Robustness to Drought in a Multi-level Governance Irrigation System: A Statistical Analysis of Riegos del Alto Aragon Irrigation Systems

Abstract

"The chapter examines successful drought management by testing hypotheses derived from the theory of the commons. Utilizing a series of OLS models, the paper compares the performance of 38 systems in a large irrigation system in Spain during and after a severe drought. According to the results, leadership, monitoring and flexible property rights have a positive effect on drought performance while group size and collective choice do not. The effect of leadership and property rights is mediated by rules at higher governance levels, pointing to the importance of taking into account multi-level dynamics when studying social-ecological phenomena. Interactions between the independent variables are also explored with regard to additional qualitative data and theory to understand other important dynamics. Overall, the results show the relevance of using and adapting the theory of the commons to understand sustainability issues other than those embodied in over-exploitation issues. The distinction between different appropriation situations as well as the observance of multi-level and other interactions seems a promising research path in that regard."