Designing a Role Model for Water and Wastewater Companies in Integrated Urban Management

Urban governments face a number of challenges today related to water governance. As a result, a variety of water governance models have emerged involving governments, public-private partnerships, and private firms. Using a descriptive model, this paper describes how water and wastewater companies in integrated urban management are modeled, and then it suggests how the optimal type of water governance is established in Iran. This study analyzed all parameters and effective variables in continuous management of Iran's water resources, along with the set of laws and regulations that govern upstream activities and the authorities of the governing bodies. Based on institutional mapping, four scenarios were created for dividing responsibilities between government, municipality and private sector in water governance, including governmental planning, semi-centralized governance with the central government, semi-centralized governance with municipalities and decentralized governance based on local government mapping (municipalities). On the basis of the considerations, advantages, and disadvantages of every scenario, scenario 2 has been proposed as the most desirable scenario for application under the country's circumstances.