Journal of Aquifer and Qanat

In collaboration Iranian Hydraulic Association

Current Issue

By Issue

By Author

By Subject

Author Index

Keyword Index

About Journal

Aims and Scope

Editorial Board

Publication Ethics

Indexing and Abstracting

Related Links

FAQ

Peer Review Process

Journal Metrics

News

Participatory Groundwater Governance (PGM): Charting a Course for Sustainable Innovation in the Face of Climate Change

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

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, and member of the Drought and Climate Change Research Group, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran

10.22077/jaaq.2025.8975.1100

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

Main Subjects

References
Akbarpour, A., Dastourani, M., Tosan, M., & Gharib, M. (2024). Performance analysis of finite element method in groundwater studies based on Web of Science using R Biblioshiny. Journal of Auifer and Qanat, 4(2), 131-148.
Asprilla-Echeverria, J. (2021). The social drivers of cooperation in groundwater management and implications for sustainability. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 15, 100668.
Barbieri, M., Barberio, M. D., Banzato, F., Billi, A., Boschetti, T., Franchini, S., Gori, F., & Petitta, M. (2023). Climate change and its effect on groundwater quality. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 45(4), 1133-1144.
Bolan, S., Padhye, L. P., Jasemizad, T., Govarthanan, M., Karmegam, N., Wijesekara, H., Amarasiri, D., Hou, D., Zhou, P., & Biswal, B. K. (2024). Impacts of climate change on the fate of contaminants through extreme weather events. Science of The Total Environment, 909, 168388.
Bouazzi, K. (2024). Immunity through technification? A critical review of water governance discourses in Tunisia. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 11(6), e1757.
Dangar, S., Asoka, A., & Mishra, V. (2021). Causes and implications of groundwater depletion in India: A review. Journal of Hydrology, 596, 126103.
Dey, U., Raj, D., Mondal, M., Roy, P., Mukherjee, A., Mondal, N. K., & Das, K. (2023). Microplastics in groundwater: An overview of source, distribution, mobility constraints and potential health impacts during the anthropocene. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 101036.
Haggerty, R., Sun, J., Yu, H., & Li, Y. (2023). Application of machine learning in groundwater quality modeling-A comprehensive review. Water Research, 233, 119745.
Han, D., & Currell, M. J. (2022). Review of drivers and threats to coastal groundwater quality in China. Science of The Total Environment, 806, 150913.
Hose, G. C., Di Lorenzo, T., Fillinger, L., Galassi, D. M. P., Griebler, C., Hahn, H. J., Handley, K. M., Korbel, K., Reboleira, A. S., & Siemensmeyer, T. (2023). Assessing groundwater ecosystem health, status, and services. Groundwater ecology and evolution, 501-524.
Jakob, M. (2022). Globalization and climate change: State of knowledge, emerging issues, and policy implications. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 13(4), e771.
KC, S., Shrestha, S., Nguyen, T. P. L., Das Gupta, A., & Mohanasundaram, S. (2022). Groundwater governance: a review of the assessment methodologies. Environmental Reviews, 30(2), 202-216.
Mahdian Moghadam, N., & Tosan, M. Study of Socio-Economic Effects of Saffron Cultivation in Torbat Heydarieh and Neyshabur. International Conference on Management, Culture and Economic Development,
Mannix, D. H., Birkenholtz, T. L., Abrams, D. B., & Cullen, C. (2022). Uncertain Waters: Participatory groundwater modelling in Chicago’s suburbs. Geoforum, 132, 182-194.
Moghaddasi, P., Kerachian, R., & Sharghi, S. (2022). A stakeholder-based framework for improving the resilience of groundwater resources in arid regions. Journal of Hydrology, 609, 127737.
Mukherji, A. (2022). Sustainable groundwater management in India needs a water‐energy‐food
 
nexus approach. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 44(1), 394-410.
Nandi, S., & Swain, S. (2024). Role of groundwater systems in fulfilling sustainable development goals: A focus on SDG6 and SDG13. Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health, 100576.
Niles, M. T., Wagner, C. R. H., Aristizábal, N., Hricko, C. R., Petrucci, A. N., & Rodríguez-Cruz, L. A. (2024). Individual and collective political efficacy predict farmer engagement and support for groundwater policies: implications from the California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Ecology and Society, 29(1).
Noor, R., Inam, A., Zahra, S. M., Shoaib, M., Riaz, R., Sarwar, A., Asif, M., & Ahmad, S. (2022). A methodological framework for modeling sustainability visions: A case study of groundwater management in Faizpur distributary, Pakistan. Agricultural Water Management, 271, 107822.
Scanlon, B. R., Fakhreddine, S., Rateb, A., de Graaf, I., Famiglietti, J., Gleeson, T., Grafton, R. Q., Jobbagy, E., Kebede, S., & Kolusu, S. R. (2023). Global water resources and the role of groundwater in a resilient water future. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 4(2), 87-101.
Thomann, J. A., Werner, A. D., & Irvine, D. J. (2022). Developing adaptive management guidance for groundwater planning and development. Journal of Environmental Management, 322, 116052.
Tosan, M., & Beyranvand, Z. (2023). The role of flood analysis in different return periods using empirical relationships for small watersheds in the stability of aquifers. Journal of Auifer and Qanat, 4(1), 169-180.
Tosan, M., Dastourani, M., Akbarpour, A., & Gharib, M. R. (2024). Global trend analysis of numerical simulation application in groundwater based on WoS database using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny between 1997 and 2023. Iranian Journal of Rainwater Catchment Systems, 12(2), 79-104.
Tosan, M., Gharib, M. R., Attar, N. F., & Maroosi, A. (2025). Enhancing Evapotranspiration Estimation: A Bibliometric and Systematic Review of Hybrid Neural Networks in Water Resource Management. Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences (CMES), 142(2).
Tosan, M., Khashei-Siuki, A., Maroosi, A., & Gharib, M. R. (2024). A review of smart water management for sustainable agriculture based on the internet of things. Water Management in Agriculture, 11(1), 145-166.
Tosan, M., Khashei Siuki, A., Sangari, M., & Rezvani Moghaddam, P. (2024). Analysis of the global research trend of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) between 2000-2023. Saffron Agronomy and Technology, 12(2), 115-138.
Tosan, M., & Maroosi, A. (2024). Investigating the performance of artificial rabbit optimization hybrid algorithm (ANN-ARO) in forecasting reference evapotranspiration with limited climatic parameters. Iranian Journal of Rainwater Catchment Systems, 12(1), 47-66.
Villada-Canela, M., Muñoz-Pizza, D. M., García-Searcy, V., Camacho-López, R., Daesslé, L. W., & Mendoza-Espinosa, L. (2021). Public participation for integrated groundwater management: the case of maneadero Valley, Baja California, Mexico. Water, 13(17), 2326.
Vora, S. (2024). Learning Together for Groundwater Management. International Journal of the Commons, 18(1), 507-521.
Yaqubi, M., Yaghoobzadeh, M., & Tosan, M. (2024). Factor analysis and ranking of saffron production, processing and market challenges in Torbat Heydarieh, Iran. Saffron Agronomy and Technology, 12(1).
Journal of Aquifer and Qanat
Volume 5, Issue 2 - Serial Number 9
March 2025
Pages 121-138
Files
Share
How to cite
Statistics