Urban water: A political-ecology perspective

Abstract

This paper explores a political-ecological perspective on the relationship between urbanization, sustainability, and the production and distribution of urban water. The focus is on the interrelationship between social, economic, political, and environmental processes as they are expressed in the way urban water systems are organized. The first part summarizes the main components of a political-ecological perspective, with particular reference to questions of urban socio-environmental sustainability. In the second part, the critical moments with respect to the contemporary organization, management, and dynamics of the urban water cycle are explored, with particular reference to the findings of five case studies. The final part will tease out some conclusions with respect to urban sustainability.