Dr Sam Wong
University of Leeds (UK)
Researching public-private partnerships in water governance
This paper questions the neo-institutional perspective to conceptualising the public-private partnership in water provision and challenges the simplistic assumptions that effective water governance lies in getting institutions, incentives and authority right. Drawing upon the concept of ‘practice of governance’, this paper suggests that we need a new perspective on understanding public-private partnership in water management in three aspects: firstly, the use of water is both individually-pursued and socially-shaped. The design of the regulatory structure, without cohering with the cultural meaning of water, results in public resistance to resource conservation. Secondly, over-institutionalised participation marginalises the voice of the domestic water-users. Thirdly, the strong desire for certainty and reliance on legislation also create disincentives for sustainability.
In addressing these limitations, this paper draws upon our research on water governance in England and Wales and calls for a re-organisation of the institutional arrangements to tackle power asymmetries between the regulators, water companies and the public. Fostering the dual identities of domestic water-users, as both consumers and citizens, enables them to exercise their economic power and political rights. Getting local authorities and regional development agencies more involved with the decision-making process also helps address the over-centralised governance systems by improving information flow between local, regional and national levels.
Email: s.wong@see.leeds.ac.uk