1839 authorities with overlapping jurisdictions,” or as a system in which “citizens are able to organize themselves not within a single authority, but across multiple governing authorities operating at different scales” (Andersson and Ostrom, 2008). 3. METHODOLOGY AND STUDY APPROACH This study adopts a case study approach to analyze the METRHI, with the aim of understanding the role of thematic roundtables within the SNGRH, as well as the institutional, territorial, and hydrological contexts in which they operate. Accordingly, the article seeks to examine how institutional processes and user participation are shaped in relation to the territory and water governance within a mining context. Attention is given to how knowledge of the hydrological cycle and water resources informs the delimitation of the hydrographic unit, the definition of water availability, and existing water uses that constitute the local water-related challenges, especially under climate change scenarios, and how these elements condition both the establishment and the functioning of METRHI. Figure 1 - Key pillars for the initial stage of METRHI The study is based on information generated during 2025, reflecting the dynamic and evolving nature of METRHI as an emerging governance mechanism. It draws on institutional and regulatory documents, spatial information, meeting minutes, participatory workshops, interviews, and participant observation conducted throughout the establishment process. The methodological contribution of this study lies in its qualitative and interpretive analysis of a recent, territorially grounded water governance experience in a mining-influenced setting, integrating institutional and territorial readings and triangulating documentary, technical, and participatory sources to capture decision-making dynamics and multiactor interactions as they unfolded over time. Two main pillars have been identified to promote the METRHI: an institutional pillar and a technical pillar. First, the institutional pillar is structured around the participation of three key actors in the territory: the National Water Authority (ANA) and its deconcentrated bodies, the local government of Ichuña, and the Buenaventura Mining Company. Beyond their participation, these actors contribute internal mechanisms that are critical to the development and legitimacy of governance spaces such as METRHI. A central element in this regard is the legal framework governing the establishment, creation, and operation of Water Resources Thematic Roundtables, particularly Supreme Resolution No. 170-2021-ANA, which establishes the guidelines for the functioning of the SNGRH at the level of smaller hydrographic units. Additional normative frameworks include the Water Resources Law and its Regulations, as well as the Organizational and Functions Regulation (ROF) of the ANA. This regulatory and functional framework, especially as it relates to the deconcentrated bodies of the water authority, namely the Administrative Water Authorities (AAA) and Local Water Administrations (ALA), is essential for the institutional support and long-term sustainability of
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