Contextualizing institutional capacity in water governance framework: a literature review

Reliable water governance will ensure the strength and sustainability of an institution. The rising needs for water warrant a thorough study of critical variables of water governance. These variables are crucial for the development of a sound institutional framework. However, there were still insufficient studies that systematically review the existing literature in this field. Hence, the current study aims to examine the key components of the institutional framework for water governance. This study was guided by PRISMA 2020 in its systematic searching strategy on three databases, namely Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. Articles for the period of 2018–2022 were screened. The process resulted in the selection of 20 related studies which were then assessed using the Mixed-Method Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Thematic analysis was employed and three themes were identified, namely stakeholders engagement, policy and practices, and water resource management. Based on the pattern of previous studies, the study offered significant contributions to practical purposes and the body of knowledge. HIGHLIGHTS Key components of institutional capacity for water governance.; Systematic literature review on water governance.; Application of PRISMA 2020 and MMAT methods.; Critical variables of water governance: stakeholders engagement, policy and practices, water resource management.; Political interference highly influenced water governance.;