2016-2017

2017

Whose input counts? Evaluating the process and outcomes of public consultation through the BC Water Act Modernization

Water in Canada

Jollymore, A., McFarlane, K., Harris, L. (2017). Whose input counts? Evaluating the process and outcomes of public consultation through the BC Water Act ModernizationCritical Policy Studies, in press. 

The accepted manuscript of the published article is available here. A policy brief, summarizing the key messages and implications for decision makers from this article is available here.


MULTIPLE ONTOLOGIES OF WATER: POLITICS, CONFLICT AND IMPLICATIONS FOR GOVERNANCE

Indigenous Water Governance, Water in Canada

Yates, J., Wilson, N., Harris, L. (2017). Multiple Ontologies of Water: Politics, Conflict and Implications for Governance. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 35(5): 797–815.


Inserting Rights and Justice into Urban Resilience: a Focus on Everyday Risk

Water and Development

Ziervogel, G., Pelling, M., Cartwright, A., Chu, E., Deshpande, T., Harris, L., Hyams K., Kaunda J.,  Klaus B., Michael, K., Pasquini, L., Pharoah,  R., Rodina, L.,  Scott, D., Zweig, P. (in press, 2017).  Inserting Rights and Justice into Urban Resilience: a Focus on Everyday Risk. Environment and Urbanization.


WATER MATERIALITIES AND CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT: TESTING THE IMPLICATIONS OF WATER ACCESS AND QUALITY FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN GHANA AND SOUTH AFRICA

Water and Development

Harris, L.M., Kleiber, D., Rodina, L., Yaylaci, S., Goldin, J. & Owen, G. (2017). Water materialities and citizen engagement: testing the implications of water access and quality for community engagement in Ghana and South Africa. Society & Natural Resources 31(1):89-105. Preprint PDF of the article here 


PERSPECTIVES ON THE BC WATER SUSTAINABILITY ACT: FIRST NATIONS RESPOND TO WATER GOVERNANCE REFORM IN BC

Indigenous Water Governance

Joe, N., Bakker, K., Harris, H. (2017). Perspectives on the BC Water Sustainability Act: First Nations Respond to Water Governance Reform in British Columbia. Vancouver, BC: Program on Water Governance. Preprint PDF of the article here

Briefing Note.


Indigenous Peoples and Water Governance in Canada: Regulatory Injustice and Prospects for Reform

Indigenous Water Governance, Water in Canada

Bakker, K., L. Harris, N. Joe, and R. Simms. (In press 2017). “Indigenous Peoples and Water Governance in Canada: Regulatory Injustice and Prospects for Reform.” In Water Justice, ed. R. Boelens et al., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.


IMPROVING WATER QUALITY WITH NOVEL DIAGNOSTICS POLICY BRIEF OF THE WATERSHED METAGOMICS GE3LS TEAM

Water and Development

Harris, L.M., Prsytajecky, N. et al. (2017). Improving Water Quality with Novel Diagnostics. Policy Brief of the Watershed Metagenomics GE3LS team. Program on Water Governance Policy Brief. Preprint of the policy brief here 

Scientists at universities and public health institutions across Canada, including the BC Centers for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory, are using metagenomics to study the microbial communities in the water in order to develop new tests to assess water quality. Metagenomics has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of how perturbations in these microbial communities are linked to water quality with ramifications for drinking water and other applications. Although chemical pollution is not a focus of the current research, the state of these microbial communities can also indicate whether chemical or other contamination has occurred (e.g., temperature or other biophysical changes also shift the composition and function of these microbial communities).

Compiled by:

GE3LS Research Team: Dr. Leila Harris and Dr. Natalie Prystajecky (CoChairs), Dr. Natalie Henrich, Dr. Bev Holmes, Dr. Karen Bakker, Gemma Dunn, Ida Ngueng Feze, Dr. Yann Joly, Prof. Bartha Knoppers, Stanislav Birko, Edward S. Dove, Dr. Vural Ozdemir. Watershed Metagenomics

Project leaders: Dr. Patrick Tang and Dr. Judith Isaac-Renton

University of British Columbia, June 16, 2017

 


PATHWAYS FOR PARTICIPATORY WATER GOVERNANCE IN ASHAIMAN, GHANA: LEARNING FROM INSTITUTIONAL BRICOLAGE AND HYDROSOCIAL PERSPECTIVES

