Historic Water Management In The Alps: Sustaining Irrigation Through Collective Action

Prof. Thomas Berger, Dr. Markus Schmid — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper reviews traditional and modern irrigation systems and their role in promoting sustainable agriculture and resource management across diverse geographical contexts, including dryland areas, montane regions, and mountainous environments such as the Swiss Alps and the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalaya. Through an interdisciplinary synthesis of empirical studies, institutional analyses, and game-theoretic approaches, the study explores governance mechanisms, collective action, and socio-economic impacts of irrigation practices. Special emphasis is placed on indigenous management systems, institutional resource regimes, and cooperative behavior in managing common-pool resources. The paper also discusses challenges related to water allocation, social dilemmas, and modernization pressures. Findings highlight the importance of community involvement, adaptive institutional frameworks, and ecological considerations for maintaining irrigation infrastructure and achieving agricultural sustainability.

Current Research Journal of History

Historic Water Management In The Alps: Sustaining Irrigation Through Collective Action