Keeping the Poor in Their Place

Two new articles published in "Water Alternatives" examine how poor community members and local elites interact in local water conflicts, and what this means for water governance. The articles are a product of the collaborative Competing for Water research programme, coordinated by DIIS.

One of the articles examines the irony of how poor community members in Bolivia, Vietnam and Zambia back out of water conflicts because theyare economically and politically dependent on their opponents in the conflicts. Instead they seek other sources of water and influence, sometimes in ingenious ways. But it's an uphill climb.

A second article finds that when governments and donors want to make water projects for the poor, they tend to team up with local elites to ensure implementation. As a result, water projects may end up being designed for the better-off rather than the poor. In this way, the public water sector actively contributes to elite capture in water projects.

Both articles conclude by providing recommendations for more pro-poor approaches to local water governance.
Download the articles:

"Strategies of the poorest in local water conflict and cooperation"
Funder, M.; Bustamante, R.; Cossio Rojas, V.; Huong, B.T.M. ; van Koppen, B.; Mweemba, C.; Nyambe, I.; Phuong, L.T.T.; Skielboe, T. 2012 " Water Alternatives 5(1): 20-36

"Project politics, priorities and participation in rural water schemes"
Van Koppen, B.; Cossio Rojas, V.; Skielboe, T. 2012. Water Alternatives 5(1): 37-51

Other publications from the Competing for Water programme can be found here.