skip to Main Content

Integrated and Participatory Analysis of Water Governance Regimes: The Case of the Costa Rican Dry Tropics

Kuzdas, Christopher, Arnim Wiek, Benjamin Warner, Raffaele Vignola, Ricardo Morataya. 2015. Integrated and Participatory Analysis of Water Governance Regimes: The Case of the Costa Rican Dry Tropics. World Development, 66: 254–268.

Abstract

We present a comprehensive analysis of water governance in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Methods included interviews, workshops, and participatory processes. The study zooms in on water-related rules and regulations, people’s actions, and the physical water system that people depend on. The results indicate complex governance problems and provide focal points for sustainable governance efforts. Focal points include: respecting scarcity and the limits of groundwater availability; building broad governance capacity; reconciling disenfranchised rural groups; and supporting creative local leadership. The study asserts the need for combining critical governance analysis with transformational and solution-oriented research in support of sustainable water governance efforts.

You might like these publication categories

Recent publications

Just Transitions: Promise and Contestation

Just transition prompts us to explore a number of important dimensions of Earth System Governance research, including sustainability transformations, inequality,…

Climate-smart socially innovative tools and approaches for marine pollution science in support of sustainable development

There is a complex interaction between pollution, climate change, the environment and people. This complex interplay of actions and impacts…