Analysis of Water Governance in Zayandeh-Rud River Basin Using the Grounded Theory Method; a Case Study of Isfahan Province

Subject Areas :

Esmaeel Zakeri Mahabadi ¹ , Mohammad Reza Yazdani Zazerani ^{2 *} , Hannaneh Mohammadi Kangarani ³

1 - Department of Political Science, Isfahan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
2 - Department of Political Science, Isfahan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Ira
3 - Department of Political Science, Isfahan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

Received: 2024-11-10 Accepted : 2024-12-20 Published : 2025-09-07

Keywords: Policy Making, Zayandeh-Rud River Basin, Water Governance, Grounded Theory,

Abstract :

Water scarcity and its impact on other socio-environmental aspects has become an undeniable issue which emphasizes the need to water resources management. One of the basins that have been se-verely affected by water governance issues is Zayandeh-Rud River Basin and Isfahan Province. The present study has been conducted as a qualitative study, with emphasis on the concept of govern-ance and with the aim of identifying the causes and dimensions of the crisis in the Basin and in Isfa-han province. To achieve this, the grounded theory method has been used in data analysis. Accord-ingly, have been interviewed in order to reach the theoretical saturation stage, 74 activists and stakeholders of this basin in 12 townships of Isfahan province (located in Upstream to the down-stream of Zayandeh-Rud). Participants in this study are a diverse range of actors, including mem-bers of parliament, judicial officials, executive directors, security-law enforcement officials, reli-gious-scientific figures, farmers, environmental and agricultural and natural resources experts, con-sultants, contractors and craftsmen. With open coding, 56 basic concepts have been identified and from these concepts, obtained 11 main categories which are mismanagement, increase of harvest, legal conditions, living conditions, trans-basin stations, technical view dominance, climate change, cyberspace, cultural factors, dominance Security look, strategies. Data analysis showed that from the perspective of research participants, due to shortcomings and weaknesses in governance, the policies pursued in this basin, lacked the necessary efficiency. And this inefficiency has led to a reduction in the legitimacy of the adoption and implementation of government policies, as the larg-est and most powerful actor in the Zayandeh-Rud River basin.

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