A study of the legal system governing water resources in Iran

The law system of water, which in the past was based on customary rules based on private ownership and management of water resources, with its mechanized and uncontrolled exploitation during the last hundred years, has given way to the centralized system of ownership and management of the public sector. Relentless competition from exploiters has been effective but has not led to a reduction in consumption and the rescue of groundwater aquifers. Therefore, the study of the legal system governing water resources in terms of principles, structure, functions and its effects following a review of the relevant laws and regulations in a descriptive-analytical manner and using documentary study tools can lead to pathology of legal governance of water resources. And then, by strengthening the principles and general structure of water legal governance and resolving conflicts of laws, help solutions to improve the legal system governing water and, consequently, the optimal use of this vital resource.Keywords: water ownership, ownership, public