| 1. |
- Ahlers, R., et al.
(författare)
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Unleashing Entrepreneurs or Controlling Unruly Providers? : The Formalisation of Small-scale Water Providers in Greater Maputo, Mozambique
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Development Studies. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0022-0388 .- 1743-9140. ; 49:4, s. 470-482
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The existing legal and policy framework regulating water service provision in Greater Maputo, Mozambique appears fixated on the official service areas. In doing so it inadequately addresses the geographically varied service provision modalities which characterise the city. We argue that the predominant legal and policy framework does little to support development of improved services in areas unserved by the formal utility. Although ad hoc measures recognising small-scale providers as a temporary alternative to service provision by a formal utility have been implemented, these measures appear designed to increase control over these providers rather than support the service delivery capacity of small-scale providers.
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| 2. |
- Alda-Vidal, C., et al.
(författare)
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Mapping operation and maintenance : an everyday urbanism analysis of inequalities within piped water supply in Lilongwe, Malawi
- 2018
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Ingår i: Urban Geography. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0272-3638 .- 1938-2847. ; 39:1, s. 104-121
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this article, we analyze the production of inequalities within the centralized water supply network of Lilongwe. We use a process-based analysis to understand how urban infrastructure is made to work and explain the disparity in levels of service by tracing the everyday practices of those who operate the infrastructure. This extends existing analyses of everyday practices in relation to urban water inequalities in African cities by focusing on formal operators, rather than water users, and looking within the networked system, rather than outside it. Our findings show that these practices work to exacerbate existing water stress in poor areas of the city. We conclude with a reflection on how understanding these practices as the product of the perceptions, rationalizations, and interpretations of utility staff who seek to manage the city’s (limited) water as best they can offers insight into what is required for a more progressive urban water politics.
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| 3. |
- Alda-Vidal, C., et al.
(författare)
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Occupational genders and gendered occupations : the case of water provisioning in Maputo, Mozambique
- 2017
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Ingår i: Gender, Place and Culture. - 0966-369X .- 1360-0524. ; 24:7, s. 974-990
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Taking issue with how associations between technical prowess or entrepreneurship and masculinity tend to be taken for granted or are seen as stemming from natural or intrinsic gender differences, over the last two decades feminist scholars have developed theoretical approaches to understand the gendering of professions and abilities as the performative outcome of particular cultures and histories. We build on these insights to explore how associations between masculinities, technology and entrepreneurship shape ideas and practices of small-scale water provision in Maputo. Our findings show how activities (i.e. technical craftsmanship, hard physical work) or abilities (i.e. risk-taking, innovativeness) regarded as masculine tend to be considered the defining features of the profession. This shapes how men and women make sense of and talk about their work, each of them tactically emphasizing and performing those aspects best fitting their gender. Our detailed documentation of men’s and women’s everyday involvements in water provisioning challenges the existence of sharp boundaries and distinctions between genders and professional responsibilities. It shows that water provisioning requires many other types of work and skills and male and female household members collaborate and share their work. The strong normative-cultural associations between gender and water provisioning lead to a distinct under-recognition of women’s importance as water providers. We conclude that strategies to effectively support small-scale water businesses while creating more space and power for women involved in the business require the explicit recognition and re-conceptualization of water provisioning as a household business.
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| 4. |
- Boakye-Ansah, A. S., et al.
(författare)
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Inequalities in microbial contamination of drinking water supplies in urban areas : The case of Lilongwe, Malawi
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Water and Health. - : IWA Publishing. - 1477-8920 .- 1996-7829. ; 14:5, s. 851-863
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Over past decades strategies for improving access to drinking water in cities of the Global South have mainly focused on increasing coverage, while water quality has often been overlooked. This paper focuses on drinking water quality in the centralized water supply network of Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. It shows how microbial contamination of drinking water is unequally distributed to consumers in low-income (unplanned areas) and higher-income neighbourhoods (planned areas). Microbial contamination and residual disinfectant concentration were measured in 170 water samples collected from in-house taps in high-income areas and from kiosks and water storage facilities in low-income areas between November 2014 and January 2015. Faecal contamination (Escherichia coli) was detected in 10% of the 40 samples collected from planned areas, in 59% of the 64 samples collected from kiosks in the unplanned areas and in 75% of the 32 samples of water stored at household level. Differences in water quality in planned and unplanned areas were found to be statistically significant at p < 0.05. Finally, the paper shows how the inequalities in microbial contamination of drinking water are produced by decisions both on the development of the water supply infrastructure and on how this is operated and maintained.
