A systematic review of Indigenous peoples’
participation in dominant systems of water
governance
participation in dominant systems of water
governance
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Kasuri, Laila
Collins, Alexandra
Watkins, Sam
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Indigenous peoples’ rights and responsibilities to water are routinely undermined by dominant or colonial water governance systems. Although the importance of engaging Indigenous peoples in water governance
is recognized, few studies have assessed the extent or nature of their participation. Here we present a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature on Indigenous participation in dominant water governance, analysing 226 journal articles and 183 case studies. Case studies span 15 countries, with the majority (77%) from Western settler-colonial countries. Forms of participation differ across regions, and some decision-making scales are better studied than others. Few participatory processes give consideration to Indigenous values and knowledge, and even fewer evaluate Indigenous participation, making it difficult to determine if it was meaningful. Participation in international water governance processes is evident but remains underexamined in the literature. Crucially, Indigenous peoples are influencing and reshaping dominant water governance at all levels.
is recognized, few studies have assessed the extent or nature of their participation. Here we present a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature on Indigenous participation in dominant water governance, analysing 226 journal articles and 183 case studies. Case studies span 15 countries, with the majority (77%) from Western settler-colonial countries. Forms of participation differ across regions, and some decision-making scales are better studied than others. Few participatory processes give consideration to Indigenous values and knowledge, and even fewer evaluate Indigenous participation, making it difficult to determine if it was meaningful. Participation in international water governance processes is evident but remains underexamined in the literature. Crucially, Indigenous peoples are influencing and reshaping dominant water governance at all levels.
Date Issued
2026-02-01
Date Acceptance
2025-12-19
Citation
nature water, 2026, 4 (2), pp.241-255
ISSN
2731-6084
Publisher
Nature Research
Start Page
241
End Page
255
Journal / Book Title
nature water
Volume
4
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2026. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
License URL
Identifier
10.1038/s44221-025-00580-y
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2025-02-18