Call for paper

Beyond institutional participation: Alternative forms of participation for water democracy

The University of Limoges (France), 17 and 18 November 2016.

The research chair Environmental Capital and Sustainable Management of Rivers^[1] together with the Rés-eaux^[2], seek proposals from all actors involved – water managers, water users, activists, elected officials, associations, NGOs, researchers, etc. – for contributions to a symposium on alternative forms of participation in water management.

Discussion

Participatory democracy for water management is widely put into practice today by international, national and local institutions.  But is it effective, or is it rather a optical illusion, an argument put forward with limited or even harmful effects? Given the limits – and the critiques - of participatory democracy in the management of water, what alternative forms of participation are emerging?

This symposium aims to explore alternative forms of participation in water management in all its forms within the hydrosocial cycle (Linton & Budds, 2014), whether it involves surface water, groundwater, or drinking water and sanitation systems. Beyond the functional links between the different areas and water uses, we are interested in promoting interactions between various stakeholders with respect to their observations and experiences involving alternative forms of participation in these various areas of water management.

These alternative forms of participation can be a priori grouped around three themes:
A - Innovations and new forms of participation generated or promoted within institutions / existing formal structures (French examples would include inovations within Schemes for Development and Water Management (SAGEs); River Contracts; Local Public Establishments, Basin Comittees, etc.);
B - Forms of participation, action and mobilization outside the established institutions, or at the margins of these institutions (developed by user associations or local action groups, environmentalists and citizens' movements, social and indigenous movements, etc. ); and

C - New participatory research tools and methods applied in the area of water management and conflict resolution (for example, participatory science and citizen science, participatory mapping practices, companion modeling, role playing exercises, etc.).

Participation - the "mantra" of water management north and south

Since the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, "participation" of citizens in water management has become something of a "mantra", prominent in the discourse of government and intergovernmental agencies, international lending institutions and the United Nations bureaucracy (Berry & Mollard, 2010). Described as a “nirvana concept” in part because it tends to reflect power asymmetries rather than evening them out (Molle 2008), citizen participation has nevertheless been proclaimed and instituted through a variety of means by authorities in countries of the north as well as the south. (Aspe et al, 2012;. & Notte Hall, 2011; Lesage, 2013; Girard & Honegger, 2014).

In Europe, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) establishes the principle of involvement of various water stakeholders and the public in decision making processes as an approach to achieving "good ecological status" of water bodies. The devices mobilized to fulfill these requirements at the local and regional level are many: local water commissions, river committees, advisory committees, working groups, public debates, etc. Indeed, one of the problems observed in France with respect to the plethora of participatory mechanisms has been technicisation and bureaucratization of these processes, which are complex and time-consuming, adding to the difficulty of decision making. (Fernandez, 2011; Barraud, 2013).

Similarly, in emerging and developing countries, the establishment of participatory mechanisms and the integrated management of aquatic environments (such as Community Based Natural Resources Managment - CBNRM - or Integrated Water Resources Management - IWRM) have become requirements of international lenders (like the World Bank, USAID, AFD, etc.) to support development projects at different scales (Neef, 2009; Baron & Bonnassieu, 2013; Bied-Charreton et al, 2013.; Dewan et al., 2014). Yet these devices only partially meet the social complexity represented by the multiple uses and issues in these environments.

Returning to the three forms of participation noted above:

 A. Limits of institutionalized participatory mechanisms

While the virtues of participation for water governance are affirmed by many authors and institutions, numerous studies have shown gaps and  failures of the implementation of the "participatory imperative " from analytical, critical, and normative points of view (Mosse, 2001; Barbier, 2005; Barbier et al., 2009; Blondiaux & Sintomer, 2009; Richard Ferroudji, 2011; Berger & Charles, 2014). Among the main limitations of participation in particular can be cited: the exclusionary effects of non-participation, inequalities of power and domination of certain players, duplication of existing local structures, challenging modes of representation and cumbersome procedures, etc. Nevertheless, within existing institutions and structures of water management, new approaches to participation are being developed to address these limitations; we hope to capture these under this sub-theme.

