Water management in Latin America: political resistance strategies and types of community. Comparative case studies of Argentina, Brazil and Colombia

This research investigates the causal relation between resistance to water management strategies and types of community in Latin America, and establishes whether communitarianism, communicative community or post-modern community are merely ideal-types or if they coexist in real-life communities. Most prior studies rarely address the correlation between water management approaches and the economic mainstream represented by Washington Consensus and Post-Washington Consensus which, in turn, are the driving forces of political resistance. This study examines resistance movements in this context. By examining three case studies, namely Argentina, Brazil and Colombia, this project highlights the reason why some economic models have been supported around the world, particularly in developing countries. Under the over-arching approach of a desk-based research, several analytical tools are used to undertake this multi-level study. These are: a meta-policy and policy process analysis to establish the analytical framework at global and national levels; case studies of three Latin American countries to establish more specific national policies and issues in water management; the analysis of community theories to understand different community structures and to identify the theoretical explanations of different resistance strategies used by communities; and the analysis of data on websites of organisations and social groups to understand the different strategies adopted by these communities and social movements. This research shows that different types of community and different levels of relative deprivation influence strategies, which are country-specific, and that communities are a determinant for political resistance. This may direct future research on the specifics of community responses to water management strategies. Significant findings include the fact that traits of communitarianism, communicative community and post-modern community coexist in the three countries analysed. However, they do not offer a neatly defined categorisation of real-life communities. This research contributes to the fields of community research and water policy by examining the relation between types of community and political resistance and by analysing water management strategies.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

mphil

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Greenwich

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Capotorto, Camilla

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Dasgupta, Nandini
• Secomb, Linnell

• HD Industries. Land use. Labor

Language dc:language

en