The institutional design of river basin organizations – empirical findings from around the world

Author
Abstract
River basin organizations (RBOs) have become a key feature of international water resources governance, providing riparian states with multiple means for overcoming collective action problems that emerge due to the transboundary nature of resources. However, little is known about the RBOs themselves, especially with regard to their organizational structure as well as the mechanisms they actually employ for governing water resources. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the institutional design of all international RBOs by summarizing the empirical data available through the RBO Institutional Design Database in the context of the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database. It contributes to both water resources governance research, requiring institutional design data in order compare different RBOs or to comprehensively assess the contributions RBOs can make to better governing shared watercourses, as well as policy, facing the challenge of establishing new or reforming existing RBOs for more sustainable water resources governance in shared basins.
Year of Publication
2015
Journal
International Journal of River Basin Management
Volume
13
Start Page
51
Issue
1
Number of Pages
22
Date Published
10/2014
Type of Article
Research Paper
ISBN Number
1571-5124
URL
https://iahr.tandfonline.com/doi/ref/10.1080/15715124.2014.963862?scroll=top#.YAANWRZCfb1
DOI
10.1080/15715124.2014.963862