Why does technological empowerment fail? Mechanisms of public acceptance of technology for water governance

Motivating public participation in water governance is challenging. In the context of digital governance, this study explores untangling public participation dilemmas via information and communications technology (ICT) empowerment for China’s river chief system. Using the technology acceptance model and analysing 926 questionnaires from Guangzhou, we found that: (1) high technology adoption rates coexist with low conversion rates due to usability issues; (2) perceived usefulness mediates usage behaviour, regulated by perceived ease of use, creating an efficiency paradox; and (3) technology and institutions mutually reinforce each other. Optimizing identity authentication and fostering tech-institution collaboration can enhance ICT-based public participation.