Water Governance to Increase Agricultural Resilience

Authors

• Renata Rimšaitė, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

ORCID IDs

Rimšaitė: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6985-8601

Date of this Version

2025

Document Type

Article

Citation

PLOS Water (2025) 4(12): e0000470

doi: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000470

Comments

Open access

License: CC BY 4.0

Abstract

Increasing hydrological variability, characterized by more frequent droughts and unpredictable rainfall, is intensifying water stress in agricultural regions worldwide. These shifting climate conditions create dual pressures on agricultural systems: vulnerability to weather shocks and long-term resource depletion. Strengthening agricultural resilience requires innovative approaches to both climate adaptation and mitigation. Central to this effort is effective water governance, encompassing policy, incentives, partnerships, and capacity building. So, how can water governance be strengthened to support more resilient agricultural systems?

One seminar from this year’s Stockholm World Water Week (SWWW), “Water for food in a changing climate: Pathways to adaptation and mitigation – System level policies and partnerships,” addressed this question by exploring context-specific approaches to scalable water governance solutions. First, water governance strategies need to be effective at the local level, where adaptive regulatory frameworks and inclusive stakeholder engagement can drive meaningful change. Second, water governance frameworks must be practical and work well for farmers for initiatives to be successfully scaled. Scaling requires building trust, which takes time and relies on tested approaches. Last, current efforts in the food production space, including innovative water governance approaches, are more advanced in adaptation than in mitigation, indicating a gap that should be better addressed moving forward.

In line with these themes, I share three unique water governance practices from the U.S. High Plains – a globally significant irrigated agriculture region. These help illustrate how innovative, farmer-focused water governance approaches can evolve and scale in response to climate and water challenges.