Water and Development: Good Governance after Neoliberalism (Crop International Studies in Poverty Research)

Water is essential not merely for its most basic use of sustaining life, but also for a wide range of economic and social development projects, including agriculture, industry, mining, power generation, and much more. Yet access to water, and the right to exploit, use, or buy and sell it, has been a contentious issue for years—with particular force recently and in Africa. This book examines a wide range of issues related to the question of water and development, gathering experts in numerous fields to explore such topics as governance, solar distillation, gender, and many more. Using research methods that run the gamut from participant observation to the analysis of GIS data, the contributors continually look for ways to develop a participatory, sustainable approach to water that is rooted in its nature as a fundamentally public necessity. Front Cover 1 About CROP 2 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Figures and Tables 8 Acknowledgements 10 Abbreviations and Acronyms 11 Part One: Context 14 Introduction 16 Reference 23 1: Water, Development and Good Governance 24 Introduction 25 Developmentalism 26 Market Miracles 30 Soft Solutions 34 Ways Forward 38 References 41 2: Liquid Dynamics: Challenges for Sustainability in the Water Domain 43 Introduction 43 Current Debates: Examining the Fault-Lines and Beyond 45 Addressing Sustainability in Dynamic Water Systems 53 Meeting Governance Challenges in Water 61 Designing Appraisal of Water Systems and Services 64 Conclusions: Ways Forward for Research and Practice 66 Note 68 References 68 3: Can IWRM Float on a Sea of Underdevelopment? Reflections on Twenty-Plus Years of ‘Reform’ in Sub-Saharan Africa 73 Introduction 73 Somewhere Between the ‘Is’ and the ‘Ought’ 75 The African State Form 79 Signs of ‘The Ought’ 82 (i) States as Beneficiaries 83 (ii) Pressure from Below 88 (iii) ‘Peer Pressure’ 89 (iv) The Irresistible Setting 91 (v) Out of Sight, Out of Mind 91 Conclusion 93 Notes 93 References 93 4: Water Politics in Eastern and Southern Africa 97 Introduction 97 Different Meanings of the IWRM-Based Water Sector Reform 105 Institutional Change 107 Overlaying Decentralized Institutions of Water Management 107 Parallel Processes of Decentralization 111 Multiple Decentralizations 112 Mismatch Between Rain-Fed and Wetland Agriculture and Participation 113 Lack of Knowledge Among Representatives of New Water Users 113 References 115 Part Two: Case Study 118 5: Integrated Water Management and Social Development in Uganda 120 Introduction 120 Uganda’s Rural Water Supply Sector in a Historical Perspective 121 Access to Safe Water in Sub-Saharan Africa and the National Picture in Uganda 123 Social-Spatial Disparities in a Rural Parish of Lwengo District 125 Socio-Demographic Profile of Households 126 Household Composition and Leadership 127 Household Poverty 128 Household Access to Water 130 Health 140 Water Usage in the Home 141 Knowledge and Perceptions About Safe Water Service Delivery 143 Conclusion 145 Notes 146 References 146 6: Governance and Safe Water Provisioning in Uganda: Theory and Practice 148 Introduction 148 Access to Safe Water and the Governance Challenge 149 Defining Water Governance 150 Actors, Roles and Responsibilities in Uganda’s Institutional Framework for Rural Water Supply 152 Conclusion 162 Notes 163 References 163 7: Woman Water Keeper? Women’s Troubled Participation in Water Resource Management 165 Introduction 165 Women as Community Water Keepers 165 Gender and Construction of Water Technologies 168 Representation in Water User Committees 170 Conducting Meetings 174 Setting the Agenda 176 Conclusion 181 Notes 182 References 182 8: Women and Water Politics: An Ethnographic Gender Perspective 185 Introduction 185 Women, Water and Health 186 Gender Perspectives 187 Gender and Water – Evidence from Uganda 187 Water and Health – A Sociocultural Perspective 190 Conclusion 191 Note 192 References 192 9: Understanding Adaptive Capacity on the Ground: A Case of Agro-Pastoralists in a Rural Parish, Uganda 194 Introduction 194 The Research Approach 195 Agro-Pastoralists’ Adaptive Capacities and their Importance in the Wider Community 198 Interaction Between Adaptive Capacity and the Process of Land Enclosure 204 Conflicts with Other Resource Users 206 Conclusion 208 Note 209 References 209 10: Functional Sustainability of Hand Pumps for Rural Water Supply 211 Introduction 211 Methodology 214 Results and Discussion 216 Conclusion 221 References 221 Part Three: Balance Sheet 224 11: Beyond the MDGS: Can the Water Crisis for the Poor Finally Be Resolved? 226 Introduction 226 The Main Issues 227 Strategy in Water and Sanitation Delivery 228 Trends in Deprivation: Africa vs Southern Asia 233 Trends in Access in Africa 235 Relative and Absolute Deprivation 239 Six Findings 240 The Politics of Delivery 241 Bottom-Up Perspectives 243 Sustainability: Climate Change and Responses 249 Post-2015 Options 250 Conclusion 254 Notes 256 References 257 Notes on Contributors 259 Index 264 Back Cover 273 Front Cover......Page 1 About CROP......Page 2 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright ......Page 5 Contents ......Page 6 Figures and Tables ......Page 8 Acknowledgements ......Page 10 Abbreviations and Acronyms ......Page 11 Part One: Context......Page 14 Introduction ......Page 16 Reference ......Page 23 1: Water, Development and Good Governance......Page 24 Introduction ......Page 25 Developmentalism ......Page 26 Market Miracles ......Page 30 Soft Solutions ......Page 34 Ways Forward ......Page 38 References ......Page 41 Introduction ......Page 43 Current Debates: Examining the Fault-Lines and Beyond......Page 45 Addressing Sustainability in Dynamic Water Systems ......Page 53 Meeting Governance Challenges in Water ......Page 61 Designing Appraisal of Water Systems and Services ......Page 64 Conclusions: Ways Forward for Research and Practice ......Page 66 References ......Page 68 Introduction ......Page 73 Somewhere Between the ‘Is’ and the ‘Ought’......Page 75 The African State Form ......Page 79 Signs of ‘The Ought’......Page 82 (i) States as Beneficiaries ......Page 83 (ii) Pressure from Below ......Page 88 (iii) ‘Peer Pressure’......Page 89 (v) Out of Sight, Out of Mind ......Page 91 References ......Page 93 Introduction ......Page 97 Different Meanings of the IWRM-Based Water Sector Reform......Page 105 Overlaying Decentralized Institutions of Water Management ......Page 107 Parallel Processes of Decentralization ......Page 111 Multiple Decentralizations ......Page 112 Lack of Knowledge Among Representatives of New Water Users ......Page 113 References ......Page 115 Part Two: Case Study......Page 118 Introduction ......Page 120 Uganda’s Rural Water Supply Sector in a Historical Perspective ......Page 121 Access to Safe Water in Sub-Saharan Africa and the National Picture in Uganda......Page 123 Social-Spatial Disparities in a Rural Parish of Lwengo District......Page 125 Socio-Demographic Profile of Households......Page 126 Household Composition and Leadership ......Page 127 Household Poverty ......Page 128 Household Access to Water ......Page 130 Health ......Page 140 Water Usage in the Home ......Page 141 Knowledge and Perceptions About Safe Water Service Delivery ......Page 143 Conclusion ......Page 145 References ......Page 146 Introduction ......Page 148 Access to Safe Water and the Governance Challenge ......Page 149 Defining Water Governance ......Page 150 Actors, Roles and Responsibilities in Uganda’s Institutional Framework for Rural Water Supply ......Page 152 Conclusion ......Page 162 References ......Page 163 Women as Community Water Keepers ......Page 165 Gender and Construction of Water Technologies ......Page 168 Representation in Water User Committees ......Page 170 Conducting Meetings ......Page 174 Setting the Agenda ......Page 176 Conclusion ......Page 181 References ......Page 182 Introduction ......Page 185 Women, Water and Health ......Page 186 Gender and Water – Evidence from Uganda ......Page 187 Water and Health – A Sociocultural Perspective......Page 190 Conclusion ......Page 191 References ......Page 192 Introduction ......Page 194 The Research Approach ......Page 195 Agro-Pastoralists’ Adaptive Capacities and their Importance in the Wider Community......Page 198 Interaction Between Adaptive Capacity and the Process of Land Enclosure ......Page 204 Conflicts with Other Resource Users ......Page 206 Conclusion ......Page 208 References ......Page 209 Introduction ......Page 211 Methodology ......Page 214 Results and Discussion ......Page 216 References ......Page 221 Part Three: Balance Sheet......Page 224 Introduction ......Page 226 The Main Issues ......Page 227 Strategy in Water and Sanitation Delivery ......Page 228 Trends in Deprivation: Africa vs Southern Asia ......Page 233 Trends in Access in Africa ......Page 235 Relative and Absolute Deprivation ......Page 239 Six Findings ......Page 240 The Politics of Delivery ......Page 241 Bottom-Up Perspectives......Page 243 Sustainability: Climate Change and Responses ......Page 249 Post-2015 Options ......Page 250 Conclusion ......Page 254 Notes ......Page 256 References ......Page 257 Notes on Contributors ......Page 259 Index ......Page 264 Back Cover......Page 273

Water has always been a crucial catalyst for human development. In Africa, competition among different sectors for this scarce resource remains a critical challenge to water managers and decision-makers.

Water and Development examines a range of issues, from governance to solar distillation, from gender to water pumps, using a range of research methods, from participant observation to GIS and SPSS data analysis. Throughout, however, there is the unifying thread of developing a participatory and sustainable approach to water which recognises it as an essential public necessity.

The result is essential reading both for students of development and the environment and for NGOs and policy-makers seeking a robust and transformational approach to water and development.

Water has always been a crucial catalyst for human development. In Africa, competition among different sectors for this scarce resource remains a critical challenge to water managers and decision-makers. Water and Development examines a range of issues, from governance to solar distillation, from gender to water pumps, using a range of research methods, from participant observation to GIS and SPSS data analysis. Throughout, however, there is the unifying thread of developing a participatory and sustainable approach to water which recognises it as an essential public necessity. The result is essential reading both for students of development and the environment and for NGOs and policy-makers seeking a robust and transformational approach to water and development. Examines current debates around water, development and governance in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. --From publisher description