Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Mahsa Mardani ¹
• Moein Tosan ²
• Malihe Falaki ³

¹ PhD Candidate in Water Resources Management and Engineering, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran

² PhD Candidate in Water Resources, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran

³ Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Production and Genetics Engineering, University of Birjand- Assistant Professor of Agricultural Extension and Education and member of the Drought and Climate Change Research Group, University of Birjand

Abstract

Participatory Groundwater Management (PGM) has emerged as a novel approach in water governance, seeking to address the escalating challenges to the sustainability of these vital resources in the Anthropocene epoch. This study, employing a bibliometric methodology, systematically deconstructs the knowledge architecture of the PGM domain. Through the analysis of bibliographic data from 484 documents indexed in the Web of Science database (2003-2025), the conceptual structure, thematic trends, and active research hubs within this field are rigorously investigated. The findings of this quantitative and qualitative analysis reveal the significant expansion and consolidation of PGM within the scientific literature, characterized by a noteworthy annual growth rate of 11.03% and a high average citation rate of 19.48 citations per document. Co-occurrence analysis of keywords unveils five distinct conceptual clusters: (1) Groundwater Pollution and Quality, emphasizing GIS applications; (2) Water Resources Sustainability in Agriculture and the impact of Climate Change; (3) Participatory Governance and Multi-level Policymaking; (4) Adaptation to Climate Change and the role of Knowledge and Stakeholder Participation; and (5) Watershed Modeling and Water Quality. The core keywords "Governance," "Collaboration," "Climate Change," "Sustainability," and "Groundwater Management" are identified as dominant and recurrent themes within this domain. Trend analysis of keyword publication years elucidates a paradigm shift from solely technical-hydrological perspectives towards a holistic and eco-social paradigm, emphasizing socio-political dimensions, adaptation, and resilience. The journals Water and Hydrogeology Journal emerge as leading sources, and research institutions in the United States of America are identified as primary knowledge production hubs in this field.

Keywords

• Participatory Groundwater Management
• Climate Change
• Water Governance
• Water Resources Sustainability
• Stakeholder Participation

Main Subjects

• ًQanat and aquifer