Between Emulation and Assemblage: Analysing WFD Policy Transfer Outcomes in Turkey

Turkey’s protracted European Union (EU) accession process has resulted in the transfer of environmental policy, primarily the water acquis. Despite a recent reversal in accession negotiations, this process is continuing and has thereby resulted in the active Europeanisation of Turkish water policy. However, the resultant pattern of Europeanisation remains poorly understood with questions arising as to whether policy transfer is leading to significant convergence with EU policy, or if a uniquely Turkish hybrid system of water governance is emerging. The paper therefore provides an analysis of transfer outcomes from the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), using eight core institutional features: identification of river basins; transboundary cooperation; environmental objectives setting; characterisation of river basins; monitoring; cost recovery and water pricing; river basin management planning; and public participation. While analysis of legal frameworks and their implementation shows many areas of emulation, some features of the WFD in Turkey are an amalgam of pre-existing water institutions, the mimetic influence of integrated water resources management (IWRM) norms, EU policy and changing national water policy priorities: what we call assembled emulation. This observation has implications for future studies on policy transfer, Europeanisation, IWRM and Turkish accession.

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The EU Water Framework Directive – a key to catchment-based governance

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2002.0154 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 45 (8) ◽

pp. 105-112 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Fritz Holzwarth

Keyword(s):

Water Framework Directive ◽

Water Policy ◽

Water Governance ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

River Basins ◽

Legal Framework ◽

Transboundary River Basins ◽

Decision Making Processes ◽

Water Quality And Quantity ◽

The Eu

The principles of good water governance require an effective water policy with a clear legal framework and institutional structure for managing river basins and aquifers. Integrated water resources management is essential and decision-making processes must be participatory and transparent. The development of the European Union's Water Framework Directive is outlined, and it is shown how it can serve as the basis of catchment-based governance for the successful management of water quality and quantity in transboundary river basins.

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Going with the flow: river basins as the natural units for water management?

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2008.210 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 10 (S2) ◽

pp. 121-138 ◽

Cited By ~ 93

Author(s):

Jeroen Warner ◽

Philippus Wester ◽

Alex Bolding

Keyword(s):

River Basin ◽

Water Policy ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

River Basins ◽

River Basin Management ◽

Basin Management ◽

Political Processes ◽

Political Units ◽

Multi Stakeholder ◽

Basin Boundaries

This article engages with the currently hegemonic status of a triad of water policy prescriptions: multi-stakeholder platforms, integrated water resources management, and river basin management. A more reflective approach that opens up the choices underlying these concepts, and their limits, is needed. The choice to manage water on the basis of river basins is a political choice, and thus river basins are as much political units as they are natural units. The article concludes that the delineation of river basin boundaries, the structuring of stakeholder representation, and the creation of institutional arrangements for river basin management are political processes that revolve around matters of choice, and hence require democratic debate.

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Good water governance and IWRM in Zambia: challenges and chances

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2011.155 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 845-862 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Thomas Uhlendahl ◽

Pritam Salian ◽

Claudia Casarotto ◽

Jakob Doetsch

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Resources Management ◽

Water Policy ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Water Governance ◽

Local Level ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

Water Sector ◽

Resources Management ◽

Hydropower Production

The implementation of principles for water governance is widely accepted but challenging for the whole water sector of a developing country like Zambia, because of the legal and administrative changes and organizational requirements involved. In February 2010, a revised water policy for Zambia was approved by the Cabinet. The revised National Water Policy 2010 aims to improve water resources management by establishing institutional coordination and by defining roles as well as responsibilities for various ministries. Taking into account the previous political and administration changes, this paper points out the problems and challenges of the implementation of good water governance mechanisms in Zambia. Focusing on the Kafue River Basin, from which water is abstracted for a variety of conflicting purposes (like municipal supplies, industrial use, mining, irrigation of agricultural land, fishery activities, wetland reserves and hydropower production), the gaps in implementing good water governance and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Zambia are identified, as well as the factors causing these gaps in the Zambian water sector. The paper finishes with a overview of the opportunities given by the new water policy through Water User Associations (WUAs) at a local level.

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Mutual Learning and Policy Transfer in Integrated Water Resources Management: A Research Agenda

Water ◽

10.3390/w12010072 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 72 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Oliver Fritsch ◽

David Benson

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Resources Management ◽

Water Governance ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

Policy Transfer ◽

Future Research ◽

The European Union ◽

Special Issue ◽

Resources Management ◽

Mutual Learning

Integrated water resources management (IWRM) has become a global paradigm for the governance of surface, coastal and groundwater. International bodies such as the European Union, the Global Water Partnership, and the United Nations have taken the lead to promote IWRM principles, while countries worldwide have undertaken reforms to implement these principles and to restructure their domestic or regional water governance arrangements. However, the international transfer of IWRM principles raises a number of theoretical, empirical and normative questions related to its causes, processes and outcomes. These questions will be explored in our Special Issue ‘Governing IWRM: Mutual Learning and Policy Transfer’. This editorial briefly introduces IWRM and links this governance paradigm to theoretical and empirical scholarship on policy transfer. We then summarise the aims and objectives of this Special Issue, provide an overview of the articles brought together here and offer avenues for future research.

