Rethinking water governance through indigenous systems: A comparative assessment of qanat and well irrigation productivity in Sabzevar County, Iran

This study investigates the relationship between water governance and agricultural water productivity in two irrigation systems, qanat and well-based farming, in Sabzevar County, Iran. The study is based on cross-sectional field survey data collected from 202 farmers using a structured questionnaire grounded in internationally recognized water governance frameworks. A multistage random sampling approach was applied. Water governance was operationalized as a multidimensional index consisting of eight components. Physical water productivity (crop yield per cubic meter of water, kg·m⁻³) and economic water productivity (net economic return per cubic meter of water, IRR·m⁻³) were calculated for three major crops (wheat, barley, and cotton). Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation analysis, Mann-Whitney U tests, and multiple linear regression models were employed for data analysis. The results show that overall water governance is at a moderate level, with relatively higher performance in consensus-building and responsibility, and lower performance in accountability, transparency, and equity-related dimensions. Water productivity was significantly higher in qanat-based systems compared to well-based systems for both physical and economic indicators, with larger differences observed in economic productivity. Correlation analysis indicates a positive association between water governance and water productivity, stronger for economic productivity (r = 0.258, p < 0.01) than for physical productivity (r = 0.162, p < 0.05). Regression results further confirm that governance is positively associated with economic water productivity after controlling for socio-economic and farm-level variables. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening formal water governance institutions, particularly in accountability, transparency, and equity, while leveraging existing social capital and traditional irrigation systems. Rehabilitation and sustainable management of qanat systems are suggested as complementary strategies for improving agricultural water efficiency and reducing pressure on groundwater resources. This study contributes to the literature by providing comparative empirical evidence on governance-productivity linkages in traditional and modern irrigation systems in arid regions.