Iran-Water Resources Research

Iran-Water Resources Research

Ethics-Based Water Governance Framework: Challenges and Reform Suggestions for Iran's Water Structure

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Faculty of Governance, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Professor, Faculty of Governance, Policy and Governance Laboratory, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
3 Department of Physical Geography, University of Tehran
Abstract
This study aims to examine the ethical challenges in water governance and structure in Iran by analyzing both international and national experiences through interviews with domestic experts. It also proposes reform measures and policy recommendations in this area. This research adopts a qualitative methodology with data collected through a review of library-based documents and interviews with 14 experts. The interviews were then analyzed using MAXQDA 2020 software. The process included transcription, summarization, coding, and ultimately and thematic analysis. Unlike many studies that focus on technical matters, this research explores the structural and institutional aspects of ethical concepts and water governance frameworks. The findings indicate that ethical challenges in water governance fall into socioeconomic, cultural,, environmental, and structural. In response to these challenges several policy proposals were presented. These include the preparation of a «National Water Report», the drafting of a «National Report on Institutional Conflicts of Interest in Water Governance», the establishment of a «Monitoring Body for Conflicts of Interest in the Water and Environmental Sectors», the formation of «Provincial Water Participation Councils», the creation of «Interdisciplinary Water Governance Committees», the launch of a «National Water Transparency Platform», the proposal for an «Institutional Redesign of Water Resources Based on Reverse Engineering of Successful Past Structures», and the promotion of «ethical and social values in water governance through public education programs». Practical attention to ethical principles in water governance is essential to minimizing challenges across various aspects of sustainable water development.
Keywords

Supplementary File

  • Receive Date 16 June 2025
  • Revise Date 23 August 2025
  • Accept Date 03 November 2025