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Monitoring Water Resources Governance Progress Globally: Experiences from Monitoring SDG Indicator 6.5.1 on Integrated Water Resources Management Implementation

Water ◽

10.3390/w10121744 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1744 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Maija Bertule ◽

Paul Glennie ◽

Peter Koefoed Bjørnsen ◽

Gareth James Lloyd ◽

Marianne Kjellen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Resources Management ◽

Sustainable Development Goals ◽

Water Governance ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Resources Management ◽

Environmental Objectives ◽

Governance Practices ◽

Development Goals

Improved water resources governance supports important social, economic, and environmental objectives. The 2030 Agenda recognizes improved water governance to be critical for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and commits to monitor the progress of implementation of integrated water resources management (IWRM). This paper critically reviews the approach to monitoring SDG indicator 6.5.1 on implementation of IWRM. Firstly, the paper places the indicator monitoring within the context of other initiatives to measure water governance. Secondly, it analyzes experiences of application of the SDG indicator 6.5.1 methodology to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the indicator and presents the key findings of the 2017/2018 global baseline assessment of IWRM implementation. Baseline reporting shows that degree of IWRM implementation globally is 49%, though country scores range from 10 to 100%. Disaggregating the data by country and by aspect of water resources governance provides a diagnostic tool to identify areas of high and low progress, and, therefore, where increased resources and attention are required. The article concludes by suggesting how the next iteration of SDG indicator 6.5.1 monitoring cycle can be made into a tool for advancing the IWRM implementation and improved governance practices on the ground. It also proposes how the methodology can be strengthened to address current limitations, including aspects relating to integrity, accountability and transparency.

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Water governance, resilience and global environmental change – a reassessment of integrated water resources management (IWRM)

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2007.530 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 56 (4) ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

V. Galaz

Keyword(s):

Environmental Change ◽

Water Policy ◽

Water Resource Management ◽

Water Governance ◽

Global Environmental Change ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

Policy Uncertainty ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Complex Behaviour ◽

Global Environmental

Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) is gaining increased acceptance among water policy makers and researchers as a way to create more effective governance institutions, leading towards integrated water development solutions for poverty alleviation, while addressing social, economic and environmental aspects of water challenges. However, global environmental change poses fundamental challenges to water policy makers as it implies vast scientific, and hence, policy uncertainty; its implications for international water governance initiatives remain unspecified, effectively hindering dialogue on how current IWRM initiatives should be modified. This paper addresses the lag between our growing understanding of resilient interconnected freshwater resources (and their governance) and the reforms being promoted by policy makers. In particular, there is a need to rethink some of IWRM's key components to better tackle the challenges posed by the complex behaviour of interconnected social-ecological systems and global environmental change.

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What do Environmental Flows Mean for Long-term Freshwater Ecosystems’ Protection? Assessment of the Mexican Water Reserves for the Environment Program

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13031240 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 1240

Author(s):

Sergio A. Salinas-Rodríguez ◽

Everardo Barba-Macías ◽

Dulce Infante Mata ◽

Mariana Zareth Nava-López ◽

Iris Neri-Flores ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Use ◽

Water Policy ◽

Environmental Flows ◽

Environmental Water ◽

River Basins ◽

Annual Runoff ◽

Freshwater Ecosystems ◽

Environmental Objectives ◽

Ecological Protection ◽

Mexican Government

Almost a decade ago, the Mexican government targeted to establish environmental water reserves (EWR)—a volume of water allocated for ecological protection based on the Environmental Flow Mexican Norm (eflows, NMX-AA-159-SCFI-2012, ratified in 2017)—in strategic low-pressured for water use and high conservation importance river basins throughout the country. To date, 12 EWRs have been declared for up to 50 years, which encompass 295 river basins and ~55% of the national mean annual runoff (MAR). In this article, we conducted a quality evaluation of the EWRs established. First, the EWR level was analyzed against the MAR and according to wider hydrological conditions. The EWR fulfillment was evaluated by comparing the volumes enacted against the theoretical (Norm implementation). Our findings revealed that independently of individual and regional water use and conservation merits context, ~75% of the EWRs met theoretical volumes at least at an acceptable level, of which medians ranged from 24% to 73% MAR (natural parametrization and A–D environmental objectives). These outcomes prove the usefulness and consistency of the Mexican strategic hierarchical approach for eflow assessments. We aim for them to be considered as the baseline for future on-site eflow implementation and environmental water policy assessments, to show the nationwide potential benefits for protecting free-flowing rivers and to encourage a regional escalation of the strategy.

