This study aims to identify the key governance and management challenges in the NekaRud River Basin and the eastern plains of Mazandaran and to propose corrective strategies for enhancing water sustainability in the region. The research employs both desk-based and field-based methods, including semi-structured interviews with 30 stakeholders and questionnaires distributed among 180 respondents. The results indicate that, from the stakeholders' perspective, the most pressing issue is the depletion of water resources, particularly the overextraction of groundwater. In addition, limited knowledge and awareness regarding agricultural water management have emerged as a major social factor contributing to the unsustainable use of water. The observed divergence between experts and local communities in prioritizing these challenges highlights the need to integrate diverse perspectives in water-related decision-making and planning. The findings suggest that improving water governance requires a multidimensional approach that simultaneously addresses social, technical, and institutional factors. Moreover, persistent conflicts of interest among stakeholders, the lack of strong political will, and the continuation of a development-driven water management paradigm constitute serious barriers to effective governance in the region. A transition toward strategic basin-level planning, centered on integrated water resources management and active stakeholder participation, is recommended. In addition, strengthening participatory mechanisms to enhance policy legitimacy, revisiting energy subsidy policies that encourage overexploitation, and adopting modern irrigation technologies are proposed as practical strategies for improving water sector performance. These findings offer actionable insights for policymakers aiming to design institutional and technical interventions tailored to similar regions facing critical water governance challenges.