Comparative Governance and Policy Effectiveness in Drought Management: Lessons from Two Regions in Ecuador and Spain
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18172/cig.7093Keywords:
governance, Climate variability, adaptive capacity, Water management, institutional analysisAbstract
Climate change and increasing climatic variability have intensified droughts, rising temperatures, and rainfall uncertainty, placing growing pressure on water resources and spatial planning systems. In this context, governance structures play a central role in shaping how societies anticipate, respond to, and adapt to water scarcity. This study presents a qualitative comparative case analysis of drought governance in two climate-vulnerable regions: the lower Segura, Alicante basin (Spain) and the upper and middle Mira River basin (Ecuador–Colombia border). Although both regions experience recurrent water stress, they differ in institutional arrangements, governance capacities, and levels of stakeholder coordination. Using document-based qualitative analysis and interpretive comparison of policy and institutional frameworks, the study identifies structural and operational governance weaknesses conceptualized as systemic “glitches” that affect coordination, adaptive capacity, and participatory water management. Rather than measuring performance, the study focuses on how governance processes function in practice and how institutional configurations shape drought response. The analysis addresses three interconnected dimensions: (1) the structural factors shaping drought vulnerability, (2) the institutional configurations that condition climate risk governance, and (3) the governance patterns that influence adaptive capacity at the regional scale. The findings indicate that southern Alicante exhibits strong formal institutional capacity but limitations in operational coordination, while the Ecuadorian case shows more pronounced structural constraints affecting planning and implementation. By comparing these two governance contexts, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of how institutional design and policy coherence influence drought management outcomes. The results highlight the importance of flexible, integrated, and multi-level governance systems for improving resilience in water-scarce regions.
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