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| 5. |
- Di Baldassarre, Giuliano, et al.
(författare)
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Brief communication : Comparing hydrological and hydrogeomorphic paradigms for global flood hazard mapping
- 2020
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Ingår i: Natural hazards and earth system sciences. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1561-8633 .- 1684-9981. ; 20:5, s. 1415-1419
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Global floodplain mapping has rapidly progressed over the past few years. Different methods have been proposed to identify areas prone to river flooding, resulting in a plethora of available products. Here we assess the potential and limitations of two main paradigms and provide guidance on the use of these global products in assessing flood risk in data-poor regions.
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| 6. |
- Di Baldassarre, Giuliano, et al.
(författare)
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Integrating Multiple Research Methods to Unravel the Complexity of Human-Water Systems
- 2021
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Ingår i: AGU Advances. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2576-604X. ; 2:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Predicting floods and droughts is essential to inform the development of policy in water management, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. Yet, hydrological predictions are highly uncertain, while the frequency, severity and spatial distribution of extreme events are further complicated by the increasing impact of human activities on the water cycle. In this commentary, we argue that four main aspects characterizing the complexity of human-water systems should be explicitly addressed: feedbacks, scales, tradeoffs and inequalities. We propose the integration of multiple research methods as a way to cope with complexity and develop policy-relevant science.Plain Language SummarySeveral governments today claim to be following the science in addressing crises caused by the occurrence of extreme events, such as floods and droughts, or the emergence of global threats, such as climate change and COVID-19. In this commentary, we show that there are no universal answers to apparently simple questions such as: Do levees reduce flood risk? Do reservoirs alleviate droughts? We argue that the best science we have consists of a plurality of legitimate interpretations and a range of foresights, which can be enriched by integrating multiple disciplines and research methods.
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| 7. |
- Di Baldassarre, Giuliano, et al.
(författare)
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Multiple hazards and risk perceptions over time : the availability heuristic in Italy and Sweden under COVID-19
- 2021
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Ingår i: Natural hazards and earth system sciences. - : Copernicus Publications. - 1561-8633 .- 1684-9981. ; 21:11, s. 3439-3447
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The severe impact of global crises, such as COVID-19 and climate change, is plausibly reshaping the way in which people perceive risks. In this paper, we examine and compare how global crises and local disasters influence public perceptions of multiple hazards in Italy and Sweden. To this end, we integrate information about the occurrence of hazardous events with the results of two nationwide surveys. These included more than 4000 participants and were conducted in two different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic corresponding to low (August 2020) and high (November 2020) levels of infection rates. We found that, in both countries, people are more worried about risks related to experienced events. This is in line with the cognitive process known as the availability heuristic: individuals assess the risk associated with a given hazard based on how easily it comes to their mind. Epidemics, for example, are perceived as less likely and more impactful in Italy compared to Sweden. This outcome can be explained by cross-country differences in the impact of, as well as governmental responses to, COVID-19. Notwithstanding the ongoing pandemic, people in both Italy and Sweden are highly concerned about climate change, and they rank it as the most likely threat.
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| 8. |
- Di Baldassarre, Giuliano, et al.
(författare)
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Sociohydrology : Scientific Challenges in Addressing the Sustainable Development Goals
- 2019
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Ingår i: Water resources research. - 0043-1397 .- 1944-7973. ; 55:8, s. 6327-6355
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations Agenda 2030 represent an ambitious blueprint to reduce inequalities globally and achieve a sustainable future for all mankind. Meeting the SDGs for water requires an integrated approach to managing and allocating water resources, by involving all actors and stakeholders, and considering how water resources link different sectors of society. To date, water management practice is dominated by technocratic, scenario-based approaches that may work well in the short term but can result in unintended consequences in the long term due to limited accounting of dynamic feedbacks between the natural, technical, and social dimensions of human-water systems. The discipline of sociohydrology has an important role to play in informing policy by developing a generalizable understanding of phenomena that arise from interactions between water and human systems. To explain these phenomena, sociohydrology must address several scientific challenges to strengthen the field and broaden its scope. These include engagement with social scientists to accommodate social heterogeneity, power relations, trust, cultural beliefs, and cognitive biases, which strongly influence the way in which people alter, and adapt to, changing hydrological regimes. It also requires development of new methods to formulate and test alternative hypotheses for the explanation of emergent phenomena generated by feedbacks between water and society. Advancing sociohydrology in these ways therefore represents a major contribution toward meeting the targets set by the SDGs, the societal grand challenge of our time. Plain Language Summary Water crises that humanity faces are increasingly connected and are growing in complexity. As such, they require a more integrated approach in managing water resources, which involves all actors and stakeholders and considers how water resources link different sectors of society. Yet, water management practice is still dominated by technocratic approaches, which emphasize technical solutions. While these approaches may work in the short-term, they often result in unintended consequences in the long-term. Sociohydrology is developing a generalizable understanding of the interactions and feedbacks between natural,technical and social processes, which can improve water management practice. As such, advancing sociohydrology can contribute to address the global water crises and meet the water-related targets defined by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
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| 9. |
- Di Baldassarre, Giuliano, et al.
