has been developed that evaluates the governance of food and water comprehensively and through the use of the principles of sustainable governance. The failures in the Minab watershed and the lack of a practical framework for assessing and analyzing comprehensive food and water governance have made this research necessary. The principles of sustainable governance of water and food were developed using research on sustainable governance and sustainable development goals. Accordingly, in the present study, a total of 12 principles and 69 indicators were developed for the ecosystem-balance in food and water governance. The research data were obtained through a face-to-face questionnaire and face-to-face interviews with 40 actors influencing food and water governance. The results showed that 2.89% of the indicators had a favorable status and 97.11% had a poor status. The score for the ecosystem-balance in food and water governance is 2.56 out of 5 and with regard to score 3 as a desirable situation, which points to the failures in the current structure of food and water governance. The current research highlights the challenges of integrated governance of water and food, such as effective stakeholder engagement and for the ecosystem-balance, and contributes to their sustainability. According to the approach presented, the governance structure in arid and dry regions that are highly dependent on agriculture and groundwater can be evaluated in terms of actors and adaptability.

Keywords

References

[1]. Béné, C. and A.E. Neiland, From participation to governance. A critical review of governance, co-management and participation in natural resources management. Policy, Economics and Social Science Discussion Paper Series, 2006. 74.
[2].  Rogers, P. and A.W. Hall, Effective water governance. Vol. 7. 2003: Global water partnership Stockholm.
[3].  Reutlinger, S., Poverty and Hunger: Issues and Options for Food Security in Developing Countries. A World Bank Policy Study. 1986: ERIC.
[4].  Reina-Usuga, L., T. de Haro-Giménez, and C. Parra-López, Food governance in Territorial Short Food Supply Chains: Different narratives and strategies from Colombia and Spain. Journal of Rural Studies, 2020.
[5].  Rousseau, M., A. Boyet, and T. Harroud, Politicizing African urban food systems: The contradiction of food governance in Rabat and Casablanca, Morocco. Cities, 2020. 97: p. 102528.
[6].  Fones-Sundell, M. and D. Saywell. Reporting back on Establishing water and food equity. in World Water Week in Stockholm. August 27-31 2012. 2012. Stockholm International Water Institute.
[7].  Sadeghi, S.H., et al., Application of water-energy-food nexus approach for designating optimal agricultural management pattern at a watershed scale. Agricultural Water Management, 2020. 233: p. 106071.
[8].  UNDP., Governance for sustainable human development. 1997: UNDP.
[9].  Pahl-Wostl, C., A conceptual framework for analysing adaptive capacity and multi-level learning processes in resource governance regimes. Global environmental change, 2009. 19(3): p. 354-365.
[10].            Pahl-Wostl, C., et al., From applying panaceas to mastering complexity: toward adaptive water governance in river basins. Environmental Science & Policy, 2012. 23: p. 24-34.
[11].            Pahl-Wostl, C., Water governance in the face of global change. Springer International Publishing: Switzerland. doi, 2015. 10: p. 978-3.
[12].            Wiek, A. and K.L. Larson, Water, people, and sustainability—a systems framework for analyzing and assessing water governance regimes. Water Resources Management, 2012. 26(11): p. 3153-3171.
[13].            Assembly, G., sustainable Development goals. SDGs), Transforming our world: the, 2015. 2030.
[14].            De Boer, C., et al., Water governance, policy and knowledge transfer: International studies on contextual water management. 2013: Routledge.
[15].            Lautze, J., Key concepts in water resource management: a review and critical evaluation. 2014: Routledge.
[16].            Kharanag, S.G., M.E. Banihabib, and S. Javadi, Challenges and solutions for the Groundwater Governance in Yazd-Ardakan Plain using DPSIR. Ecohydrology, 2019. 6(4): p. [Persian].
[17].            Sharifi Moghadam, E., et al., Water-energy-food nexus as a new approach for watershed resources management: a review. Environmental Resources Research, 2019. 7(2): p. 129-135.
[18].            Census of Population and Housing of Iran Statistics Center. persian. 2016. 28(3): p. 353-367.
[19].            Jozi, s.a., l. hosseini, and a. dehghani, Study of Environmental Impact of Minab Esteghlal Dam in Operation Phase Using a Combination of Modified and ICOLD Methods. 2016. 18: p. 129-141.
 
