Integrated river basin management (IRBM) has been proposed as a means to achieve water security (WS), maximizing economic and social well-being in an equitable manner and maintaining ecosystem sustainability. IRBM is regulated by a governance process that benefits the participation of different actors and institutions; however, it has been difficult to reach a consensus on what good governance means and which governance perspective is better for achieving it. In this paper, we explore the concept of “good water governance” through the analysis of different governance approaches: experimental (EG), corporate (CG), polycentric (PG), metagovernance (MG) and adaptive (AG) governances. We used the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) water governance dimensions (effectiveness, efficiency and trust and engagement) as a “good enough water governance” that regards water governance as a process rather than an end in itself. Results indicate that each of the five governance theories presents challenges and opportunities to achieve a good governance process that can be operationalized through IRBM, and we found that these approaches can be adequately integrated if they are combined to overcome the challenges that their exclusive application implies. Our analysis suggests that a combination of AG and MG encompasses the OECD water governance dimensions, in terms of understanding “good enough water governance” as a process and a means to perform IRBM. In order to advance towards WS, the integration of different governance approaches must consider the context-specific nature of the river basin, in relation to its ecologic responses and socioeconomic characteristics.

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is globally regarded as a suitable alternative to adapt to the effects of Climate Change. Chile, México, and Brazil are developing countries that are highly vulnerable to climate change and have different water management models, thus presenting the strengths and challenges for IWRM compliance. Our analysis aims to compare advances in terms of the achievement of SDG 6.5.1 in these countries, in relation to the degree of implementation of IWRM and their correlation to the OECD principles on Water Governance. We used IWRM Data Portal, UNEP-DHI, including 33 indicators, and we used the proposal of Bertule et al., (2018) to analyze the relationship among IWRM and governance. Our findings indicate that the Chilean model has low social involvement in water management due to a market-based water governance system with weak state regulation and lack of legal instruments to implement watershed management programs. In Mexico and Brazil, there is greater citizen involvement in watershed organizations, and ecosystems and aquifers have been incorporated to aid with water management. These three countries show a low performance of gender indicators, deficient financing, and information in terms of decision-making, and a lack of effective mechanisms for social participation, which are key aspects of governance.

Chile is currently facing a mega-drought, which is expected to lead to a significant increase in the water stress level. Social conflicts related to water use are linked to the effects of climate change and a governance system marked by the privatization of the natural resources of public interest. This study aims to analyze whether the current Chilean water governance scheme can adapt to the effects of climate change through a critical observation of the role of the River Vigilance Committees (RVCs; private user organizations exercising the public function of water management), from the perspective of Ostrom’s design principles for long-enduring Common-pool Resource (CPR) institutions. We analyze legal approaches, management mechanisms, and decision-making processes under the socio-climatic conditions that the country is currently facing. The results indicate that, with a few exceptions, the Chilean governance system does not allow RVCs to effectively incorporate the design principles—and, therefore, to achieve adaptation—due to dispersed functions, the exclusion of water users, and a lack of planning at different levels. We propose that water governance should consider the creation of River Basin Boards with broader planning powers, as well as the incorporation of different relevant stakeholders.

Water resources face an unparalleled confluence of pressures, with agriculture and urban growth as the most relevant human-related stressors. In this context, methodologies using a Nexus framework seem to be suitable to address these challenges. However, the urban sector has been commonly ignored in the Nexus literature. We propose a Nexus framework approach, considering the economic dimensions of the interdependencies and interconnections among agriculture (food production) and the urban sector as water users within a common basin. Then, we assess the responses of both sectors to climatic and demographic stressors. In this setting, the urban sector is represented through an economic water demand at the household level, from which economic welfare is derived. Our results show that the Nexus components here considered (food, water, and welfare) will be negatively affected under the simulated scenarios. However, when these components are decomposed to their particular elements, we found that the less water-intensive sector—the urban sector—will be better off since food production will leave significant amounts of water available. Moreover, when addressing uncertainty related to climate-induced shocks, we could identify the basin resilience threshold. Our approach shows the compatibilities and divergences between food production and the urban sector under the Nexus framework.

Integrated water resource management (IWRM) has been globally recognized as a key strategy for advancing toward water security; however, Chile has not yet implemented it. While water governance in the country has been predominantly analyzed through documents and laws, integrating empirical insights from local actors’ perspectives is essential. This study applied the trialogue model of governance to understand stakeholders’ perspectives and relationships, to identify barriers to achieving water security, and to explore the roles of different actors in enhancing governance systems. The research design focused on the Biobío River Basin (BRB) as a case study, employing a qualitative strategy for data collection through semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data analysis consisted on a thematic analysis, where interview transcripts were coded to identify relevant topics. The results reveal that Chile’s highly centralized governance structure, along with inadequate information management and socioeconomic conflicts related to the construction of hydroelectric power plants, pose significant barriers to achieving water security in the BRB. Key opportunities to address barriers include legal reforms, improved information management, and strengthened enforcement and supervision. Achieving effective governance relies heavily on legal reforms, mobilizing resources and creating spaces for raising social awareness. Transparent and accessible data-sharing mechanisms are also crucial for better information management. Although the trialogue model is a valuable framework for analyzing river basin governance, it is necessary to emphasize the need to account for the intricate nature of the society cluster in future studies.