(författare)
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The legacy of large dams in the United States
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Ambio. - : Springer. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 50:10, s. 1798-1808
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The sustainability of large dams has been questioned on several grounds. One aspect that has been less explored is that the development of dams and reservoirs often enables agricultural expansion and urban growth, which in turn increase water consumption. As such, dam development influences, while being influenced by, the spatial and temporal distribution of both supply and demand of water resources. In this paper, we explore the interplay between large dams, patterns of population growth and agricultural expansion in the United States over the past two centuries. Based on a large-scale analysis of spatial and temporal trends, we identify three distinct phases, in which different processes dominated the interplay. Then, we focus on agricultural water use in the Southwest region (Arizona, California and Nevada) and explore chicken-and-egg dynamics where water supply partly meets and partly fuels water demand. Lastly, we show that the legacy of dams in the United States consists of a lock-in condition characterized by high levels of water consumption, especially in the Southwest, which leads to severe water crises and groundwater overexploitation when droughts occur.
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| 10. |
- Dodman, David, et al.
(författare)
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A spectrum of methods for a spectrum of risk : Generating evidence to understand and reduce urban risk in sub‐Saharan Africa
- 2019
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Ingår i: Area (London 1969). - : Wiley. - 0004-0894 .- 1475-4762. ; 51:3, s. 586-594
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many African towns and cities face a range of hazards, which can best be described as representing a “spectrum of risk” of events that can cause death, illness or injury, and impoverishment. Yet despite the growing numbers of people living in African urban centres, the extent and relative severity of these different risks is poorly understood. This paper provides a rationale for using a spectrum of methods to address this spectrum of risk, and demonstrates the utility of mixed‐methods approaches in planning for resilience. It describes activities undertaken in a wide‐ranging multi‐country programme of research, which use multiple approaches to gather empirical data on risk, in order to build a stronger evidence base and provide a more solid base for planning and investment. It concludes that methods need to be chosen in regard to social, political economic, biophysical and hydrogeological context, while also recognising the different levels of complexity and institutional capacity in different urban centres. The paper concludes that as well as the importance of taking individual contexts into account, there are underlying methodological principles – based on multidisciplinary expertise and multi‐faceted and collaborative research endeavours – that can inform a range of related approaches to understanding urban risk in sub‐Saharan Africa and break the cycle of risk accumulation.
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| 11. |
- Dodman, D., et al.
(författare)
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African Urbanisation and Urbanism : Implications for risk accumulation and reduction
- 2017
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. - : Elsevier. - 2212-4209. ; 26, s. 7-15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is an increasing recognition of the need to understand and address risks of various kinds in African cities. However, there have been very few explicit examinations of the way in which the specific characteristics of African urbanisation and urbanism drive risk, or the way in which responses to risk should take these characteristics into account. This paper presents a critical review of the key features of African urban experiences, and analyses the implications for the creation and reduction of diverse risks, from the everyday to the extensive. It argues that the physical forms, social structures, economic pathways, and governance systems of cities on the continent shape their risk profiles. Of particular importance are the nature of spatial expansion, the demographic profiles of cities, and the prevalence of informal economies and settlements; while the reform of governance systems will be critical to enable risk reduction. The paper concludes that urban development actors need to consider the consequences of their actions for risk, while risk reduction practitioners will need to engage with all elements of urban development, including informality, urban poverty, infrastructure and service provision, land management, and local governance capacity.
