The Isfahan Water Crisis, Zayandeh Rud River Basin: Sustainable Governance in Central Iranian Plateau
Keywords:
societal challenges, water resources, governance, environmental and sustainable progressAbstract
Water is a social element that is essential to the existence of human communities, not just a pure chemical or molecule. This issue is critical for Iran, a nation situated in a largely dry and semi-arid region. With only 5.2% of the globe's total freshwater resources, Iran encounters serious challenges concerning water scarcity. Scholars such as Witfogel and Marx have suitably articulated the "tyranny of water" concept. This study uses a secondary research methodology, applying qualitative content analysis to methodically examine 211 online works, news stories, and publications produced between 2001 and 2023. It delineates the principal themes that characterize the water issue as a social concern, referencing definitions by Earl R. Rabington and Martin Weinberg. Sustainable development necessitates a cohesive strategy for governance and administration, utilizing historical, natural, and regional infrastructures while safeguarding the environment. In this context, analyzing water as a social issue allows us to formulate a novel idea and definition of social concerns, informed by Ulrich Beck's viewpoints in risk society theory. This notion rekindles our optimism that cities in the Central Plateau, including Isfahan and Yazd, are water-sensitive urban areas necessitating water-sensitive strategies for effectively managing water supply and demand focused on efficiency.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Hadi Zamani (Author); Mohammad Reza Hosseini
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