One River: Introducing an Integrated Framework and Paradigm for River-Livelihood-Governance Convergence

Abstract Rivers are foundational to ecological sustainability, cultural identity, and human well-being. Yet, existing governance models often treat them as fragmented hydrological systems, undermining the intricate interdependencies between ecosystems, livelihoods, and institutions. This paper introduces the One River framework—an integrative paradigm that reconceptualizes rivers as socio-ecological assemblages, advancing a convergence approach to water governance. Building on lessons from One Health , EcoHealth , and Planetary Health , the framework foregrounds four interlinked pillars: ecological integrity, livelihood interdependence, governance integration, and knowledge pluralism. Through critical synthesis and cross-regional case analyses—including the Volta, Amazon, Ganges, Mekong, Mississippi, and Whanganui rivers—the study identifies persistent shortcomings in dominant approaches such as Integrated Water Resources Management and River Basin Organizations, including technocratic bias, institutional fragmentation, and exclusion of Indigenous knowledge systems. The One River framework advocates for transdisciplinary collaboration, co-produced knowledge, legal innovations (e.g., river personhood), and adaptive governance attuned to local ecologies and socio-cultural realities. By embedding rivers within networks of relational, upstream–downstream, and human–nature interdependence, this paradigm offers a transformative roadmap for sustainable and just river futures. It calls for a shift in global water governance—from managing rivers as extractive units to stewarding them as living, relational systems central to equitable development and planetary resilience. This study contributes a structured and operationalizable analytical framework for river governance with demonstrated applicability across diverse socio-ecological contexts.