Analysis of Urban Water Governance Network in Tehran (Metropolis: Districts 4, 10, and 22)

Articles in Press

Document Type : The article extracted from the thesis or dissertation

Authors

1 Department of Arid and Mountainous Regions Reclamation, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

2 Social Business Institute, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jrd.2026.407300.668966

Abstract

The water crisis in Tehran represents a multifaceted challenge rooted in governance deficiencies, underscoring the need for a transition toward networked and participatory models to enhance urban resilience. This study undertakes a comparative quantitative analysis of urban water governance networks in districts 4, 10, and 22, employing social network analysis to evaluate collaborative ties among 24 key organizations and stakeholders. Findings reveal that the prevailing governance regime across all three districts is fragmented. The networks exhibit low to medium density (28.6%–46.4%) and moderate concentration of power, lacking the cohesion and coordination required for integrated crisis response. Such structural weaknesses undermine organizational resilience and limit adaptive capacity. At the micro level, municipal bodies, the Water and Wastewater Company (Abfa), and crisis management agencies form the network’s core, occupying central positions and bridging structural holes. Their brokerage role is vital for information transfer and coordination. However, low reciprocity of ties (33.3% in District 4) highlights the dominance of one-way communication and weak mutual trust, further constraining collaborative effectiveness. Overall, the fragmented structure diminishes the socio-hydrological system’s ability to adapt to change. To enable a successful transition toward effective polycentric governance, strengthening the brokerage role of core actors is essential. Enhancing network density and reciprocity, while connecting isolated nodes such as universities, can foster greater cohesion and trust. These measures would improve the system’s collective capacity to respond to crises and adapt to long-term environmental challenges, thereby advancing urban resilience in Tehran and offering lessons for other megacities facing similar governance deficits worldwide.

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The Journal of Community Development (Rural-Urban)

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 09 April 2026

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