Navigating Hydrological Governance and Adaptive Water-Management Strategies in Oil Palm Plantations: A Systematic Literature Review

This journal discusses hydrology governance and adaptive water management strategies in oil palm plantations amidst increasing pressures from climate change, land use changes, and sustainability demands. The study aims to synthesize scientific evidence on water challenges, hydrological processes, environmental impacts, and best practices in palm oil landscapes. Using the PRISMA-based systematic literature review method, the research examines 35 Scopus articles from the 2019–2025 period through thematic synthesis. Findings indicate that palm oil water management cannot rely solely on drainage but must integrate soil-water conservation, groundwater level regulation, riparian protection, digital monitoring, and watershed-based coordination. The implications are that policies and plantation practices need to be more contextual, climate-adaptive, and consider the capacity of smallholders and cross-stakeholder governance.