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| 12. |
- Ghosh, Emily, et al.
(författare)
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Building inclusive cities for a sustainable future
- 2021
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Ingår i: One Earth. - : Elsevier. - 2590-3330 .- 2590-3322. ; 4:2, s. 161-164
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- As engines of economic growth and pollution hotspots, cities have been cited as a prime opportunity to address a host of environmental grand challenges. Yet action taken is not always universally beneficial, and inequalities are spiraling. This Voices seeks to uncover the heterogeneity of urban inequality and identify necessary actions for a fairer future.
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| 13. |
- Lindersson, Sara, et al.
(författare)
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The wider the gap between rich and poor the higher the flood mortality
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Nature Sustainability. - : Springer Nature. - 2398-9629.
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Economic inequality is rising within many countries globally, and this can significantly influence the social vulnerability to natural hazards. We analysed income inequality and flood disasters in 67 middle- and high-income countries between 1990 and 2018 and found that unequal countries tend to suffer more flood fatalities. This study integrates geocoded mortality records from 573 major flood disasters with population and economic data to perform generalized linear mixed regression modelling. Our results show that the significant association between income inequality and flood mortality persists after accounting for the per-capita real gross domestic product, population size in flood-affected regions and other potentially confounding variables. The protective effect of increasing gross domestic product disappeared when accounting for income inequality and population size in flood-affected regions. On the basis of our results, we argue that the increasingly uneven distribution of wealth deserves more attention within international disaster-risk research and policy arenas.
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| 14. |
- Mazzoleni, Maurizio, et al.
(författare)
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Floodplains in the Anthropocene : A Global Analysis of the Interplay Between Human Population, Built Environment, and Flood Severity
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Water resources research. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0043-1397 .- 1944-7973. ; 57:2
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study presents a global explanatory analysis of the interplay between the severity of flood losses and human presence in floodplain areas. In particular, we relate economic losses and fatalities caused by floods during 1990-2000, with changes in human population and built-up areas in floodplains during 2000-2015 by exploiting global archives. We found that population and built-up areas in floodplains increased in the period 2000-2015 for the majority of the analyzed countries, albeit frequent flood losses in the previous period 1990-2000. In some countries, however, population in floodplains decreased in the period 2000-2015, following more severe floods losses that occurred in the period 1975-2000. Our analysis shows that (i) in low-income countries, population in floodplains increased after a period of high flood fatalities; while (ii) in upper-middle and high-income countries, built-up areas increased after a period of frequent economic losses. In this study, we also provide a general framework to advance knowledge of human-flood interactions and support the development of sustainable policies and measures for flood risk management and disaster risk reduction.
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| 15. |
- Mondino, Elena, et al.
(författare)
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Public perceptions of multiple risks during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and Sweden
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Scientific Data. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2052-4463. ; 7
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Knowing how people perceive multiple risks is essential to the management and promotion of public health and safety. Here we present a dataset based on a survey (N = 4,154) of public risk perception in Italy and Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both countries were heavily affected by the first wave of infections in Spring 2020, but their governmental responses were very different. As such, the dataset offers unique opportunities to investigate the role of governmental responses in shaping public risk perception. In addition to epidemics, the survey considered indirect effects of COVID-19 (domestic violence, economic crises), as well as global (climate change) and local (wildfires, floods, droughts, earthquakes, terror attacks) threats. The survey examines perceived likelihoods and impacts, individual and authorities' preparedness and knowledge, and socio-demographic indicators. Hence, the resulting dataset has the potential to enable a plethora of analyses on social, cultural and institutional factors influencing the way in which people perceive risk.
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| 16. |
- Pihljak, Lejla H., et al.
(författare)
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Everyday practices in the production of uneven water pricing regimes in Lilongwe, Malawi
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Environment and Planning C. - : Sage Publications. - 2399-6544 .- 2399-6552. ; 39:2, s. 300-317
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent scholarship has called for widening investigations of cities through the analysis of everyday practices that shape urban life. Critical water studies have contributed to this emerging debate by using an everyday lens to document the diversity of practices of accessing and distributing water. Thus far, little attention has been given to the everyday practices of setting water prices and how these shape access. We contribute to this gap by investigating the practices of setting prices in two distinct service modalities within Lilongwe's water supply network. Our study reveals the hybrid and dynamic arrangements that shape pricing regimes, formed through the formal and informal negotiations on subsidies, incentives, tariff increases and distribution of profits. In these negotiations, the decision makers opportunistically mobilise their different and at times conflicting mandates (business and social) and guiding principles (equity versus cost-recovery). We conclude that pricing regimes are the outcome of intertwined structural processes and everyday practices that exacerbate uneven water flows in the city.
