Now you see me, now you don’t: the role and relevance of paradigms in water governance

Current understandings of water governance rely on a multitude of paradigms, defined as normative ideas collectively held by actor groups. These ideas shape how water challenges are framed and addressed; however, the ways in which paradigms influence governance processes and evolve across contexts remain underexplored. Reflecting on the role of paradigms in water governance enables a better understanding of the driving forces behind the implementation of certain water governance arrangements, their international spread, and what interests, politico-economic stakes or power dynamics are at play. This agenda-setting paper is a first attempt to bring together diverse insights on the role and functions of paradigms from various conceptual lenses to inspire more reflexive scholarly engagement with paradigms. Our approach is based on a four-year, iterative, interdisciplinary collaboration involving workshops and virtual labs with scholars from diverse backgrounds. From this process, we identify ten key agenda items for future research. These items highlight critical gaps and recommendations for scholars in the water governance field—such as the underexplored role of paradigms in shaping power relations, the neglect of contextual variation, and the marginalization of alternative epistemologies-which may also hold relevance for practitioners at times. Together, they provide both a conceptual foundation and practical direction for scholars and practitioners seeking to better understand and navigate the paradigm-driven dynamics of water governance.