Scalar alignment and sustainable water governance: The case of irrigated agriculture in Turkey

Irrigated agriculture plays a significant role in global food security and poverty reduction. At the same time its negative impacts on water and land resources threaten environmental sustainability. With the objective of improving the understanding on the complexity of governing water resources for irrigated agriculture, this paper introduces the concept of scalar alignment, which is used to analyse governance implications of spatial and temporal scales. Using empirical data from irrigated agriculture in Turkey, implications of spatial and temporal alignment on environmental sustainability are examined. The findings indicate that both spatial and temporal alignment influence the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policy instruments. Increasing the degree of scalar alignment in irrigated agriculture can contribute to sustainable water governance by contributing to the alleviation of negative impacts and the prevention of further degradation.