Introduction: Nowadays, the challenges of water resource management are no longer limited to purely technical issues and require consideration of a wide range of stakeholder perspectives in order to strengthen the resilience of water resources. they have created a deep gap between macro planning levels and local water users. One of the important and neglected gaps in the domestic and international literature is how to implement participatory governance of the water stored behind dams with a focus on local users. Prevailing policies and models have generally been shaped on the basis of top–down approaches and have neglected the design of mechanisms grounded in social co creation, local representation, and institutional flexibility. Sanandaj County, with a history of dam construction (Zhāveh, Vahdat, and Āzād dams), has provided a suitable setting for analyzing the complexities of water governance. Weaknesses in participatory models and optimal operation, together with the lack of effective roles for local users in the processes of operation management, have hindered the emergence of sustainable and participatory governance in this region. Therefore, using a grounded theory approach, the present study seeks to identify the categories influencing the formation and realization of participatory operation management of water resources in the dams of the Sanandaj region from the perspective of experts. The ultimate goal of the research is to propose a paradigmatic model for the participatory operation management of dam water resources in the rural areas of Sanandaj County.

Methodology: Given the exploratory nature of the study and the indeterminate status of the variables, this research adopts a qualitative and inductive approach. The epistemological framework is constructivist and the philosophical stance is interpretive; in other words, the researcher is not merely an observer and the data are treated as reflections of the subjective meanings of actors. The research method is systematic grounded theory. This approach offers a six part model—causal conditions, core phenomenon, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, actions/strategies, and consequences—to explain the qualitative relationships among categories. The study area is Sanandaj County in Kurdistan Province, which includes perennial rivers such as Qeshlaq, Gāveh Rūd, Zhāveh Rūd, and Āzād, and within which the Qeshlaq, Āzād, and Zhāveh (under impoundment) dams are located. In terms of basin divisions, the area forms part of the main Persian Gulf and Oman Sea basin and the northern Sirvān sub basin. Data were collected through 12 semi structured interviews with national and local experts, managers, university faculty members, and local users.

Findings: The core category of the study, which was able to integrate the other categories and levels of analysis, was identified as the transition from an unsustainable operation management system to a sustainable participatory operation management system. This phenomenon is not merely a managerial change, but a fundamental transformation in the mode of governance, institutional structures, and social relations. The final paradigmatic model comprises seven causal factors, seven contextual factors, seven intervening factors, eight strategies, and ten consequences. Causal conditions are the main factors giving rise to the core phenomenon. In total, seven categories were identified, the most important of which, from the interviewees’ perspective, were the gap in management structures and institutional fragility in the unsustainability of water resources. Contextual conditions are the general enabling environment affecting the formation of the core phenomenon. Seven components were identified as contextual conditions, the most important being social dialogue or discourse and the co creation of the local community in participatory water resource management. Intervening conditions are specific conditions that moderate (reinforce or weaken) the influence of causal and contextual factors on the core phenomenon. Seven components were identified, the most important being knowledge exchange and the use of experiential learning in participatory water management. Strategies are the actions and interactions undertaken to manage the core category (the transition). Eight strategies for the transition were identified, the most important from the interviewees’ viewpoint being the evolution of policymaking within the common pool resource system. Finally, ten consequence categories were identified, the most important being self organization and the regeneration of social capacities in participatory operation. Interviewees’ analyses emphasized that a shift towards participatory management is impossible without active engagement with farmers and local users through representative organizations (such as cooperatives). They also stressed that establishing transparency and honesty in providing data and information on the status of water resources and uses to local users is crucial. Participation in water management not only supports fair water allocation, but also produces positive economic and social outcomes such as strengthening the local economy, reducing delinquency, and lowering reverse migration.

Conclusion: This study clearly showed that achieving sustainable participatory operation management of dam water resources in Sanandaj County is a multidimensional and adaptive process that requires strong convergence among economic, social, institutional, and cultural factors. The core category of “transition from an unsustainable operation management system to a sustainable participatory operation management system” serves as the theoretical foundation emerging from the field and helps integrate the other categories. The results indicate that centralization and institutional fragility are the most important causal factors of unsustainability, whereas participatory institution building, improvement of legal and executive structures, strengthening of social capital, and resilience of local communities are the strongest pillars for establishing a sustainable participatory management system. The theory posits that sustainable use of water resources depends on a gradual transformation grounded in trust, transparency, user representation, and institutional learning. In such a model, rural communities move from a passive role to becoming active agents who share responsibility for the management and maintenance of water resources with the state. Realizing sustainable participatory operation management requires structured design, effective social dialogue, and the strengthening of local capacities in order to steer optimal use of dam water resources toward sustainable development, social justice, and public welfare. The research underscores the importance of synergy between formal governance structures and local institutions and social norms; this synergy is not only a means of greater efficiency, but also a pathway to social legitimacy, trust, and justice in the management of dam water resources at both local and national levels.