A B S T R A C T
Water governance in agriculture plays a pivotal role as a framework for decision-making, allocation, and monitoring of water resources. Given that 80% of the world's freshwater consumption is dependent on agriculture, designing coherent and flexible governance systems has become an important priority in every country. In this regard, the present article has assessed good water governance in the agricultural sector of the Taze Abad Basin and has used OECD indicators to measure the status of governance. In line with the strategic analysis of improving water resource management, the foresight approach and CIA technique were used. The results showed that the accountability and equity ratings were 3.14 and 2.85, respectively, which indicates unequal distribution of water resources and low efficiency. In the following, this section examined the strategic analysis of improving good water governance using semi-structured interviews with 37 respondents. To achieve the research objective, the collected interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The initial results were 449 codes, which after summarizing the codes, were finalized into 22 factors. Finally, it was determined that "establishing joint working groups between institutions with the same goal, strengthening inter-sectoral cooperation among related institutions, strengthening public participation, using conflict resolution mechanisms in the region appropriate to the conditions, and avoiding overlapping duties between institutions related to water resources management" are among the most important areas that will lead to the realization of good water governance.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Golestan province is considered one of the significant provinces in the development of irrigation, so that its irrigated land area has grown almost 4 times in a decade, and agriculture is considered a key industry in this province. In Golestan province, given the 44% employment rate in the agricultural sector (the highest in the country) and its consequences—namely the continuous and extensive use of water and soil resources, coupled with climatic diversity and the increasing risk of salinization in a significant portion of lands—special attention to the use of modern irrigation and drainage methods with a view to optimizing water resources appears necessary. Considering the above-mentioned materials, and given the paucity of research on the status of local water governance in the Taze’Abad region of Golestan Province, as well as the need to develop an appropriate strategy to ensure the continuity and success of this governance, the present study seeks to answer the following questions: What is the current status of local water governance in Taze’Abad, Golestan Province? What strategies should be considered to support the continuity and success of this governance?
The status of water resources in the agricultural sector of Iran
Of the roughly 37 million hectares of agricultural land, limited water resources restrict cultivation to only 7.8 million hectares. Of the remaining area, approximately 6 million hectares are rainfed, while about 4.5 million hectares lie fallow. In the 1950s, the number of wells in the agricultural sector was 4,407 semi-deep wells and 2,380 deep wells. In the next three decades, in the 1980s, an increase of about 3 times observed and the number of wells reached 74,911 wells.
Currently, Iran’s aquifers face an average deficit of about 6 billion cubic meters every year. Groundwater reserves have experienced a cumulative shortfall of roughly 135 billion cubic meters. Notably, approximately 30 billion cubic meters of this deficit occurred during the first three decades, whereas the remaining 105 billion cubic meters have accumulated within the most recent 17-year period. Most of the plains of Iran are currently among the prohibited plains in terms of Groundwater extraction. The average annual drop of Iran’s aquifers is about 55 cm, and the average cumulative drop of aquifers in the last 50 years is about 25 meters.
Sustainable management of water resources
"Sustainable management of groundwater resources" means "thinking beyond the aquifer" and creates a perspective in which all existing links take into account such as "watershed management", "agricultural conditions", "environment" and "stakeholder participation". Therefore, overall sustainable management is a combination of different measures but the same goal, which is a combination of measures such as "supply and demand balance", "effective implementation of regulatory measures", "optimal management methods of beneficiaries' consumption", "improvement of water governance structures".
The importance and application of forecasting in environmental fields
Today, it is necessary to apply future research thinking in the fields of environment and environmental crises, especially the water crisis. The thinking of the management has watered down after the crisis. In light of the critical significance of water for the survival of living organisms, and given the prevailing condition of Iran's water resources, it is essential to conduct forward-looking research that broadens strategic foresight and fosters preparedness for potential future scenarios.

Methodology
This study is applied in purpose, descriptive in methodology, and cross-sectional in design, as it was carried out within a defined time period. The information required for this study will be obtained mainly through interviews, observations, and questionnaires. Given that the study consists of several sub-objectives, the research method for each objective is described separately as follow:
The statistical population of the study was experts in various institutions and organizations related to water resources management in the agricultural sector, professors in related fields, researchers and students who have conducted research in this field, as well as knowledgeable farmers in the study area.
In order to achieve objective, water governance indicators in local communities will be used in two ways: adapting previous models and background-writings, and interviewing a group of national experts in the field of water.
after expanding and finalizing the indicators, in order to examine the current status of local water governance in the study area, a structured questionnaire, comprising the relevant indicators assessed via a five-point Likert scale (from 'very low' to 'very high'), was employed with the target population. The instrument was validated by expert review, and its reliability was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient.
The data collection tool is a standard questionnaire, the components and items of which are governance measurement derived from the organization's indicators (OECD, 2018), which include the six dimensions of accountability, participation and responsibility, policymaking, legality, and transparency.
Then, the driver analysis approach was utilized to formulate a governance development strategy in this area. The information and data required in this step were obtained by the questionnaire/cross-effects matrix. In this study, all the components collected in the previous stage of the research were first designed in the form of a "cross-effects" matrix and returned to the interviewees in the previous step and asked to rate it. Matrix weighting was carried out through pairwise comparisons, with the strength of correlation among components quantified on a scale from zero to three.

