This research article published by Taylor & Francis Online, Vol. 38, No. 3, 2013
Catchment forums have to address the reality that river catchments typically cover several administrative districts and have overlapping arrangements of state-led and locally created institutions. Institutional nesting has been proposed to integrate local arrangements. However, the creation of a polycentric or nested governance system raises questions of coordination. This paper describes and analyzes the process of creating a catchment forum in the Kikuletwa catchment in Tanzania. Resolving the problem of administrative boundaries and institutional fit while integrating customary arrangements with the state-led governance structure requires careful analysis of local structures.