1845 characteristics of the territories under the ALA’s functional jurisdiction, as well as in the actual needs expressed by local stakeholders. 5.4 Operational Dynamics and Decision-Making The operational dynamics of METRHI are structured around regular plenary sessions convened by the Technical Secretariat, assumed by the Tambo Alto Tambo Local Water Administration (ALA), which acts as the facilitating and coordinating body. These sessions constitute the primary space for information exchange, collective analysis of water-related issues, and the identification of priority actions. The agenda of each session is defined based on the issues raised by members, the outcomes of previous meetings, and the technical needs identified through ongoing coordination with local actors. Decision-making within METRHI is based on consensus-building rather than formal voting procedures, reflecting its nature as a participatory and collaborative governance mechanism. Discussions are informed by technical inputs provided by the ALA and other institutions with sectoral competencies, as well as by experiential knowledge contributed by local users. This approach allows decisions to be grounded in both hydrological criteria and territorial realities, while fostering shared responsibility among participants. A key operational feature of METRHI is the articulation between technical information and participatory processes. Hydrological and hydrographic data, monitoring results, and regulatory information are presented and discussed collectively, enabling members to jointly interpret water-related challenges and assess potential interventions. This dynamic contributes to reducing information asymmetries among users and strengthens transparency in decision-making processes. The outcomes of METRHI sessions are formally recorded through meeting minutes, which serve as an accountability and follow-up mechanism. These records document agreements reached, responsibilities assigned, and timelines for action, providing continuity to the process and facilitating coordination with other institutional spaces within the SNGRH. While METRHI does not hold formal decision-making authorities over water allocations or permits, its operational value lies in its capacity to generate coordinated actions, align stakeholder expectations, and inform institutional responses led by the competent authorities. As an emerging governance mechanism, METRHI remains in an adaptive phase, with operational arrangements evolving in response to territorial dynamics, stakeholder participation, and external conditions. This flexibility has enabled the mechanism to respond to immediate water-related concerns while laying the groundwork for more structured governance arrangements in the future, including potential articulation with basin-level institutions. 5. DISCUSSION Peru’s Water Resources Law formally adopted IWRM as its guiding management approach. Its implementation across river basins nationwide, however, continues to face significant challenges, including gaps in political will at multiple territorial scales and the absence of effective multisectoral water policies capable of driving concrete interventions, particularly in smaller high-Andean basins characterized by a weak State presence. In principle, CRHCs are intended to serve as the primary governance mechanism. In practice, however, their consultative nature and limited technical and financial resources constrain their capacity to promote water management processes that ensure representative participation and territorialized investment within larger basins. As a result, this governance model risks becoming an unfulfilled aspiration unless the intervention framework is reconsidered and the roles of subnational government bodies and the water authority itself are more clearly defined and operationalized within both regulatory and functional arrangements. The creation of additional councils without adequate institutional support and shared political commitment may undermine the sustainability of the model itself. Within this context, METRHI emerges as a direct governance mechanism that enables and makes transparent the interactions and agreements among different water users at the territorial level. While it does not replace the CRHC, it provides a space for direct and fluid participation that allows actors within a defined
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