Assessment of social learning capacity of water institution in the Tashk-Bakhtegan basin

Adopting a social learning framework, this study aims to assess the water institution (both formal and informal) in the Tashk-Bakhtegan basin. The social learning loops, orientation and direction features were adopted to assess the formal institution. To assess the informal institution, the drought of 2008 was considered as the change affected the system. The responses of informal water institution to that change were then assessed. For formal institutions, the results showed that the water laws in the local level have put pressure on the local water resources. This structure relies on the national authorities and has low level of learning capacity. In the informal sector, the components of social learning process were generally found low in the upstream, but at much better levels in the downstream. The assessment of social learning outputs components showed that the downstream sub-regions were at a higher level of social learning capacity comparing with the upstream (double and triple loops of learning are active), and the responses were oriented towards better conservation of water resources. Furthermore, the width of those responses went beyond individual levels to collective and participating levels. For the water institution of the Tashk-Bakhtegan basin, this paper suggests that implied mechanisms of water laws needs to be modified, national and centralized governance requires to be transformed to participatory and cooperative structures, private and public institutions need to be initiated, and finally the components of social learning process, that were found at a low level, require to be improved.