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| 17. |
- Rangecroft, Sally, et al.
(författare)
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Bridging the gap : reply to discussion of "Guiding principles for hydrologists conducting interdisciplinary research and fieldwork with participants"
- 2022
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Ingår i: Hydrological Sciences Journal. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0262-6667 .- 2150-3435. ; 67:7, s. 1149-1151
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In this reply we thank both authors for their thoughtful insights on our original opinion piece "Guiding principles for hydrologists conducting interdisciplinary research and fieldwork with participants." We believe these discussions will help to inspire and guide current and future researchers and illustrate how to continue to bring together physical and social data, experiences, and perspectives, and bridge the gap between the two disciplines with respect to socio-hydrological topics. Furthermore, we are confident that these insights and experiences will help foster a deeper understanding for hydrologists and natural scientists engaging with these discussions and research. Here we focus on two important themes that cut across both Quandt and Haeffner's replies: (1) further discussions on the importance of perceptions and lived experiences; and (2) further discussions on collaborative working and some of the major external barriers.
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| 18. |
- Rangecroft, Sally, et al.
(författare)
-
Guiding principles for hydrologists conducting interdisciplinary research and fieldwork with participants
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Hydrological Sciences Journal. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0262-6667 .- 2150-3435. ; 66:2, s. 214-225
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To explore and address complex water-related issues, true collaborative, interdisciplinary research at the interface of hydrology and social science is necessary. Accordingly, hydrologists are increasingly working with social sciences and becoming involved in fieldwork with participants. With the overarching aim of facilitating collaboration and interdisciplinary water research, here we discuss important considerations and guiding principles for hydrologists, both those new to and those already familiar with interdisciplinary research, who are: (i) involved in fieldwork with participants; and (ii) working more collaboratively with social scientists. Drawing on first-hand experiences, this paper combines theory and experience from hydrologists and social scientists from their various interdisciplinary research projects to better understand key ethical, theoretical and practical considerations when working with participants. Complementary to this, we discuss the barriers and opportunities in collaborative interdisciplinary research. Facilitating these practices and understandings for hydrologists is essential to strengthen collaboration and to develop more holistic, successful research.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Rusca, Maria, Dr, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Bathing without water, and other stories of everyday hygiene practices and risk perception in urban low-income areas : the case of Lilongwe, Malawi
- 2017
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Ingår i: Environment and Urbanization. - : SAGE Publications. - 0956-2478 .- 1746-0301. ; 29:2, s. 533-550
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hygiene plays a key role in tipping the balance towards reduction of diarrhoeal and other infectious diseases. Yet it has often been overlooked, positioned as a “supporting rider” of water supply and sanitation services, or narrowly understood as handwashing. By focusing on handwashing infrastructure as proposed for the monitoring of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, development actors might miss the opportunity of capturing hygiene practices that are socially embedded and can act as a catalyst for change and risk reduction. We develop this argument by presenting an in-depth examination of hygiene practices in a low-income neighbourhood of Lilongwe, Malawi. Despite the high poverty levels and the constant water shortages in the area, a number of water-intensive hygiene practices are consistently carried out, proving that hygiene is central to residents’ everyday lives. Development projects should start by identifying these practices and by reflecting on the extent that these already work or can be made to work for reducing health-related risks.
