Collaboration and integrated water resources management: A literature review

Abstract

Collaboration has been widely recognized as a critical driver for the achievement of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) outcomes; aiming at safeguarding economic, social, and environmental interests within a basin. This paper reviews research on collaboration and its relationship with IWRM. It focuses on the following aspects: (a) when collaboration is needed; (b) frameworks of collaboration; (c) benefits and costs; (d) stakeholder engagement and collaboration; and (e) stakeholder engagement mechanisms for an IWRM. This research reinforces that collaboration has been recognized internationally by multiple agencies and authors as a critical element for IWRM. However, most of the research on collaboration has been focused more on qualitative rather than quantitative aspects, with a special emphasis on benefits over costs. Therefore, future research can further analyze the costs and benefits under a quantitative perspective, in order to evaluate and understand the impact of a collaborative process and support decisions about to what extent collaboration should be undertaken.