B. Alternatives to institutionalized participatory water management

To address the limitations and exclusions of institutionalized participation, alternative forms of participation are increasinly manifest, including efforts to oppose the dominant institutions and modes participation in the strict sense (Berry & Mollard 2010; Neveu, 2011; Fauquette, Nephew & Vanhoenacker, 2015). This sub-theme focuses on the forms, spaces and alternative means of dialogue and expression (alternative forums, social and indigenous movements, etc.) of those who do not participate in institutionalized spaces. What practical and innovative solutions are being developed? How and where do these alternative forms of participatory management take place and how do they interact with institutionalized structures?

C. Participatory research in the field of water

Here, we are intereted in engaging researchers using participatory approaches and methods in their work involving people and water, or hydrosocial relations. Such approaches may include, but are not limited to: participatory mapping, documentary videos, companion modeling, role-playing exercises… (Chambers, 1997; Barreteau et al, 2008; Céfaï et al, 2012; Bousquet et al, 2013...), Although these participatory methods generating and mobilizing scientific data can be a support for participation, the indicators used are not apolitical, but the result of the socio-political contexts in which they are embedded (Fernandez, 2011; Birch, 2012). This observation leads us to question the ability of expert knowledge to take into account local knowledges and practices.

How to get involved:

We encourage anyone who might be interested (including water managers, water users, activists, elected officials, associations, NGOs, etc, as well as researchers) to contact us with a suggestion for participating in this symposium. Proposals of approximately half a page may be submitted in French or in English. You may propose a communication or intervention in the form of an oral presentation, a poster, a video documentary, a role-playing or practical exercise…

 
Please submit your proposal no later than July 15, 2016, by e-mail in Word format to: Altereau-unilim@sciencesconf.org and altereau.unilim@gmail.com

We will respond to your proposal as soon as possible after August 1.

For questions concerning organisation of the symposium, please contact us at the following address:

Altereau-unilim@sciencesconf.org and altereau.unilim@gmail.com

 You may find more details and updates on the symposium website: https://altereau-unilim.sciencesconf.org

 References

Aspe C. 2012. De l’eau agricole à l’eau environnementale, Versailles Cedex, Editions Quæ, « Natures sociales », 2012, 384 p.

Barbier R. 2005. « Quand le public prend ses distances avec la participation. Topiques de l'ironie ordinaire», Natures Sciences Sociétés 3/2005 (Vol. 13), p. 258-265. On line: www.cairn.info/revue-natures-sciences-societes-2005-3-page-258.htm.

Baron C., A. Bonnassieux. 2013. « Gouvernance hybride, participation et accès à l'eau potable Le cas des associations d'usagers de l'eau (AUE) au Burkina Faso », Annales de géographie 2013/5 (n° 693), pp. 525-548.

Barreteau O., A. Richard-Ferroudji, P. Garin. 2008. « Des outils et méthodes en appui à la gestion de l'eau par bassin versant », La Houille Blanche, Société Hydrotechnique de France, 2008, pp. 48 - 55.

Beuret J.-E., Pennanguer S., Tartarin F. 2006. « D'une scène à l'autre, la concertation comme itinéraire. », Natures Sciences Sociétés 1/2006 (Vol. 14), pp. 30-42. On line: www.cairn.info/revue-natures-sciences-societes-2006-1-page-30.htm.

Berger M., C. Julien. 2014. « Persona non grata. Au seuil de la participation. », Participations 2/2014 (N° 9) , pp. 5-36. En ligne : www.cairn.info/revue-participations-2014-2-page-5.htm.

Berry K.A. & E. Mollard. 2010. « Introduction : social participation in water governance and management ». In : Berry K.A. (ed.), Mollard Eric (ed.). Social participation in water gouvernance and management : critical and global perspectives. Londres (GBR) ; Sterling : Earthscan, 2010, p. 20-28.

Bied-Charreton M. et al. 2006. « La gouvernance des ressources en eau dans les pays en développement : enjeux nationaux et globaux », Mondes en développement 2006/3 (no 135), p. 39-62.

