Reflexive Water Management in Arid Regions: The Case of Iran

Abstract

To illuminate the problems and perspectives of water management in Iran and comparable (semi-) arid Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, three paradigms can be distinguished: the traditional, the industrial and the reflexive paradigm. Each paradigm is characterised by its key technical system, its main social institution and its ethico-religious framework. Iran seems to be in a state of transition from the 'hydraulic mission' of industrial modernity to a more reflexive approach to water management. This article sketches the contours of the emerging paradigm: a complementary system of traditional and modern methods of water provision, a participatory water resources management and a 'post-mechanistic' ethico-religious framework.

Qur’anic Ethics for Environmental Responsibility: Implications for Business Practice

“…greenhouse gas emissions, unbridled ecological devaluation, water scarcity, air/water pollution, land degradation, soil depletion, biodiversity loss, an eroded ozone layer, etc. ), threatening not only property and commercial interests, but also life on Earth (Balali et al, 2009;Beck, 1992Beck, , 1999Farman, 1990;Pretty, 1990;Schneider, 1990;Stern, 2006;Wilkinson and Woodin, 1990). One conclusion to draw from this fact is that such corporate environmental approaches have been less sufficient in changing attitudes that constitute the environmentally damaging consequences of society.…”

Traditional irrigation techniques in MENA with focus on Tunisia

“…This also includes capacity building for collective learning and decision making. Balali et al (2009) note that such water user associations are emerging in many Muslim countries. They further hypothesize that awareness campaigns based on religious principles could be a useful counterbalance to the mechanistic worldview underlying industrial modernity that lead to the undervaluation of and resulting waste of water.…”

“…However, due to the growing population and urbanization in the region, a return to the past is not possible and a new form of integrated water management is necessary to include both traditional and modern ways of water extraction that provide a sustainable future for a growing population. Balali et al (2009) argue that, for Iran and the rehabilitation of qanats, the concept of multi-stakeholder platforms (MSP) (Warner 2007) could be a viable new social context for water management. Multiple stakeholders with different interests and needs regarding the water are to organize and arrange water use and conservation issues through cooperation.…”

“…The third paradigm has brought about a reflexive or second modernity since the 1960s and 1970s in the European and northern countries (the North). According to Balali et al (2009), the paradigm of reflexive modernity can be characterized (1) by the integration of traditional (indigenous, small-scale) and modern (scientific, large-scale) technological infrastructure, (2) by participatory water resources management in the form of multi-stakeholder platforms or water user associations, and (3) by its recognition of the diversity of cultural values of water. The reflexive modernity can be seen as fused with the environmental or ecological movement.…”

“…Traditional water management systems are essentially socio-technical systems that can only operate within their proper social context (e.g. Balali et al 2009, Wessels 2012. Thus, restoration of these systems is only possible with the renewal or retro-transformation of the socio-economic structure.…”