Pathways to resilient agricultural water management through contrasting governance systems in California and South Korea

Agricultural water systems are increasingly exposed to climate-driven extremes, aging infrastructure, and intensifying cross-sectoral competition, requiring a transition toward more adaptive and resilient management. Here, we present a comparative analysis of agricultural water management pathways in California, USA, and South Korea-two regions facing similar hydroclimatic pressures but operating under contrasting governance systems. We show that California prioritizes decentralized, data-driven, and adaptive management, whereas South Korea emphasizes centralized coordination, infrastructure-based solutions, and national-scale planning. Despite these differences, both regions exhibit converging systemic challenges, including increasing vulnerability to droughts, floods, and heatwaves, inefficiencies in conventional water use, labor constraints, and growing trade-offs between agricultural production and ecosystem sustainability. Building on these findings, we identify four key pathways for advancing sustainable agricultural water management: (1) enhancing water supply resilience through diversification and optimized storage, (2) improving water-use efficiency via digital technologies and advanced irrigation systems, (3) integrating ecosystem-based approaches to sustain environmental functions, and (4) strengthening collaborative governance for equitable and adaptive water allocation. Our results demonstrate that sustainable agricultural water management depends not only on technological innovation, but also on institutional adaptability and governance integration. These findings provide transferable insights for regions facing similar water stress and highlight the need for hybrid management approaches that combine flexibility, coordination, and resilience under accelerating climate change.