WATERSHED PLURALISM
- FIDEP Foundation ER Paper
- Apr 18
- 1 min read
A Global South–Centred Perspective on Formal Water Governance Regimes
Advocacy Brief
April, 2026
By FIDEP Climate Change Team
Water governance across the Global South rarely follows a single system. State laws operate alongside customary authorities, community norms, and informal practices that shape how water is accessed, shared, and protected. These overlapping systems are often treated as governance gaps, yet they reflect a plural reality that can improve legitimacy and outcomes when properly engaged.
Watershed pluralism offers a framework for aligning formal institutions with customary governance at the scale where water actually flows. Evidence shows that formal systems alone often struggle with enforcement. In Sub-Saharan Africa, large segments of the population still rely on informal or community-based systems for water access and management.
This brief outlines practical pathways for policymakers, donors, and private actors to support hybrid governance models. Such approaches can strengthen water security, reduce conflict, and improve resilience.
The current global policy cycle, including preparations for the United Nations Water Conference 2026, provides a timely opportunity to advance this agenda.
Key Policy Recommendations
a. Institutionalize co-production mechanisms that integrate local and indigenous knowledge systems for contextual accuracy and legitimacy.
b. Prioritize flexible financing models that support the gradual development, adaptation, and stabilization of governance institutions.
c. Partner with customary institutions as co-equal actors within national water governance frameworks.
d. Establish polycentric and inclusive basin governance and strengthen watershed-scale ecological realities, multi-stakeholder platforms with real convening authority to coordinate across sectors
Download the full brief here
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