Water Governance: A Review of Concepts, Challenges, Tools and Institutional Measures

Water¡ as a natural resource is essential to form regional landscapes and very crucial for optimal functioning of ecosystems and human life. Now¡ this vital resource is under increasing pressure. Changes in the hydrological regime due to climate¡ demographic and economic factors have brought serious consequences for people and the environment. The importance of water governance in determining the ability of a country to meet the challenges of future climate has been emphasized in Water recent international congresses and published sources. In fact¡ many of them in this time properly announced that the global water crisis¡ is the crisis of governance not a crisis of scarcity. By examining resources and studies on water resource management in Iran could be confirmed that the concept of governance in general and specifically water governance¡ is as a discussion topic that many aspects of it still has not been explained properly¡ and missing a lot of discussions in world literature studies in the field of water in Iran is felt. Enjoying the water world literature¡ this article attempts to review concepts¡ challenges¡ tools and institutional arrangements related to this topic.