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| 21. |
- Rusca, Maria, Dr, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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From passive recipient to empowered client? : The changing role of water consumers
- 2012
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Ingår i: Environmental Engineering and Management Journal. - 1582-9596 .- 1843-3707. ; 11:5, s. 991-997
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The traditional paradigm promoting government responsibility for providing water services has, in practice, translated into a strongly supply-driven approach. With the onset of neo-liberalism and increasing prominence of social movements, this supply-driven approach is argued to be outdated and in need of replacement by a more demand-driven approach. Whilst sharing a strong emphasis on individualism, these two ideological approaches have contrasting views on this notion. In the neoliberal perspective individualism is linked to the role of the consumer as purchaser of services. For the social movements it refers to the individual rights of the citizen. In both approaches, however, the role of the consumer is envisaged to change from a passive recipient to an active agent in the service provision process. In this article, we recognize the significant impact of both neo-liberalism and social movements on the provision of public services as well as question the degree to which it really does lead to a modified role for the consumer. We argue that the envisioned role of the consumer as an active agent wielding their power to influence the provision of services is based more on rhetoric than on empirical evidence.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Rusca, Maria, Dr, 1977-
(författare)
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(In) formality: : the meshwork of water service provisioning
- 2015
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Ingår i: WIREs Water. - : Wiley. - 2049-1948. ; 2:1, s. 31-36
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cities in developing countries have for many decades been characterized by the co-existence of different service provision modalities. These modalities usually include a formal water utility and an array of small-scale private or community-based service providers. In recent years, the topic of informality in water provisioning has been subject to an upsurge in interest of both policy makers and academics. Frequently, literature on the topic distinguishes between infor- mal providers and formal providers suggesting that a provider belongs to either a formal or informal domain. By highlighting the infrastructure, financing, and regu- latory institutions of small-scale service provisioning in Greater Maputo, Mozam- bique, this article illustrates how informality and formality are interdependent and permeate throughout the water provisioning process creating a meshwork of ser- vice provisioning. Actors involved in service provisioning embody multiple identi- ties and use these identities in various sites of governance in order to develop their water business. By adopting this approach to informality, it becomes impossible to distinguish convincingly between formal and informal providers. Instead, it leads to a focus on water provisioning rather than providers, in which informality and formality traverse through the service provision process.
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| 24. |
- Rusca, Maria, Dr, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Interdisciplinary Critical Geographies of Water : Capturing the Mutual Shaping of Society and Hydrological Flows
- 2019
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Ingår i: Water. - : MDPI. - 2073-4441. ; 11:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In light of recent calls for an increased commitment to interdisciplinary endeavors, this paper reflects on the implications of a critical geography of water that crosses social and natural sciences. Questions on how to best research the relationship between water and society have been raised both in the field of critical geographies of water and sociohydrology. Yet, there has been little crossover between these disciplinary perspectives. This, we argue, may be partly explained by the fact that interdisciplinary research is both advocated and antagonized. On the one hand, interdisciplinarity is argued to deliver more in terms of effectively informing policy processes and developing theoretical perspectives that can reform and regenerate knowledge. On the other hand, natural and social sciences are often presented as ontologically, epistemologically, and methodologically incompatible. Drawing on our own research experience and expertise, this paper focuses on the multiple ways in which critical geographies of water and sociohydrology are convergent, compatible, and complementary. We reflect on the existing theoretical instruments to engage in interdisciplinary research and question some of the assumptions on the methodological and epistemological incompatibility between natural and social sciences. We then propose that an interdisciplinary resource geography can further understandings of how power and the non-human co-constitute the social world and hydrological flows and advance conceptualizations of water as socionatures.
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| 25. |
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| 26. |
- Rusca, Maria, Dr, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Scenarios of Human Responses to Unprecedented Social-Environmental Extreme Events
- 2021
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Ingår i: Earth's Future. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2328-4277. ; 9:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In a rapidly changing world, what is today an unprecedented extreme may soon become the norm. As a result, extreme-related disasters are expected to become more frequent and intense. This will have widespread socio-economic consequences and affect the ability of different societal groups to recover from and adapt to rapidly changing environmental conditions. Therefore, there is the need to decipher the relation between genesis of unprecedented events, accumulation and distribution of risk, and recovery trajectories across different societal groups. Here, we develop an analytical approach to unravel the complexity of future extremes and multiscalar societal responses-from households to national governments and from immediate impacts to longer term recovery. This requires creating new forms of knowledge that integrate analyses of the past-that is, structural causes and political processes of risk accumulation and differentiated recovery trajectories-with plausible scenarios of future environmental extremes grounded in the event-specific literature. We specifically seek to combine the physical characteristics of the extremes with examinations of how culture, politics, power, and policy visions shape societal responses to unprecedented events, and interpret the events as social-environmental extremes. This new approach, at the nexus between social and natural sciences, has the concrete advantage of providing an impact-focused vision of future social-environmental risks, beyond what is achievable within conventional disciplinary boundaries. In this paper, we focus on extreme flooding events and the societal responses they elicit. However, our approach is flexible and applicable to a wide range of extreme events. We see it as the first building block of a new field of research, allowing for novel and integrated theoretical explanations and forecasting of social-environmental extremes.
