Abstract
The framework of collaborative water governance (CWG) has been championed as a promising model for water management across the globe. China is a country confronted by serious water pollution and shortage problems. In recent years, many scholars and practitioners have turned to CWG as an effective model for water crisis management in China. However, the political nature of CWG and China’s Authoritarian Environmentalism is inherently conflictual, hence, the development of CWG in China poses a theoretical puzzle, i.e., how the bottom-up CWG model can coexist with the top-down Authoritarian Environmentalism in China’s water politics. To better understand this puzzle, this article explores CWG’s intertwinement with environmental authoritarianism through a case study of “safe water supply project” in 11 coal-mining villages in Shanxi province of North China. Drawing on fieldwork between 2019 and 2021 in H city of Shangxi province, this research shows that the central government’s pledge to provide safe water to every villager in rural China has not materialized so far. The dilemma of safe water supply in coal mining villages in H city shows that, on one side, the central government attempted to show its great will and commitment to providing safe water to everyone in rural China through an approach of environmental authoritarianism; while on the other side, the local governments tended to select the CWG model as a method for practical implementation as well as a blame avoidance strategy. Our study identifies five stakeholders in the villages’ safe water supply projects: the Department of Water Resources of the City Government, the Township Government, Coal Mining Enterprises, village cadres and villagers. The outcome of the safe water supply project in these villages is constrained by the transparency and trust deficit among stakeholders when facing cooperation and conflict management obstacles.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilWater is essential to life on our planet and plays a sanitary, social and cultural role at the heart of human societies
Our study identifies five stakeholders in the villages’ safe water supply projects: the Department of Water Resources of the City Government, the Township Government, Coal Mining Enterprises, village cadres and villagers
The collaborative water governance (CWG) approach emerged in the western political systems in response to the failures of government’s command-and-control approach in managing water pollution and water scarcity
Summary
Drawing shows that the central government’s pledge to provide safe water to every villager in rural shows the central government’s pledge to provide safe water to every villager in. The dilemma of safe water supply in coal mining villages rural China has not yet materialized. The dilemma of safe water supply in coal mining in Shanxi showedshowed that, on that, one side, theside, central attempted to show villages in province. Shanxi province on one the government central government attempted itsshow great its willgreat and commitment to providing safe water safe supply to everyone rural China to will and commitment to providing water supply toineveryone in usingChina an approach of approach environmental authoritarianism; but on the other theother local side, govrural using an of environmental authoritarianism; butside, on the the local government the CWG model for practical implementation and asfor a ernment opted for theopted.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have