Water, water, everywhere: governance, politics and society
This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation.
In 2010, the United Nations declared access to sufficient, safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation as a human right. Water scarcity, however, is an alarming concern around the globe. Over-exploitation of freshwater resources threatens food security, health and overall well-being of humanity. The Social Sciences are increasingly vital to understanding and addressing these issues, as water scarcity exists within a larger socio–political system of governance, law and communities. This collection shines a spotlight on social science research about water scarcity and water governance, with particular emphasis on the plurality of methodologies, epistemologies and implications to societies.
Water resource management is a political and social challenge. The collection seeks studies on: strategies to mitigate water scarcity, socio-environmental concepts, relevance of socio-cultural and political structures to shape adaptation to water stresses among communities. We invite papers addressing the social impacts of water scarcity, including research from a range of methodological and epistemological foundations. The following topics will be considered:
Conflict and cooperation
- Analysis of transboundary and local conflicts and cooperation; water politics, water rights
- Social consequences of water scarcity, including social conflicts
- Evaluation of water governance policies across national, cross-border and transnational agencies
Institutional development
- Historical studies about the development of water management institutions
- Development of regulation systems, legislation, agencies, governmental frameworks
- Public vs private vs collective management
- Accountability of water systems, assessing the extent of transparent, effective and fair governance
Politics and Economics
- Evaluations of water management processes and programmes to encourage conservation practices among agricultural and manufacturing industries
- Policy content analysis
- Politics of water pollution, including regulation of emission of chemicals in water bodies, political communication
- Financial aspects of sustainable water management
- Economic understanding of water use
Society and Community
- Acceptance/perception of recycled water or water quality in society
- Use of social media to better understand perception and actions of water users and consumers
- Water conservation awareness, public engagement and activism about protecting water resources
- Community and agency engagement, stakeholder participation efforts to influence awareness/attitude of people using water resource
- Anthropological or psychological perspectives about behavioural understanding of water use
This collection is not open to studies based exclusively in natural, physical or applied sciences.
Editors
Submitting a paper for consideration
To submit your manuscript for consideration at Humanities & Social Sciences Communications as part of this Collection, please follow the steps detailed on this page. On the first page of our online submission system, please select your article type from the drop down menu. When on the “details” tab, you will be presented with the option to select which Collection your article should be submitted to. Authors should also express their interest in the Collection in their cover letter.
Accepted papers are published on a rolling basis as soon as they are ready.
