Advancing circular water transitions in the WEFE nexus with the Ostrom's institutional analysis and development framework

Date

2026-03-01

Author

Demir, Ece
Alp, Emre

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Fragmented governance can exacerbate stakeholder conflicts and resource inefficiencies, necessitating integrated approaches in water management. The implementation of the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) nexus could strengthen cross-sectoral integration and optimize resource efficiency, while supporting the adoption of circular economy principles. This study proposes a comprehensive framework that incorporates technical and social dimensions to promote circular water economy practices, foster cross-sector collaboration, and advance sustainable resource management within the WEFE nexus in a semi-arid setting (Porsuk Watershed, Türkiye). Ostrom's Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework was adapted to support water circularity and integrated resource governance across the WEFE nexus at the watershed scale. This framework reflects the watershed's socio-institutional realities and integrates sectoral technical analysis across the agricultural, urban, and industrial sectors with three social system analysis tools:i)water value chain analysis,ii)stakeholder analysis, andiii)social network analysis. By assessing policy outcomes at the national, watershed, and provincial levels, this study underscores the promise of watershed-scale initiatives in advancing integrated governance. Findings indicate that the lack of inter-provincial coordination prevents the development of “win-win” solutions and reinforces inefficiencies in watershed management. These challenges are further compounded by institutional constraints, including centralized governance structures, cross-sectoral fragmentation, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and cost burdens. Hence, watershed-scale policy interventions often lead to only partial adoption, with implementation highly reliant on external incentives. Overcoming these barriers will require strengthening institutional coordination, clarifying stakeholder responsibilities, enhancing information exchange, and fostering cross-sector collaboration in water governance. This integrated approach supports decision-makers by providing actionable insights to foster collaboration, integrate local knowledge into governance processes, raise stakeholder awareness, strengthen regulatory mechanisms, and recognize the economic and ecological value of water.

URI

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652626005172?dgcid=author
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/118880

Collections

Department of Environmental Engineering, Article