News, Water and Development

Peloso, M. M.  & Harris, L. M (2017).  Pathways for Participatory Water Governance in Ashaiman, Ghana: Learning from Institutional Bricolage and Hydrosocial Perspectives. Society & Natural Resources 30(12). Preprint PDF of the article here


Advancing methods for research on household water insecurity: Studying entitlements and capabilities, socio-cultural dynamics, and political processes, institutions and governance

News, Water Security

Amber Wutich, Jessica Budds, Laura Eichelberger, Jo Geere, Leila M. Harris, Jennifer A. Horney, Wendy Jepson, Emma Norman, Kathleen O’Reilly, Amber L. Pearson, Sameer H. Shah, Jamie Shinn, Karen Simpson, Chad Staddon, Justin Stoler, Manuel P. Teodoro, Sera L. Young. (2017). Advancing methods for research on household water insecurity: Studying entitlements and capabilities, socio-cultural dynamics, and political processes, institutions and governance. Water Security, 2. 

Highlights

• Existing approaches have advantages, but underestimate household water insecurity
• HWI methods must address economic, socio-cultural, and political processes
• Hard-to-measure dimensions of HWI can be assessed with methods we present


Framing a Community’s Entitlement to Water access in Accra, Ghana

Water and Development

Dapaah, E., and L. Harris (2017) Framing a Community’s Entitlement to Water access in Accra, Ghana: A complex reality. Geoforum. 82, 26-39.


Worlding the Intangibility of Resilience: The case of rice farmers and water- related risk in the Philippines

Water and Development, Water Security

Shah, S., N. Angeles, L. Harris (2017) Worlding the Intangibility of Resilience: The case of rice farmers and water- related risk in the Philippines. World Development. Preprint PDF of the article here.


Negotiated Resilience. Resilience

Water Security

Harris, L.M., Chu, E., Ziervogel, G.. (2017). Negotiated Resilience. Resilience. DOI: 10.1080/21693293.2017.1353196. Preprint PDF of the article here.


Advancing Human Capabilities for Water Security: A relational approac

Water Security

Jepson, W. E., J. Budds, L. Eichelberger, L. Harris, E. Norman, K. O’Reilly, A. Pearson, S. Shah, J. Shinn, C. Staddon, J. Stoler, A. Wutich, S. Young (in press, 2017). Advancing Human Capabilities for Water Security: A relational approach. Water Security.


Water, Equity and resilience in South Africa: future directions for research and practice

Water and Development, Water Security

Rodina, L., Baker, L.A., Galvin, M., Goldin, J., Harris, L.M., Manungufala, T., Musemwa, M., Sutherland, C., Ziervogel, G. (2017). Water, Equity and resilience in South Africa: future directions for research and practice. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 26-27, 143-151. Preprint PDF of the article here.


2016

Intersections of gender and water: comparative approaches to everyday gendered negotiations of water access in underserved areas of Accra, Ghana and Cape Town, South Africa

Water and Development

Harris, L., Kleiber, D., Goldin, J., Darkwah, A. & Morinville, C. (2016) Intersections of gender and water: comparative approaches to everyday gendered negotiations of water access in underserved areas of Accra, Ghana and Cape Town, South Africa. Journal of Gender Studies: 22pp.

The survey instruments used in this study can be accessed here for the survey conducted in Cape Town, South Africa, and here for the survey conducted in Accra, Ghana.


Water services, lived citizenship, and notions of the state in marginalised urban spaces: The case of Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa

Water and Development

Rodina, L. and Harris, L. (2016). Water services, lived citizenship, and notions of the state in marginalised urban spaces: The case of Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa. Water Alternatives 9(2): 336-355.


Navigating the tensions in collaborative watershed governance: Water governance and indigenous communities in British Columbia, Canada

Water in Canada

Simms, R., Harris, L., Joe, N., and Bakker, K. (2016). Navigating the tensions in collaborative watershed governance: Water governance and indigenous communities in British Columbia, Canada. Geoforum, 73: 6-16.

An open access version of this article is available here.