Results and Discussion
First Objective: The status of local community participation in local water governance in Taze’Abad
Public participation refers to the level of involvement of civil society and the public in decision-making and planning processes. The value of this dimension was 3.25 in the study area. In this dimension, "participation of local associations and institutions in the management and governance of water resources, attention to the priority of preserving water resources and saving by local farmers, and the possibility of choosing appropriate irrigation methods by local operators" were assigned the first to third priorities, and also "attention to encouraging voluntary projects to improve water quality and management, and the extent to which surveys are conducted to assess citizen satisfaction with water services" were assigned the lowest average value.
Second objective: the Rule of law (policy) in local water governance in Taze’Abad
The global standard for this dimension is mostly in advanced countries with scores above 4 (OECD, 2018). The number 3.85 indicates serious problems in law enforcement and the presence of possible corruption. Regarding this dimension, "implementation of water resources management programs and practical measures based on the framework of government programs, comprehensive cooperation between local stakeholders and the government, and regulation and enforcement of regulations to reduce conflict between sectors in water resources management" had the highest score, while "positive performance of inspection bodies to protect consumers and identify and assess obstacles to the implementation of existing policies and regulations" recorded the lowest scores.
Third Objective: Transparency in the local water governance process in Taze’Abad
Concentrating on creating transparency, consistent implementation of laws, increasing public participation, and strengthening monitoring and accountability mechanisms can improve water governance. The value of this index was 3.03. Items such as "access to information related to the allocation of water resources available to the public and regular periodic reports by the government on the status of water resources to local people" were among the selected priorities that had the highest average.
Fourth Objective: The level of accountability in the local water governance process in Taze’Abad
Responsiveness means the ability of administrative institutions to provide accurate and timely reports and information to citizens and regulatory organizations, and this dimension in the studied region was 2.85, which indicates an average level. A low rank in responsiveness demonstrates a lack of transparency and the inability of institutions to provide information to the public. In developed countries, such a situation is usually at the level of 3.5 to 4.5 (UNECE 2023). In comparison, the global standard in this index is usually higher and is expected to be around 4.0 and above, and therefore, implementing good water governance requires improving information transparency and creating more effective mechanisms for reporting. The results of this section exhibited that "ease of access to managers in case of problems, attention to the opinions of stakeholders, especially through the feedback and suggestions box" are among the items that the implementers have put on their agenda.
Fifth Objective: Investigating the level of justice in the local water governance process in Taze’Abad
Justice and efficiency include fair distribution of resources and efficiency in resource management. The global index is usually close to 4.0 in this area, and in developed countries, they are usually evaluated above 4.0 (Global Water Partnership, 2022). However, the value of 14.3 in the aforementioned basin refers to the unequal distribution of water resources and low efficiency, and the existence of inequality in access to water resources and inefficiency in resource management is problematic
Sixth Objective: Review of efficiency and effectiveness in the local water governance process in Taze’Abad
Effectiveness means the degree of success of the measures taken in achieving the goals. This index is around 4.0 and above in countries with high efficiency. With a score of 3.25, the basin in question necessitates a reassessment of its management and implementation strategies toward greater efficacy. Furthermore, political stability must be reinforced for water management policies to achieve their intended impact. In this dimension, the results also exhibited that "effective and optimal implementation of water saving policies, crisis management and appropriate measures to deal with water crises and the formation of regional basin management councils" have not been given priority.
Seventh Objective: Investigating the level of accountability in the local water governance process in Taze’Abad
Accountability refers to the level of commitment of government institutions to their assigned obligations and duties, and the accountability score in this area (3.35) indicates the need to strengthen responsible institutions. It should be noted that developed countries usually have higher accountability (mostly above 3.5), and in countries with good governance, this index is usually between 3.5 and 4.5 (World Bank, 2023). With this score, there is a need to improve accountability and monitoring mechanisms.
The results of this section illustrate that out of these 13 finalized solutions, five solutions can be categorized as drivers, which are:
· Creating joint working groups among institutions with the same goal;
· Strengthening cross-sectoral cooperation among related institutions;
· Policymaking and planning in the field of water resources development in the region;
· Adopt conflict resolution mechanisms in the region appropriate to the conditions

Conclusion
The results exhibited that to achieve local water governance, simultaneous attention to five dimensions is necessary. Initially, there was a need to "establish joint working groups among like-minded institutions," which led to the formation of specialized working groups consisting of representatives of agencies and organizations that have common goals (such as the provision, distribution, or optimal use of water resources) for the purpose of planning, coordinating, and monitoring field actions. This attention to this dimension will prevent parallel work and waste of human and financial resources, facilitate the exchange of up-to-date data and information among stakeholders, and increase transparency in decision-making and mutual accountability. Establishing joint working groups among like-minded institutions can structurally and behaviorally bring together several key factors for strengthening local water governance. Establishing such working groups provides the basis for continuous and transparent dialogue among stakeholders; This allows technical information - such as water quality and quantity measurement results - legal requirements and local policies, and social needs to be seamlessly exchanged.

Funding
There is no funding support.

Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work declaration of competing interest none.

Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.