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| 27. |
- Rusca, Maria, Dr, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Space, state-building and the hydraulic mission : Crafting the Mozambican state
- 2019
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Ingår i: Environment and Planning C. - 2399-6544 .- 2399-6552. ; 37:5, s. 868-888
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article explores the role of large-scale water infrastructure in the formation of states in sub-Saharan Africa. We examine this through a focus on government agents and their shifting hydro-developmental visions of the state in colonial and post-colonial Mozambique. Over time, the focus, underlying principles and goals of the hydraulic mission shifted, triggered by contextual factors and historical developments within and outside the country. We identify the making of three hydraulic paradigms, fostering different imaginaries of ‘the state’ and social and spatial engineering of the territory: the ‘Estado Novo’ (1930–1974), the socialist post-independence state-space (1974–1987) and the neoliberal state (1987–present). We then conclude by discussing how the shifting discursive justifications for infrastructure projects consolidate different state projects and link these to material re-patterning of hydrosocial territories. Whilst promoted as a rupture with the past, emerging projects tend to reaffirm, rather than redistribute, power and water within the country.
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| 28. |
- Rusca, Maria, Dr, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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The paradox of cost recovery in heterogeneous municipal water supply systems : Ensuring inclusiveness or exacerbating inequalities?
- 2018
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Ingår i: Habitat International. - : Elsevier BV. - 0197-3975. ; 73, s. 101-108
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Over the past decades ‘water for all’ has become a dominant development mantra, illustrated by global strategies like the Millennium Development Goals (2000–2015) and the Sustainable Development Goals (2015–2030). Cost-recovering tariffs have been placed at the core of these strategies on the grounds that they warrant more inclusive water services by enhancing utilities' performance, ensuring efficient demand management and empowering consumers. This paper questions these assumptions for cities in sub-Saharan Africa, where inclusive urban water services are to be achieved in a context of extreme socio-economic inequalities and the water utility provides water through heterogeneous service modalities. Drawing from empirical evidence from Maputo and Lilongwe, we conclude that in this context the implementation of full cost recovery principles may exacerbate rather than reduce inequalities in access to drinking water. Water utilities tend to outsource service provision to lower income areas to small-scale or “social” private sector. These providers apply full–cost recovery principles more rigorously, as they cannot operate in a deficit. Moreover, they are unable to (cross)-subsidize and they do not enjoy economies of scale. As a result, wealthier neighbourhoods, where the water utility provides services directly, often access water at subsidised rates, while in low income areas, where service provision is outsourced, people access lower quality services at a higher price.
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| 29. |
- Rusca, Maria, Dr, 1977-
(författare)
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Visualizing urban inequalities : The ethics of videography and documentary filmmaking in water research
- 2018
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Ingår i: WIREs Water. - : Wiley. - 2049-1948. ; 5:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Visual methods are becoming increasingly popular in social sciences, but are still little explored when it comes to water related studies. Drawing on literature on visual methods and documentary filmmaking, this paper reflects on the role and potential of videography to capture and visualize inequalities in urban water supply and access. The paper is based on research undertaken over a period of 4 years, in which a mix of talk based and videographic methods was used to capture the production of uneven conditions of access to water in Lilongwe, Malawi, and Maputo, Mozambique. It reflects on the important and unique ethical questions raised by video‐based methods, including the data collection process, the type of knowledge that is produced, how it is mobilized, who has access to it and the relation between representation of social reality and the power of storytelling.
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| 30. |
- Rusca, Maria, Dr, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Water management simulation games and the construction of knowledge
- 2012
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Ingår i: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1027-5606 .- 1607-7938. ; 16:8, s. 2749-2757
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abstract. In recent years, simulations have become an important part of teaching activities. The reasons behind the popularity of simulation games are twofold. On the one hand, emerging theories on how people learn have called for an experienced-based learning approach. On the other hand, the demand for water management professionals has changed. Three important developments are having considerable consequences for water management programmes, which educate and train these professionals. These developments are the increasing emphasis on integration in water management, the characteristics and speed of reforms in the public sector and the shifting state-society relations in many countries. In response to these developments, demand from the labour market is oriented toward water professionals who need to have both a specialist in-depth knowledge in their own field, as well as the ability to understand and interact with other disciplines and interests. In this context, skills in negotiating, consensus building and working in teams are considered essential for all professionals. In this paper, we argue that simulation games have an important role to play in (actively) educating students and training the new generation of water professionals to respond to the above-mentioned challenges. At the same time, simulations are not a panacea for learners and teachers. Challenges of using simulation games include the demands it places on the teacher. Setting up the simulation game, facilitating the delivery and ensuring that learning objectives are achieved require considerable knowledge and experience as well as considerable time-inputs of the teacher. Moreover, simulation games usually incorporate a case-based learning model, which may neglect or underemphasize theories and conceptualizations. For simulations to be effective, they have to be embedded in this larger theoretical and conceptual framework. Simulations, therefore, complement rather than substitute traditional teaching methods.
