Collective Stewardship of Historic Waterways: Sustaining Alpine Irrigation in Switzerland

This paper reviews traditional and modern irrigation systems and their role in promoting sustainable agriculture and resource management across diverse geographical contexts, including dryland areas, montane regions, and mountainous environments such as the Swiss Alps and the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalaya. Through an interdisciplinary synthesis of empirical studies, institutional analyses, and game-theoretic approaches, the study explores governance mechanisms, collective action, and socio-economic impacts of irrigation practices. Special emphasis is placed on indigenous management systems, institutional resource regimes, and cooperative behavior in managing common-pool resources. The paper also discusses challenges related to water allocation, social dilemmas, and modernization pressures. Findings highlight the importance of community involvement, adaptive institutional frameworks, and ecological considerations for maintaining irrigation infrastructure and achieving agricultural sustainability.