Identifying Key Drivers of Watershed Governance within the Hydropolitical Context of the Harirud River

Document Type : Applied Article

Authors

• Ehsan Tamassoki ¹
• Sajid Bahrami Jaf, ²
• Javad Momeni Damaneh ³
• Seyed Mohammad Tajbakhsh Fakhrabadi ⁴

¹ Ph.D. of Watershed Management Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Hormozgan, I. R. Iran.

² Postdoctoral Researcher in Political Geography, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran

³ Former Ph.D. Student, Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran

⁴ Associate Professor, Department, of Watershed Management, Natural Resources Faculty, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran

10.22067/jwsd.v12i2.2506-1431

Abstract

Water, a vital element for socio-spatial sustainability, has emerged as a central issue in geopolitics in recent decades due to factors such as climate change, population growth, and economic development. This applied research, employing a descriptive-analytical approach, investigates the primary drivers influencing the transformation of watershed governance systems within the hydropolitical context of the transboundary Harirud River. The main objective of this study is to identify and analyze the key drivers shaping the future of hydropolitical relations in this watershed. The findings reveal four primary drivers: a focus on socio-economic issues aligned with the hydropolitical objectives of water resources, an emphasis on local water governance, coordinated management of  transboundary watersheds, and the utilization of indigenous knowledge, rainwater harvesting, and flood management. These drivers, identified by experts, are the most critical factors influencing hydropolitical relations in the Harirud watershed. The results underscore the necessity of a comprehensive and integrated approach to watershed governance that encompasses social, institutional, international, and technical dimensions. The findings highlight the critical importance of these drivers in ensuring regional water sustainability and security, mitigating potential conflicts, and facilitating transboundary cooperation for the optimal and sustainable management of shared water resources in the Harirud watershed.

Keywords

• Key Drivers
• Water Resources Management
• Futures Studies
• Transboundary Cooperation
• Afghanistan

Main Subjects

• Water Management and Economy