Crafting co-governance: challenges of the long overdue Pesillo-Imbabura regional drinking water project in Ecuador

Sandra Megens (), Jeroen Vos () and Rossana Manosalvas ()
Additional contact information
Sandra Megens: Wageningen University & Research
Jeroen Vos: Wageningen University & Research
Rossana Manosalvas: Wageningen University & Research

Revista Latinoamericana de Desarrollo Economico, 2022, issue 38, 95-118

Abstract: Co-governance of state and community organizations in drinking water provision is regarded as an effective and efficient way to achieve sustainable and inclusive water services. This study analyses the struggle over the management arrangement of the Pesillo-Imbabura regional drinking water project in the northern Sierra of Ecuador. It describes the troubled development of a large drinking water project, considering co-governance arrangements and effects on the autonomy, recognition, representation, and distributive outcomes for the (involved) communities. On paper, the institutional design was a good example of co-governance. In practice, the communities felt left out and envisioned much more control over the project. The communities that managed their own communal drinking water systems were marginalized in the Pesillo-Imbabura project by state policies for the execution of the project and the management of the new central water provision system. The government and donors overlooked the principle of hydraulic property creation which is important for the Indigenous communities because ensures Indigenous people control over their own identity. It establishes the direct link between the long struggle of the communities to get the project financed, the contribution to the construction of the infrastructure, and the creation of water use rights and obligations, but also the right to manage the system.

Keywords: Co-governance; community organization; drinking water; conflict (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D23 D63 Q32 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://lajed.ucb.edu.bo/a/article/view/46/475 Full text (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ris:revlde:2004

Access Statistics for this article

Revista Latinoamericana de Desarrollo Economico is currently edited by Carlos Gustavo Machicado

More articles in Revista Latinoamericana de Desarrollo Economico from Carrera de Economía de la Universidad Católica Boliviana (UCB) "San Pablo" Universidad Católica Boliviana "San Pablo", Av. 14 de septiembre 4836. Obrajes, La Paz, Bolivia. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Carlos Gustavo Machicado ().