Understanding water institutions and their impact on the performance of the water sector in India

The water crisis in India is no more restricted to a few states or areas. It has started affecting all forms of life, industry, and livelihood, and therefore it emerges as one of the biggest challenges. The water crisis is a direct outcome of the governance and analysis of water institutions, playing a central role in understanding the state of water governance. This study aims to understand the water institutions and their ultimate impact on various aspects of water sector performance in India. A survey was administered to collect information on the perception of water experts on the role and importance of various institutional aspects including water law, policy, and administration in improving water sector performance in India. Factor analysis and multiple linear regression methods were used to find the significant factors of water institutions and their effect on the different aspects of water sector performance in India. The analysis shows that the most important factors for improving the water sector performance are (a) legal accountability provisions, (b) water transfer policies, and (c) use of science and technology application along with reliable data. The level of importance of these significant institutional variables also varies within various performance aspects.