Identifying evolving priorities in national river governance from Parliamentary Questions

dc.contributor.authorAzhoni, A.
dc.contributor.authorHolman, I.
dc.contributor.authorGrabowski, R.C.
dc.date.accessioned2026-02-04T12:27:43Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.description.abstractRivers and their surrounding land provide resources and services that result in trade-offs requiring legislative and institutional interventions, for which the perspectives of law-policymakers and their societal values and political expediencies play a major role in decision-making. This study critically evaluates the evolving land–river governance in large democratically elected governments with complex developmental priorities and how law-policymakers’ recognition of emerging issues of river management influences common pool environmental resources governance. We selected an emerging economy – India – and analysed Parliamentary Questions (PQs) between 1999 and 2020 using a mixed method approach. Conflicting priorities over economic development, pollution management, socio-cultural values and inter-state–centre issues shape the evolving priorities of land–river governance. A declining focus on large-scale dams coupled with increasing attention on inter-basin water transfers, river conservation and pollution abatement, demonstrates an evolution away from the earlier narrow view of rivers for irrigation and hydropower. Our analysis demonstrates how the priorities of law-policymakers and political expedience play a critical role in river governance and thereby provide important insights into common pool environmental resources governance for sustainable development while also identifying important knowledge gaps and suggesting scopes for interdisciplinary studies. © 2022 The Authors.
dc.identifier.citationWater Policy, 2022, 24, 9, pp. 1414-1433
dc.identifier.issn13667017
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2022.125
dc.identifier.urihttps://idr.nitk.ac.in/handle/123456789/22412
dc.publisherIWA Publishing
dc.subjectLaw-policymakers
dc.subjectLegislative approach
dc.subjectParliament
dc.subjectPollution management
dc.subjectRiver-environmental governance
dc.subjectSustainable development
dc.titleIdentifying evolving priorities in national river governance from Parliamentary Questions

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