The nexus of drought and power dynamics in water governance: The case of UMngeni catchment area

Abstract

The thesis is about power dynamics in water governance issues in drought situations in the area of Umgeni which is situated in KwaZulu-Natal.When water is scarce in a community, various groups of people strive to influence its distribution to their own advantage. Power thus becomes an important factor, in that it can be used to control decisions on water governance. In conducting the study, data was gathered through primary data collecting methods that included: stakeholder analysis, the observation method, face-to-face in-depth interviews and focus groups. Secondary data was collected through an extensive review of existing published and unpublished literature on the subject. The study established that power dynamics based on race, economic status, technical knowledge and political status prevented previously disadvantaged individuals from participating in water governance issues.