# **TABLE OF CONTENTS**

|**MURRAY DARLING RIVER BASIN MAP............................................................................................. 3**|
|---|
|**1. BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 4**|
|**2. ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK............................................................................................................. 4**|
|**3. METHODOLOGY................................................................................................................................... 5**|
|**4. THE MURRAY-DARLING BASIN ....................................................................................................... 5**|
|**5. BASIN MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND STAKEHOLDERS............................................................... 6**|
|**6. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR BASIN MANAGEMENT ........................................... 8**|
|_Function.............................................................................................................................................. 11_|
|**7. PARTICIPANTS’ MOTIVATIONS, INCENTIVES, AND ACTIONS ............................................ 17**|
|**8. APPLYING THE ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK............................................................................ 20**|
|8.1 INITIALCONDITIONS ANDCONTEXTUALFACTORS............................................................................. 20|
|8.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF THEDECENTRALIZATIONPROCESS.................................................................. 21|
|8.3 CENTRAL-LOCALRELATIONSHIPS ANDCAPACITIES.......................................................................... 21|
|8.4 INTERNALBASIN-LEVELINSTITUTIONALARRANGEMENTS................................................................ 23|
|**9. PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT ....................................................................................................... 24**|
|9.1 DEVOLUTION OFAUTHORITY............................................................................................................. 26|
|9.2 STAKEHOLDERPARTICIPATION.......................................................................................................... 26|
|9.3 FINANCIALSELF-SUFFICIENCY........................................................................................................... 26|
|9.4 OTHERPERSPECTIVES ONSTRENGTHS ANDWEAKNESSES OF THEINSTITUTIONALARRANGEMENTS IN<br>THEMURRAY-DARLINGCASE.................................................................................................................. 27|
|**10. CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................................................... 27**|
|**ACRONYMS .............................................................................................................................................. 29**|
|**REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................... 30**|
|**APPENDIX: VARIABLES IN THE ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK................................................. 35**|
|CONTEXTUAL FACTORS AND INITIAL CONDITIONS.................................................................................... 35|
|CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DECENTRALIZATION PROCESS......................................................................... 35|
|CHARACTERISTICS OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT/BASIN-LEVEL RELATIONSHIPS AND CAPACITIES.............. 35|
|THE INTERNAL CONFIGURATION OF BASIN-LEVEL INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS................................ 36|

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