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A review of the design and implementation of Ghana's National Water Policy (2007)

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2021.042 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Josephine Frimpong ◽

Ronald Adamtey ◽

Anders Branth Pedersen ◽

Esther Wahaga ◽

Anne Jensen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Resources ◽

Water Resources Management ◽

Water Policy ◽

Water Governance ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

Legal Framework ◽

Institutional Capacity ◽

Resources Management ◽

Governance Practices ◽

National Water

Abstract Access to water is a matter of daily survival for people around the world. Water is crucial for human survival and also central to the development of every nation. The recent literature on world water suggests that the water crisis being experienced is related to governance and not a real crisis of scarcity and stress. This paper aims at identifying water governance practices and the challenges associated with water governance in Ghana. The paper reviews the literature on the implementation of policy directives and actions with specific focus on water resources governance aspects of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Ghana. Ghana's National Water Policy is expected to turn the fortunes of the country around in terms of water resources management. Concerning water resources management, the policy advocates for an IWRM approach. Since its implementation, certain setbacks have been challenging the effectiveness of the policy, such as inadequate institutional capacity, inadequate funding, ineffective enforcement of existing regulations, inadequate legal framework, and lack of adequate data. The paper suggests, among other things, the building of both human and institutional capacity, and making the environment a government priority, as ways to contribute to the effective implementation of the National Water Policy.

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Promoting Federalism, IWRM, and Functional Approach to Water Governance under Ethiopian Water Laws

Mizan Law Review ◽

10.4314/mlr.v13i3.3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 384-418

Author(s):

Zbelo Haileslassie

Keyword(s):

River Basin ◽

Water Governance ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Integrated Water Resources Management ◽

River Basin Management ◽

Functional Approach ◽

Federal State ◽

State Structure ◽

The Government ◽

Key Terms

Integrated functional approach to water governance in a federal state structure can avoid vertical and horizontal conflicts. There are queries on how functional approach to water governance can be promoted in the context of federal state structure. Other concerns include linkages, the meditating factor demanding for reconciling competing water uses, integrated water resources management (IWRM) and integrated river basin management (IRBM). This article assesses the existing governance framework and its suitability to promote functional approach to water governance, reconciliations and policy options. There are inconsistencies in the Constitution, Federal water management laws, river basin high councils and authority’s laws, policies, strategies and the regulation that establishes and defines the powers and duties of the Ethiopian Basin Development Authority. Moreover, there are missing links and integrations, centralizing tendencies and failures to accommodate and harmonize pluralistic and diversified local practices. The water laws need to integrate both the bottom-up approach (by empowering the grassroots and bringing efficient, equitable, and sustainable use of water) and top-down form of governance (to harmonize the inter-local linkages among and within regional states). The inter-state basin governance needs reform and the over-centralized role of the government to designate water institutions should be controlled. Reconciliation is mandatory for better empowerment, cooperation and harmonization at all linkages, levels and types of inter-governmental relations. Key terms: Federalism, IWRM-IRBM, Functional approach, Water governance linkages, Reconciliation, Harmonization

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Towards sustainable management of Mediterranean river basins: policy recommendations on management aspects of temporary streams

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2013.158 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 15 (5) ◽

pp. 830-849 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Nikolaos P. Nikolaidis ◽

Leeda Demetropoulou ◽

Jochen Froebrich ◽

Claire Jacobs ◽

Francesc Gallart ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Water Policy ◽

Ecological Status ◽

River Basin Management ◽

Water Bodies ◽

Added Value ◽

Temporary Streams ◽

Temporary Rivers ◽

Environmental Objectives ◽

The Eu

In 2011, the European Council stressed the significance of water quality for sustainable development in Europe and emphasized the need for better integration of the water policy objectives into the Common Agriculture Policy reform in rural areas. Since 2000, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) has required the EU Member States to target good ecological status for their water bodies. However, the implementation of the Directive for the numerous Mediterranean temporary streams has been delayed indicating the need for elaboration of the tools and methods that address the special characteristics of such water bodies. This requirement has been addressed by the recently completed MIRAGE project. In the context of the recent publication of the European Commission's Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Waters, the MIRAGE-proposed framework for the characterization of the eco-hydrological dynamics and the systematic description of the measured impact for temporary rivers could bring considerable added value to the EU revision of all relevant water policies. The project recommends additions to WFD articles including an explicit definition of temporary rivers, adaptation of environmental objectives to their peculiarities and establishment of a proper method to determine the initial status and specific actions in River Basin Management Plans.

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