Das Projekt "Die Suche nach institutionellen Regelungen für die nachhaltige Wassernutzung in Indien und der Schweiz" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Zürich, Geographisches Institut durchgeführt. In many localities, river water is a contested natural resource: various agricultural uses compete with each other and with other uses such as hydro-electric power generation, drinking water supply, or demands for environmental protection. The present research project focuses on the question of how institutional regulations - ensuring sustainable resource use - emerge in such conflicting arenas. The research consists of three main components: (i) Ph.D. study on institutional dimensions of conflicting river water use in Kerala, India; (ii) Ph.D. study on institutional dimensions of conflicting river water use in Switzerland (M. Zaugg); (iii) and a comparative analysis of such institutional regulations in Kerala and Switzerland.