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| 31. |
- Savelli, Elisa, et al.
(författare)
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Don't blame the rain : Social power and the 2015-2017 drought in Cape Town
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Hydrology. - : Elsevier. - 0022-1694 .- 1879-2707. ; 594
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sociohydrology has advanced understandings of water related phenomena by conceptualizing changes in hydrological flows and risks as the result of the interplay between water and society. However, social power and the heterogeneity of human societies, which are crucial to unravel the feedback mechanisms underlying human-water systems, have not been sufficiently considered. In response, this paper proposes an interdisciplinary approach that draws on political ecology perspectives to combine sociohydrological insights with analyses of social power and of the ways in which different social groups distinctively interact with water systems. We draw on empirical evidence of Cape Town's water insecurity before and during the prolonged drought (2015-2017) that escalated into a severe water crisis, also known as Day Zero. The study integrates times series of reservoir storage and water consumption with 40 interviews and focus group discussions to firstly retrace the historical legacy of Colonial rules, Apartheid and, more recently, neoliberal policies. Within this human-water system, we show how Cape Town's political legacy has encouraged unsustainable levels of water consumption amongst the (white) elite and tolerated chronic water insecurity amongst (black) informal dwellers. This uneven geography of water insecurity is also discernible in the unequal experiences of drought and water resilience trajectories of diverse social groups across Cape Town. We conclude that accounting for social power and inequalities can advance sociohydrology by identifying those mechanisms (within society) that determine what water is secured and what human-water interactions and dynamics will be sustained over time. Furthermore, by engaging with social power, sociohydrology can play a significant role in informing policies that reduce inequalities in water access and unsustainable water use.
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| 32. |
- Weststrate, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
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The regulation of onsite sanitation in Maputo, Mozambique
- 2019
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Ingår i: Utilities Policy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0957-1787 .- 1878-4356. ; 61
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Poor quality onsite sanitation causes drinking water contamination and diseases in cities in sub-Saharan Africa. In this article, we consider to what extent regulation reduces onsite sanitation-related health and environmental risks. We examined regulatory standards and how they are enforced in Greater Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. Standards for the construction of pit latrines and management of faecal sludge are incomplete. Reforms in the sanitation sector complicate the enforcement of standards. Responsibilities have not been clearly divided between the organisations in charge of regulation. We are sceptical that regulation can be effectively implemented in lower-income areas without a (cross-)subsidy mechanism.
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| 33. |
- Weststrate, J., et al.
(författare)
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The Sustainable Development Goal on Water and Sanitation : Learning from the Millennium Development Goals
- 2018
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Ingår i: Social Indicators Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0303-8300 .- 1573-0921. ; , s. 1-16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Target 7c of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG 7c) aimed to halve the population that had no sustainable access to water and basic sanitation before 2015. According to the data collected by the Joint Monitoring Programme in charge of measuring progress towards MDG 7c, 2.6 billion people gained access to safe water and 2.3 billion people to basic sanitation. Despite these optimistic figures, many academics have criticised MDG 7c. We provide an overview of this critique by performing a systematic literature review of 62 studies conducted over the MDG implementation period (2002–2015) and shortly after. Our objective is to contribute to the debate on the operationalisation of the Sustainable Development Goal on water and sanitation (SDG 6). The academic debate on MDG 7c mainly focused on the effectiveness of the indicators for safe water and sanitation and on the political dynamics underlying the selection of these indicators. SDG 6 addresses some of the concerns raised on the indicators for safe water and sanitation but fails to acknowledge the politics of indicator setting. We are proposing additional indicators and reflect on the limitations of using only quantitative indicators to measure progress towards SDG 6.
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