Enhancing the Governance of the WEFE Nexus in Watersheds through Combined Stakeholder and Social Network Analysis

The multifunctional role of water resources and their interconnections with the broader Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) nexus necessitate a deeper understanding of complex governance structures involving diverse stakeholders. In this study, an integrated approach was developed in which stakeholder analysis (SA) and social network analysis (SNA) were supported by the water value chain (WVC) framework to categorize the key actors in watershed management, analyze network cohesion, and identify opportunities for cross-sectoral collaboration within the WEFE nexus. The Porsuk Watershed, located in a semi-arid region with growing resource challenges, offers a compelling case for exploring these governance dynamics. The findings revealed a fragmented water management structure with overlapping responsibilities, leading to inefficiencies and coordination challenges. Governmental bodies, national actors, and stakeholders in the "Manage Closely" quadrant of the interest-influence matrix exhibited strong internal collaboration within their respective groups but engaged less with other groups. Similarly, stakeholders within WEFE components showed stronger in-group collaboration than cross-group interactions, which exacerbated resource inefficiencies, increased trade-offs, and restricted synergies, thereby emphasizing the need for improved inter-sectoral coordination. Downstream actors demonstrated a higher interest in water governance than upstream actors due to their vulnerability to upstream decisions, while upstream actors showed a lower interest as they are less directly affected by the externalities they create. The information network exhibited fragmented information flow dominated by central actors, while academics, research institutions, and NGOs remained underutilized, limiting their influence despite their expertise. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of this integrated approach in understanding the social dynamics of WEFE nexus governance in watersheds.