[20].            Jafar, Z. and H. Atai, Investigating the Impact of Climate Change and Droughts on Minaban Plains in the Last Two Decades on Earth Fractures. 13th Conference on Modern Research in Science and Technology, 2019(Sky Scientists): p. Electronic.
[21].            Hargrove, R., Introduction to masterful coaching. 2002, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.
[22].            Gibson, R.B., Sustainability assessment: basic components of a practical approach. Impact assessment and project appraisal, 2006. 24(3): p. 170-182.
[23].            Maas, A., Water, Governance and Sustainability: A Case Study of Water Allocation in Whiteman's Creek, Ontario. 2011, University of Waterloo.
[24].            Kuzdas, C., et al., Sustainability appraisal of water governance regimes: the case of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Environmental management, 2014. 54(2): p. 205-222.
[25].            Cohen, B.E., Community food security assessment toolkit. 2002: US Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service Washington, DC.
[26].            Parry, M., et al., Climate change and world food security: a new assessment. Global environmental change, 1999. 9: p. S51-S67.
[27].            Perez-Escamilla, R., et al., Food security measurement and governance: Assessment of the usefulness of diverse food insecurity indicators for policy makers. Global Food Security, 2017. 14: p. 96-104.
[28].            Badami, M.G. and N. Ramankutty, Urban agriculture and food security: A critique based on an assessment of urban land constraints. Global Food Security, 2015. 4: p. 8-15.
[29].            Moragues-Faus, A., R. Sonnino, and T. Marsden, Exploring European food system vulnerabilities: Towards integrated food security governance. Environmental Science & Policy, 2017. 75: p. 184-215.
[30].            Graham, J., T.W. Plumptre, and B. Amos, Principles for good governance in the 21st century. 2003: Institute on governance Ottawa.
[31].            Agrawal, A., The role of local institutions in adaptation to climate change. 2008, World Bank.
[32].            Falkenmark, M. and C. Widstrand, Population and water resources: a delicate balance. Population bulletin, 1992. 47(3): p. 1.
[33].            Jamour, R., M. Eilbeigy, and M. Morsali, Assessment of the Land Subsidence Crisis and the Advent of Salt Water in the Minab Plain Aquifer. 2019 [Persian] .
[34].            Sadeghi, S.h.r., et al., Experiences and Consequences of Transboundary Water Transmission in the World. 2016. 12(2): p. [Persian].
[35].            Tambaki, T., Land subsidence in the plain of Minab and its relation to the decline of groundwater level. Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas Branch, 2016. 6(4): p. [Persian].
[36].            Saravani, s. and m. tajrishi, Evaluation of Water Governance in Urmia Lake Basin and its Impacts on Basin Water Resources Status in Adaptive Management. 2018. 9(2): p. [Persian].
[37].            masahebi, h. and m. dadgar, Investigating the Challenges of Managing Water and Soil Resources in Minab and Providing a new solution to improve the existing situation. Genome Announc., 2019. 2(2): p.[persian[
[38].            Tahmasebi, M.R.N. and M. Chitsazan, Investigation of Causes of Surface Water Contamination in Minab Esteghlal Dam Basin. 2010. 8(1): p. [Persian].
[39].            Porter, J.R., et al., Food security and food production systems. 2017.
[40].            Kuzdas, C., et al., Sustainability assessment of water governance alternatives: the case of Guanacaste Costa Rica. Sustainability Science, 2016. 11(2): p. 231-247.
[41].            Paniagua, F. and G. Stocks, Conflict in Sardinal: The case of Costa Rica’s first public-private partnership for water infrastructure development. Bob Graham Center for Public Service, University of Florida, 2008.
[42].            Giordano, M., Global groundwater? Issues and solutions. Annual review of Environment and Resources, 2009. 34: p. 153-178.
[43].            Ballestero, M., V. Reyes, and Y. Astorga, Groundwater in Central America: its importance, development and use, with particular reference to its role in irrigated agriculture. Giordano, M. & Villholth, KG, The agricultural groundwater revolution. Opportunities and threads to development. International water Management Institute (IWMI), Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2007: p. 100-128.
Iranian journal of Ecohydrology
Volume 7, Issue 2
July 2020
Pages 359-371

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 06 December 2019
  • Revise Date: 15 March 2020
  • Accept Date: 15 March 2020
  • First Publish Date: 21 June 2020
  • Publish Date: 21 June 2020

Share

How to cite

Statistics