Natural Resources Governance

Natural Resources Governance

Analyzing Water Governance in Iran from the Perspective of Social Consequences of Inter-Basin Water Transfer

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mohammadali Kiani 1
Afsaneh Dehghanpour-Farashah 2
1 Department of Political Geography, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
2 Department of Cultural and Social Governance, Faculty of Governance, College of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
10.22059/jnrg.2026.410584.1090
Abstract
The unbalanced development and uneven distribution of water, soil, and population in Iran have resulted in significant temporal and spatial disparities between water availability and consumption. Under these circumstances, the imperative of ensuring a sustainable supply of drinking water, as a fundamental mandate of governance, has compelled policymakers to adopt various strategies, among which Inter-Basin Water Transfer (IBWT) stands out as a critical intervention. Despite its potential efficacy in alleviating water scarcity in arid regions, IBWT is not merely a technical solution; rather, it entails a complex array of social consequences that can exert profound and often deleterious impacts on both donor and recipient communities. This qualitative study aims to identify and explicate the social consequences of IBWT in Iran, with a specific focus on the Central Plateau. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 21 experts in the fields of water governance and hydropolitics, and subsequently analyzed using Thematic Analysis. Participants were selected via purposive sampling, and the data collection process continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. The findings yielded 6 main themes, 17 sub-themes, and 106 codes, highlighting a broad spectrum of adverse social consequences associated with IBWT projects. The primary themes that emerged from the analysis are: (1) erosion of social capital and public trust, (2) divergence and threats to national solidarity, (3) inequality and perceived discrimination, (4) demographic metamorphoses and settlement vulnerabilities, (5) politicization of water and instrumental exploitation, and (6) civilizational-biological decay and social health. The study concludes that while IBWT can serve as an instrument for fulfilling the state's mandate to supply drinking water, given its significant social ramifications, such policies should be regarded strictly as a measure of last resort, to be considered only after the exhaustive implementation of alternative strategies, including demand management, efficiency enhancement, and consumption pattern reform.
Keywords
Hydropolitics
Inter-Basin Water Transfer
Social Consequences
Water Governance
Water Transfer
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Natural Resources Governance
Volume 3, Issue 2
Spring 2026
Pages 78-96