Reframing water: Contesting H2O within the European Union

Maria de Lourdes Melo Zurita; Dana C Thomsen; Timothy F Smith; Anna Lyth; Benjamin Preston; Scott Baum

doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2015.07.022

Back

Reframing water: Contesting H2O within the European Union

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Reframing water: Contesting H2O within the European Union

Maria de Lourdes Melo Zurita, Dana C Thomsen, Timothy F Smith, Anna Lyth, Benjamin Preston and Scott Baum

Geoforum, Vol.65, pp.170-178

2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2015.07.022

Files and links (2)

pdf

PDF - Published Version (Open Access)481.18 kBDownload View

Published VersionPDF - Published Version (Open Access)CC BY V4.0, Open Access

url

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2015.07.022View

Published Version

Abstract

hydrosocial cycle

neoliberalism

water governance

European Union

water framework directive

Water fulfills multiple functions and is instilled with numerous meanings: it is concurrently an economic input, an aesthetic reference, a religious symbol, a public good, a fundamental resource for public health, and a biophysical need for humans and ecosystems. Hence, water has multiple ontologies embedded within diverse social, cultural, spiritual, and political domains. For this paper, we reviewed 78 pieces of water legislation across the European Union, critically analysing the different ways in which water has been defined; subsequently we contrasted these definitions against the European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD). We argue that the act of defining water is not only a deeply social and political process, but that it often privileges specific worldviews; and that the impetus of the WFD reveals a neoliberal approach to water governance: an emphasis on water as a commercial product that should be subjected to market influences. Subsequently, we conclude that the emerging concept of the 'hydrosocial cycle,' which emphasises the inherent links between water and society, could be a useful heuristic tool to promote a broader conception of water based on diverse understandings, that challenge hegemonic definitions of water.

Details

Title: Reframing water: Contesting H2O within the European Union
Authors: Maria de Lourdes Melo Zurita (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts and Business
Dana C Thomsen (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts and Business
Timothy F Smith (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts and Business
Anna Lyth (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts and Business
Benjamin Preston (Author) - Oak Ridge National Laboratory, United States
Scott Baum (Author) - Griffith University
Publication details: Geoforum, Vol.65, pp.170-178
Publisher: Pergamon
Date published: 2015
DOI: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2015.07.022
ISSN: 0016-7185
Copyright note: Copyright © 2015 The Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Organisation Unit: School of Social Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Law and Society; Sustainability Research Cluster
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99448911502621
Output Type: Journal article