Governing riverscapes : urban environmental change along the river Yamuna in Delhi, India

Existing research analyzes riverfront developments largely from a city-centric point of view, assuming a clear boundary between the river and the city. The research presented in this e-book shows that the complexity of urban environmental transformation along rivers in the megacities of the Global South requires a change of perspective, going beyond such a dichotomous view. By linking a discourse analytical approach with concepts from governance research and urban political ecology, this study introduces the theoretical framework of riverscapes as socio-ecological hybrids for a comprehensive analysis. The concept is applied to the river Yamuna. Delhi's riverscapes have recently seen large-scale slum demolitions and the development of urban mega-projects. These dynamic land-use changes are deeply connected to changing discursive framings of the role and function of Delhi's riverscapes in the remaking of the megacity. The study shows how dominant discourses and their associated narratives have remained persistent over long periods of time and the influence they continue to have on urban environmental change and governance CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES LIST OF MAPS GLOSSARY LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS SUMMARY ZUSAMMENFASSUNG PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH CONTEXT 1 INTRODUCTION 2 INDIA’S MEGACITIES: CHALLENGING URBAN ECOLOGIES II THEORETICAL REFLECTIONS 3 GOVERNING RIVERSCAPES:THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL REFLECTIONS III METHODOLOGY AND METHODS 4 METHODOLOGY 5 METHODS AND FIELDWORK IV SITUATING THE CASE STUDY 6 THE MEGACITY OF DELHI 7 INTRODUCING DELHI’S RIVERSCAPES 8 URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE: INTRODUCING ACTORS AND POLICY DEBATES V HISTORICAL-GEOGRAPHICAL INSIGHTS INTO THE MATERIAL AND DISCURSIVE REMAKING OF DELHI’S RIVERSCAPES 9 THE EARLY REMAKING OF DELHI’S RIVERSCAPES 10 CHANNELIZATION AND RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT – A PERSISTENT IDEA 11 DRAFTING THE ZONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN VI THE RECLAMATION OF DELHI’S RIVERSCAPES FOR A WORLD-CLASS CITY IN THE MAKING 12 MULTI-TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF LAND-USE CHANGE (2001–2014) 13 ‘CLEANSING’ AND ‘RECLAIMING’ DELHI’S RIVERSCAPES 14 THE POLITICAL ECOLOGY OF EMBANKMENTS AND URBAN MEGA-PROJECTS VII AFTER THE URBAN MEGA-PROJECTS: PURIFYING DELHI’S RIVERSCAPES FOR RESTORATION, CONSERVATION AND BEAUTIFICATION 15 ‘MANAGING DISSENT’: SIGNS OF CHANGE 16 REDEFINING THE RIVER’S BOUNDARIES VIII GOVERNING DELHI’S RIVERSCAPES: A SYNTHESIS 17 REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION 18 CONCLUSION REFERENCES APPENDIX MAPS COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS