Workshop Themes

• Reproducing exclusion? Poverty, gender and demand led approaches
• Managing water wisely: the mantra of water governance
• Understanding water scarcity: from analysis to policy and action

For further information, email Tom Franks or Frances Cleaver.

Reproducing exclusion? Poverty, gender and demand led approaches

It is often claimed that water can be the entry point for poverty reduction, that demand-oriented approaches serve social (as well as economic and managerial goals ). Further it is commonly asserted that full stakeholder participation and a focus on women can further both efficiency and equity. This section of the workshop will interrogate some of these key assumptions. In particular it will question:

• How do power and gender relations play out through water projects? How can the representation/participation of the excluded be secured, how can water projects impact on wider structures of inequality?
• Is there evidence for a direct link between participation and receipt of benefits in water projects? How can we account for the social costs of participation in water projects and do WTP approaches have any place in furthering equity and poverty alleviation goals?
• To what extent can meaningful participation can be secured through the application of toolkits and participatory techniques?

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Managing water wisely: the mantra of water governance

Governance forms part of the general consensus within the sector on new approaches to successful water development. It is taken as axiomatic that good water governance will provide the basis for effective, efficient and equitable water management. This section of the workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to examine current ideas of water governance, looking at both its intellectual framework, and experiences to date.

• What does water governance mean, in theory and practice? What are its limits? How does society make decisions about water allocation and use? How are these decisions put into effect?
• What basic conditions must be in place, for water governance to be effective? What policy and institutional processes help or hinder effective water governance? How can approaches to water governance balance local issues with issues at the basin level?
• How does water governance relate to existing political structures within a particular society? How can the poor and socially excluded be given a voice? What is the legitimate role of civil society?

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Understanding water scarcity: from analysis to policy and action

There is a growing perception of a global water crisis purportedly a result of increased demand, depleting supplies, competition and conflict over access to water at local, national and international levels. Scarcity is often used as a reason to improve the efficiency with which water is used or to create new institutions.

• How is water scarcity understood in different institutional and cultural contexts? To what extent is water scarcity 'constructed' or 'manufactured', perhaps unintentionally, in the design of policies and projects?
• What are the various technical, economic and institutional solutions to address water scarcity? In particular, how appropriate are dams to address water scarcity? Are there alternative ways to store water and promote sustainable livelihoods without recourse to large dams?
• To what extent can privatisation play a role given the serious concerns about inequality in access to water?

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