A bibliometric review of global research on community-based water supply project governance: A PRISMA-based analysis

This study provides a bibliometric review of global research on community-based water supply project governance using a PRISMA-guided approach. Peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and 2024 were systematically retrieved and analyzed using VOSviewer to map publication trends, collaboration networks, influential journals, and thematic research clusters shaping this field. The results show a steady expansion of scholarly output, with a notable increase in recent years, indicating growing academic attention to governance challenges associated with community-managed water systems and the global pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal 6 on universal access to safe water. Bibliometric mapping reveals a collaborative but geographically uneven knowledge landscape. Co-authorship networks are concentrated around a limited number of institutions linked to international universities, development organizations, and policy research centers. Country collaboration patterns show strong dominance by developed countries—particularly the United States and the United Kingdom—while contributions from developing regions remain comparatively limited despite their centrality to community-based water supply initiatives. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identifies four major thematic clusters: health and water access, climate change and system resilience, governance and infrastructure management, and community costs, benefits, and technology. By synthesising the structural evolution and thematic orientation of the literature, this review contributes a systematic understanding of the field and highlights critical research gaps, particularly the need for stronger representation of Global South contexts and greater integration across governance, technical, and socio-environmental perspectives. The study further recommends strengthening research leadership in the Global South through equitable international collaborations, promoting interdisciplinary and comparative governance research, and reinforcing hybrid governance arrangements that combine community management with sustained institutional support to enhance the long-term sustainability of community-based water supply systems.