Rethinking Political Ecologies of Water

Loftus, Alex

doi:10.1080/01436590902959198

Cited by 136 publications

(104 citation statements)

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“…Top-down decision-making planning privileging 'winners' run the risk of reinforcing the exclusion of 'losers'. This is particularly true in vertical structures influenced by neoliberal, post-colonial and market globalisation approaches (Loftus, 2009;Ioris, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The liquid politics of an urban age

Diep

2018

Palgrave Commun

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In fragile social and economic societies, water governance systems have rarely managed to meet everyone's needs, but rather misrecognised the demand of those excluded from decision-making structures. Across regions, underlying socio-political issues have often remained unaddressed on the basis that water scarcity is primarily caused by geo-climatic conditions. Exclusionary governance is one central driver to migratory patterns along with instabilities in political regimes. It is reflected in poor service provision and tends to perpetuate injustices. Several commitments of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) set objectives of universal and equitable water provision through multi-stakeholder involvement in urban planning processes. It thereby demonstrates efforts deployed towards 'good governance' for transparent, accountable and participatory decision-making. However, several studies have pointed out the questionable role of citizens in NUA. Building on their argument, the present article reflects on exclusionary patterns that the NUA aims to tackle and the mechanisms it proposes to achieve this. This article aims to highlight how power relations in water governance produce and reproduce exclusion in access, such as through population movements. It questions how NUA envisions water governance structures based on collaboration between multiple stakeholders in different contexts, and highlights the need to scrutinise the people-centric language adopted in its commitments. With references to water politics from Latin America and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, it adopts a political ecology approach looking at questions of inclusivity for marginalised groups and discusses approaches for the active involvement of these people in water governance models.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The liquid politics of an urban age

Diep

2018

Palgrave Commun

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“…These efforts have evolved in tandem with the growing dominance of neo-classical economics in natural resource management that attempts to allocate water as a scarce economic good rather than as a public trust. This has systematically excluded the poor and informal areas (Truelove 2011), led to skyrocketing prices for water (Bakker 2003), and actually produced water scarcity (Loftus 2009;Birkenholtz 2010). This continues into the present period, but progress is being made both with respect to increasing access to water and on changing the way water is understood.…”

Section: Developing Drinking Water?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Drinking Water

Birkenholtz¹

2016

SpringerBriefs in Global Understanding

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This chapter examines the ongoing global struggle to supply potable drinking water to the world's population. The chapter begins with a brief history of 20th century efforts to expand drinking water supply but argues that these efforts only resulted in partial successes. This was due to rapid demographic growth and to a dominant understanding of water scarcity as a technical problem to be solved through centralized engineering works. This paradigm is being challenged in the 21st century by an understanding of water as enmeshed in a hydrosocial cycle where social elements-including politics and economics-are intrinsic to the successful expansion of drinking water supply. Yet many issues remain, including (1) multiple kinds of water scarcity; (2) competition between different sectors; and (3) contestations surrounding cost recovery, commodification, and privatization. The chapter concludes with a discussion of water's future governance. People are no longer waiting for drinking water supplies to expand but are contesting water's meaning and engaging in participatory resistance to modes of water supply that undermine the human right to water.

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“…In recent years scholars and public institutions have identified a shift away from simple privatisation towards 'new mixes of public--private partnerships or tri--sector partnership (involving civil society too)' (Loftus, 2009, page 957), as well as recognition of the importance of community participation (Bayliss and Fine, 2008;Loftus, 2009). Bakker (2010) problematises the very notion of a public/private dualism, arguing that particularly for cities of the global south, simple categories of public and private don't work.…”

Section: Urban Water Provision and Governancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bakker, 2007;Bayliss and Fine, 2008;Budds, 2009;Kooy and Bakker, 2008;Loftus, 2009;Swyngedouw, 1997;. Some of this work focuses on governance as the source of water shortages (Bakker, 2010;Mustafa and Reeder, 2009).…”

Section: Urban Water Provision and Governancementioning

confidence: 99%

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Urban Water Governance Failure and Local Strategies for Overcoming Water Shortages in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Rugemalila

Gibbs

2015

Environ Plann C Gov Policy

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In Tanzania's largest city, Dar es Salaam, water supply does not meet the needs of the community. In response, people adopt multiple strategies to secure adequate water for their daily requirements. This paper investigates urban water provision and governance in Dar es Salaam, and has two aims: to investigate the causes of urban water failure; and to examine the full range of strategies employed by the local community to overcome water shortages. We critique the socioeconomic implications of both water shortages themselves and the methods used to overcome them. The paper draws on a household survey and key informant interviews in Temeke, one of the city's three municipalities. We find that failing urban infrastructure and rapid urbanisation place additional pressure on water supply, but argue that the primary cause of water shortages is water governance failure. In Tanzania's largest city, Dar es Salaam, water supply does not meet the needs of the community. In response, people adopt multiple strategies to secure adequate water for their daily requirements. This paper investigates urban water provision and governance in Dar es Salaam, and has two aims: to investigate the causes of urban water failure; and to examine the full range of strategies employed by the local community to overcome water shortages. We critique the socio--economic implications of both water shortages themselves and the methods used to overcome them. The paper draws on a household survey and key informant interviews in Temeke, one of the city's three Municipalities. We find that failing urban infrastructure and rapid urbanisation place additional pressure on water supply, but argue that the primary cause of water shortages is water governance failure.

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Rethinking Political Ecologies of Water

Cited by 136 publications

References 0 publications

The liquid politics of an urban age

The liquid politics of an urban age

Drinking Water

Urban Water Governance Failure and Local Strategies for Overcoming Water Shortages in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

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