Expertise and Global Water Governance: How to Start Thinking About Power Over Water Resources?

Abstract

Power over water resources has been mostly spared of critical scrutiny. Departing from such trend, this paper explores the background of water politics, and argues the existence a regulatory space called 'global water governance' (GWG). GWG is an 'area of expertise', wherein 'politics' is negatively perceived and expressly rejected. Through this move, 'expertise' becomes the corner stone to understand governance of water resources. I submit that expertise is not an attribution, but a power relation. As such, it is commonly perceived as undemocratic; hence, the denunciation of 'expert rule' is usually followed up by a call for some sort of majoritarian rule. And yet, the specific characteristics of expert power turn futile such call. For this reason, alternative vehicles of resistance are needed; and accountability of experts may be the place to look. Expertise, accountability and the limits of majoritarian rule are a way to start thinking about power over water resources today.