WHOSE INPUT COUNTS? PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND THE WATER SUSTAINABILITY ACT POLICY BRIEF

Water in Canada

Jollymore, A., McFarlane, K. & Harris, L.M. (2016). Whose input counts? Public consultation and the Water Sustainability Act. Policy Brief. Vancouver: Program on Water Governance. Preprint PDF of the policy brief here


All of the water that is in our reserves and that is in our territories is ours”: Colonial and indigenous water governance in unceded indigenous territories in British Columbia

Water in Canada

Harris, L. & Simms, R. (2016). “All of the water that is in our reserves and that is in our territories is ours”: Colonial and indigenous water governance in unceded indigenous territories in British Columbia. Project Report. Canadian Water Network & Water, Economics, Policy and Governance Network. French version available here.

The main findings of this research and insights for decision makers are summarized in a policy brief, available in English and French.


Human right to water in Khayelitsha, South Africa – Lessons from a ‘lived experiences’ perspective

Water and Development

Rodina, L. (2016). Human right to water in Khayelitsha, South Africa – Lessons from a ‘lived experiences’ perspective. Geoforum, 72: 58-66.


The Politics of Freshwater: Access, Conflict and Identity

Water and Development

Harris, L. (in press). Theorizing Gender, Ethnic Difference and Inequality in Relation to Water Access and Politics in Southeastern Turkey. In: C. Ashcraft and T. Mayer (Eds) The Politics of Freshwater: Access, Conflict and Identity, Routledge, Earthscan.

A pre-publication version of the chapter is available here.


Leaky governance: Alternative service delivery and the myth of water utility independence

Municipal Water Governance

Furlong, K. (2016) Leaky governance: Alternative service delivery and the myth of water utility independence. Vancouver, UBC Press.

About the Book: Municipalities face important water supply challenges. These are widely attributed to local government politicization. Neoliberal reforms have only exacerbated the strained relationships between water utilities and local governments. In response, organizational reform to increase utility autonomy through alternative service delivery (ASD) has been promoted around the world. For its proponents, ASD offers independence from municipal government without relinquishing control over the utility; for its detractors, it is privatization under another name. Yet the organizational barriers offered by ASD are at best leaky. Deeply interdependent, both water management and municipal governance must be strengthened to meet contemporary water supply needs.

Leaky Governance explores ASD’s relation to neoliberalization, water supply, and local governance. Drawing on economic geography and political ecology, Kathryn Furlong examines organizational models for water supply and how they are affected by shifting governance and institutional environments. Her analysis of Ontario paints a complex picture of both ASD and municipal government.

Leaky Governance addresses urgent and topical questions in urban governance and water management, tackling increasingly pressing environmental, political, and social issues surrounding water supply and their relationship to urban governance and economics, as well as to broader issues in public policy.

For further information and a time-limited discount, see the attached flyer.


The Regulatory Process for the Site C Project (Briefing Note)

Site C Dam

Site C Statement by Concerned Scholars (2016). The Regulatory Process for the Site C Project (Briefing Note). Vancouver, BC: Program on Water Governance.


Assessing Alternatives to Site C -Environmental Effects Comparison (Briefing Note)

Site C Dam

Site C Statement by Concerned Scholars (2016). Assessing Alternatives to Site C -Environmental Effects Comparison (Briefing Note). Vancouver, BC: Program on Water Governance.


First Nations and Site C (Briefing Note)

Site C Dam

Site C Statement by Concerned Scholars (2016). First Nations and Site C (Briefing Note).  Vancouver, BC: Program on Water Governance.


Comparative Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Site C versus Alternatives

Site C Dam

Hendriks, R., Bakker, K. (July 2016) Comparative Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Site C versus Alternatives. Vancouver, BC: Program on Water Governance.

Press Release for above publication.


Navigating the tensions in collaborative watershed governance: Water governance and indigenous communities in British Columbia, Canada

Indigenous Water Governance

Simms, R., Harris, L., Joe, N., and Bakker, K. (2016). Navigating the tensions in collaborative watershed governance: Water governance and indigenous communities in British Columbia, Canada. Geoforum, 73: 6-16. An open access version of this article is available here.


All of the water that is in our reserves and that is in our territories is ours”: Colonial and indigenous water governance in unceded indigenous territories in British Columbia

Indigenous Water Governance

Harris, L. Simms, R. (2016). “All of the water that is in our reserves and that is in our territories is ours”: Colonial and indigenous water governance in unceded indigenous territories in British Columbia. Project Report. Canadian Water Network & Water, Economics, Policy and Governance Network. French version available here.

The main findings of this research and insights for decision makers are summarized in a policy brief, available in English and French.