Print Email Facebook Twitter A Street View of Groundwater Policymaking and Management in Azraq, Jordan Title A Street View of Groundwater Policymaking and Management in Azraq, Jordan Author Al-Amin, Hoor (IHE Delft Institute for Water Education) Evers, Jaap (IHE Delft Institute for Water Education) Hermans, L.M. (TU Delft Policy Analysis; TU Delft Water Management; IHE Delft Institute for Water Education) Department Water Management Date 2024 Abstract Groundwater management is a complex task that includes a multitude of actors. It is even more complicated in water scarce countries with less well-established formal water governance structures. In these settings, local government officers have been recognised for their essential role in groundwater management. Often, their role is described as problematic, with officers being under-resourced, under-motivated and, at times, corrupt. In this paper we zoom in on these street-level bureaucrats in Azraq, one of the most depleted groundwater basins in Jordan. Based on inputs from officers, farmers, and sector experts, we collate and analyse information on how the settings in which local officers work influence their day-to-day implementation of policies. We observe that officers in Azraq are heavily influenced by the context in which they operate. This context is characterised by the physical scarcity of groundwater, the formal policy setting, and the presence of the shadow state. The context shapes local officers’ relationships with farmers, their own personal beliefs and subjectivities, and their capacity and resources. As a result, their divergent actions arguably become the groundwater management policy. Based on these findings, we argue that a deeper understanding is needed of the underlying factors and drivers that shape local groundwater management if we are to arrive at better groundwater policy for a more sustainable future. Subject Groundwater managementJordanpolicymakingshadow statestreet-level bureaucrats To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:eed646af-06db-45ed-90eb-8ed2b94e1397 ISSN 1965-0175 Source Water Alternatives, 17 (1), 145-166 Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights © 2024 Hoor Al-Amin, Jaap Evers, L.M. Hermans Files PDF Art17-1-7.pdf 674.03 KB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:eed646af-06db-45ed-90eb-8ed2b94e1397/datastream/OBJ/view