This groundbreaking book provides a comparative perspective on water management and federalism across multiple countries. Through a collection of case studies, this book explores the water management experiences and lessons learned in nine federal countries and China. The territorial division of power in federations, plus the interconnected politics at the national and regional levels, present a classic governance test for waters shared across multiple political jurisdictions. This is increasingly important as democratic transitions have introduced or invigorated federalism across diverse contexts affecting more than 300 major river basins.Federal Rivers examines both the successes and failures of federal regimes in resolving water conflicts and achieving sustainable water management, particularly within river basins. Case studies across the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia highlight the extent and diversity of federal rivers, identifying alternative pathways to sharerisks and make tradeoffs across political jurisdictions.This book will appeal not only to scholars of resource management and of federalism, but also to practitioners in government, the private sector and international networks with interests in water policy and federalism.

There has been a rapid expansion of academic interest and publications on polycentricity. In the contemporary world, nearly all governance situations are polycentric, but people are not necessarily used to thinking this way. Governing Complexity provides an updated explanation of the concept of polycentric governance. The editors provide examples of it in contemporary settings involving complex natural resource systems, as well as a critical evaluation of the utility of the concept. With contributions from leading scholars in the field, this book makes the case that polycentric governance arrangements exist and it is possible for polycentric arrangements to perform well, persist for long periods, and adapt. Whether they actually function well, persist, or adapt depends on multiple factors that are reviewed and discussed, both theoretically and with examples from actual cases.