Analysis and evaluation of water governance in Iran based on the suggested principles of OECD

The category of water governance, as political, social and economic policies that oversee the management and exploitation of water resources, is a field that indirectly affects the methods of decision-making and implementation of programs; including "who", "at what level and when", "what action". In this research, based on scientific documents and semi-structured expert interviews, the category of water governance in Iran has been subjected to an abstract pathology and based on OECD principles, solutions to overcome the water gaps in Iran have been presented. According to the findings, Iran's current situation is not in line with good water governance and sustainable development. However, the understanding of the country's water managers in terms of "what" and "why" is acceptable, but there is a lack in understanding "how". In particular, more actions are subject to the taste of actors and less in line with the public good and long-term interests, and it is necessary to reform the water governance method in Iran based on referring to multi-level processes, attracting the participation of stakeholders and actors, eliminating conflict of interests and promoting transparency and justice. Finally, data measurement and analysis, continuous release of information and paying attention to the environment is recommended.