An institutional analysis framework to close the regional water cycle

An institutional analysis framework to close the regional water cycle

van Es, Ward (TU Delft Technology, Policy and Management)

Enserink, Bert (mentor)
van de Walle, Bartel (graduation committee)
Correlje, Aad (mentor)
Helsen, Oscar (mentor)

Delft University of Technology

Systems Engineering, Policy Analysis and Management (SEPAM)

2017-10-17

Climate change and urbanization put increasing stress on urban water management (UWM). Prolonged periods of drought in densely populated areas threaten the quantity and quality of freshwater sources. Closing the water cycle by wastewater reuse can alleviate pressure on these freshwater sources. However, a closed water system requires a different institutional environment. A comprehensive and specific institutional analysis framework can provide guidance to stakeholders in the regional water system. A literature review has concluded that academia has not yet provided such framework (van Es, 2017a). This research proposes an institutional analysis framework by combining two widely used frameworks in institutional analysis: the four-layer model of Williamson (1998) and the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework of Ostrom (2011). The aim of the institutional analysis framework is twofold: 1) to find the critical issues that can be expected in closing the regional water cycle and 2) to provide recommendations on coordination of the action situations in which the critical issues are addressed. The framework is applied to the case of closing the water cycle in the service area of water authority Delfland in the western part of the Netherlands. This research shows that the proposed institutional analysis framework is highly useful in finding and coordinating crucial issues in closing the water cycle. An empirical operation of the four-layer model of Williamson (1998) provided a deep and structured understanding of the expected issues by relevant stakeholders. It also provided insight into the attitude and main drivers of stakeholders on a closed water cycle. The IAD framework of Ostrom (2011) helped to specify the most critical action situations. Further research can contribute to the field of institutional analysis by conducting more case studies with the proposed Williamson-Ostrom framework and execute the case study in a theoretical way instead of an empirical way.

Closed water cycle
Williamson
four-layer model
IAD framework
institutions
Ostrom
wastewater reuse

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:ba177c27-77c9-4052-8180-6a94774d1869

Student theses

master thesis

© 2017 Ward van Es