Abstract
The search for water sustainability requires not only a combination of technical and managerial responses, but also firm action against socioeconomic injustices and political inequalities. The recognition of the politicised nature of water problems deserves particular attention in areas marred by long-term trends of environmental degradation and social exclusion. A case study of the Baixada Fluminense, an urbanised wetland in the Metropolitan Area of Rio de Janeiro, illustrates the challenge to reverse unsustainable practices in situations where water problems have been politically and electorally exploited. The research made use of an interdisciplinary approach to assess past and present initiatives that have attempted, but systematically failed, to restore river ecology and improve water services. The empirical results have important implications for water policy making and urban planning.
Highlights
Water SustainabilityThe meaning of sustainable water management has evolved and expanded since the early years of the debate in the mid-1980s
The current article makes use of a case study in the Baixada Fluminense to illustrate the influence of historical trends and discuss the persistence of institutional weaknesses that limit the achievement of more sustainable patterns of water management
Our research focused on water management and river restoration in an impoverished urban area called Baixada Fluminense, situated to the north of the city of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil
Summary
Water SustainabilityThe meaning of sustainable water management has evolved and expanded since the early years of the debate in the mid-1980s. Policy-making moved away from merely meeting quantitative water demands and restoring ecological features into broader concerns about the integration of spatial and temporal scales of multidimensional management issues. It is often the case that the translation of sustainability principles into action encounters major obstacles to breaking the link between economic growth and water demand [2] or to effectively coordinating sectoral and local interests with political and development pressures [3]. The current article makes use of a case study in the Baixada Fluminense to illustrate the influence of historical trends and discuss the persistence of institutional weaknesses that limit the achievement of more sustainable patterns of water management. The empirical results will demonstrate that, due to a chaotic urban growth, water sustainability is inextricably linked to a lack of opportunities for local populations to influence the decision-making process
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