Effect of women’s inclusion on conservation and management practices of Water User Associations

Ariana Montoya-Lozano and Tara Grillos

World Development, 2026, vol. 199, issue C

Abstract: Water scarcity remains a pressing challenge in rural areas of developing countries, making it essential to adopt more effective water governance. This study explores whether women’s inclusion in the executive committees of Water User Associations (WUAs) may enhance both management and conservation activities meant to improve rural water governance. Focusing on rural areas in Colombia, Honduras, Nicaragua and Bolivia, we analyze over 4,000 survey observations from the Rural Water and Sanitation Information System (SIASAR). We use cardinality matching to compare activities by WUAs with more women on the executive committee to statistically comparable WUAs with fewer women on the committee. Our study finds that the presence of women on WUA boards is significantly associated with increased conservation activities, such as protection of water sources, and recommended management practices, such as the formal legalization of the association. These improvements help strengthen both ecological and social systems against environmental degradation. Our findings suggest that promoting women’s inclusion in water governance could improve the effectiveness and sustainability of water management in rural Latin America. These results contribute to the ongoing discourse on gender, water governance, and environmental protection.

Keywords: Water Governance; Water User Associations; Gender; Collective Action; Latin America (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:199:y:2026:i:c:s0305750x25003419

DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2025.107255

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