Agricultural Water Governance and Policy-Making Model: An Approach Towards Sustainable Development

Sustainable water resource management, aimed at optimal resource utilization and ensuring food security, is considered a fundamental challenge in the agricultural sector. This study seeks to develop a conceptual model for managing agricultural water supply and demand by analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) within the study area. Spatial analysis of internal and external factors was conducted using the SWOT model and a multi-criteria decision-making approach. To prioritize strategies, a combination of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the fuzzy TOPSIS method was employed. The required data were collected through the purposive distribution of 30 questionnaires among selected managers, experts, and stakeholders. The results revealed that the final scores for internal and external factors were 2.9 and 2.73, respectively. Accordingly, aggressive (SO) strategies and a combination of structural and non-structural strategies (SO, ST, and WO) were identified as top priorities. The most significant recommended strategies include the development and improvement of the physical structure of the water system, enhancement of operation and maintenance management, environmental management, and the use of internal water resources. Furthermore, it was determined that the annual water consumption of irrigated lands in the region amounts to approximately 1.8 billion cubic meters, 95% of which is supplied from surface water sources. The findings offer effective solutions for implementing sustainable water resource management on larger scales.