Survey data for the study Assessing Groundwater Market Readiness

Groundwater depletion is a critical, persistent problem worldwide, especially in arid regions. Although market-based instruments can improve allocative efficiency, their successful deployment relies heavily on institutional preparation and the necessary alignment of stakeholders. This research focuses on evaluating the specific pre-implementation barriers to formalizing groundwater trading within the acutely over-exploited Boshruyeh Plain, Iran. Using a mixed-methods design with input from 109 local stakeholders, the findings expose serious institutional deficits that actively prevent the market's formal establishment. Infrastructure adequacy was perceived as statistically insufficient (mean < 2.11, 95% CI below neutral), alongside significant variance in water availability (40% deficit vs. 30% surplus), which maintains an active informal market. Spearman correlations aligned with theoretical expectations: a lower perceived efficacy of law strongly correlates with increased informal trading (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, the analysis revealed a critical policy misalignment: while experts stress the importance of social acceptance and comprehensive monitoring, farmers prioritize overcoming specific technical and legal obstacles, a clear institutional blind spot. The K-Means clustering successfully identified three separate expert archetypes: "Pessimists", "Optimists", and "Proponents". These groups collectively reflect a profound fragmentation residing within the governing body itself. Successfully transitioning from the current informal system to a formalized one requires a dual, strategic approach: first, substantial investment must be made in robust monitoring infrastructure to rebuild trust and operational capability; second, the immediate enactment of adaptive legal frameworks is essential to harmonize widely varied stakeholder interests. Ultimately, the long-term sustainability of effective groundwater governance will pivot on successfully reconciling necessary institutional coherence with essential market efficiency. This finding provides a critical, transferable policy lesson for other arid regions: technical and legal trust-building is the non-negotiable prerequisite for a successful transition from informal to formal markets.