Transdisciplinarity in water management: A systematic review of concepts, practices, and challenges

Transdisciplinarity has become a central paradigm for addressing complex socio-environmental challenges that transcend disciplinary and institutional boundaries. This article revisits the concept from the perspective of water resources management, questioning whether its increasing application has achieved the depth and transformative potential originally envisioned. A systematic review and bibliometric analysis were conducted to examine how transdisciplinarity has been conceptualized and operationalized across 61 international initiatives covering multiple governance scales and institutional contexts. The findings reveal that, although transdisciplinarity is now widely recognized in scientific and policy agendas, its implementation often remains rhetorical or fragmented. Persistent barriers include limited knowledge co-production, asymmetry between scientific and local expertise, and weak participatory mechanisms. Nonetheless, promising experiences demonstrate that when communities are engaged as co-authors of decisions, water governance becomes more legitimate, adaptive, and sustainable. By integrating empirical evidence with conceptual reflection, this study advances understanding of how ethical and methodological co-production can move transdisciplinarity from a normative paradigm toward an actionable framework for water governance. • Reviews transdisciplinarity as a paradigm for sustainable water governance. • Analyses 61 international initiatives using transdisciplinary approaches. • Identifies structural barriers to co-production and participatory equity. • Proposes ethical, political, and operational strategies for improvement. • Offers a novel framework integrating science, policy, and civil society.