Blondiaux L., Y. Sintomer. 2009. « L'impératif délibératif », Rue Descartes 2009/1 (n° 63), p. 28-38.

Bouleau. G. 2012. « Ce que nous apprend l'histoire des indicateurs environnementaux », Revue Forestiere Francaise,  pp. 645-652. En ligne :  <hal-00830679>

Bousquet F. et al., 2013, « Modélisation d'accompagnement : systèmes multi-agents et gestion des ressources renouvelables », In : Meriem Bouamrane (ed.) et al., Rendre possible Editions Quæ « Indisciplines », 2013 p. 147-155.

Cefaï D. et al., 2012, « Ethnographies de la participation », Participations 2012/3 (N° 4), p. 7-48. En ligne : https://www.cairn.info/revue-participations-2012-3-page-7.htm

Chambers R. 1997. Whose Reality Counts? Putting the First Last Intermediate Technology Publications, London. p. 106.

Dewan, C.; Buisson, M.-C. and Mukherji, A. 2014. The imposition of participation? The case of participatory water management in coastal Bangladesh. Water Alternatives 7(2): 342-366. On line: http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol7/v7issue2/250-a7-2-4/file

Fauquette, Neveu & Vanhoenacker 2015. Appel à communication : « La participation buissonnière : ce que faire participer hors de la démocratie participative veut dire ». 27 novembre, 2015. (Truant participation. What participation outside participative democracy means)

Fernandez, S., Bouleau, G., Treyer, S., 2011. Reconsidérer la prospective sur l’eau en Europe dans ses dimensions politiques, Développement Durable et Territoires, 2, 3.

Germaine M.-A., Barraud R. 2013. « Restauration écologique et processus de patrimonialisation des rivières dans l’Ouest de la France », VertigO - la revue électronique en sciences de l'environnement [En ligne], Hors-série 16 | juin 2013, mis en ligne le 30 mai 2013. En ligne : http://vertigo.revues.org/13583 

Girard S., Riviere-Honneger A. 2014. « En quoi les dispositifs territoriaux de la gestion de l’eau peuvent-ils être efficaces ? », In : Sciences, Eaux & Territoire n°13

Lesage M. 2013. « Mobiliser les territoires pour inventer le nouveau service public de l’eau et atteindre nos objectifs de qualité ».Rapport d'évaluation de la politique de l'eau en France Paris: République Francaise, Premiere Ministre.

Linton J., J. Budds. 2014. The hydrosocial cycle: Defining and mobilizing a relational-dialectical approach to water. Geoforum 57 pp. 170-180. En ligne : https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01134987/

Molle, Francois. 2008. Nirvana concepts, narratives and policy models: Insight from the water sector. Water Alternatives, 1, 131-156.

Mosse, D. 2001. 'People’s knowledge', participation and patronage: Operations and representations in rural development. In Cooke, B. and Kothari, U. (Eds), Participation: The new tyranny? pp. 16‐35. London, UK and New York, USA: Zed Books.

Notte O., D. Salles. 2011. « La prise à témoin du public dans la politique de l'eau. La consultation directive-cadre européenne sur l'eau en Adour-Garonne », Politique européenne, 2011/1 (n° 33), p. 37-62.

Neef. A. 2009. « Transforming rural water governance: Towards deliberative and polycentric models? » In : Water Alternatives 2(1): 53‐60 On line : http://www.wateralternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol2/v2issue1/43-a2-1-4/file

Neveu C. 2011. « Démocratie participative et mouvements sociaux : entre domestication et ensauvagement ? », Participations 2011/1 (N° 1), pp. 186-209.

Richard Ferroudji A., O. Barreteau, P. Garin. 2003. « Les représentants associatifs face à la gestion participative de l’eau : le cas du bassin versant de l’Orb », Ingénieries - E A T, p. 19 - p. 28. En ligne : <hal-00467476>

Richard-Ferroudji A. 2011. « Limites du modèle délibératif : composer avec différents formats de participation », Politix 2011/4 (n° 96), p. 161-181.