Castro-Diaz, Laura

Scientists and practitioners have long argued about the importance of public participation in responding to water governance issues. However, inviting non-state actors to the decision-making table comes with challenges that may undermine the intended goals of participation. In this article, we review research on participation fatigue—intensified levels of stress, frustration, and exhaustion—and demonstrate its usefulness for understanding contemporary challenges to Participatory Water Governance (PWG). We begin by reviewing how fatigue is defined in various scientific disciplines. Next, we connect these diverse interpretations of fatigue to challenges experienced by state and non-state actors involved in PWG. Then, we define and operationalize the concept of participation fatigue within PWG. Finally, we demonstrate the usefulness of participation fatigue by applying this analytical framework to water management contexts where actors currently struggle with, navigate, and adapt to the challenges of PWG. Far from establishing a case against public participation, we aim to provide governments, practitioners, and scientists with the vocabulary and tools to identify, understand, and tackle an emerging threat to water governance.

Water insecurity is expected to worsen due to global environmental pressures such as climate change, deforestation, and pollution. Although research on water insecurity and coping strategies is advancing rapidly, the literature has not yet classified the strategies used across different scales. This study aims to explore how U.S. colonias across Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas deal with water insecurity at the individual, household, and community levels. We developed and used an innovative and collaborative ethnographic approach called Community-Based Participatory Observation (CBPO), which actively involves community members and partners in data collection. 64 key informants conducted CPBO and conducted interviews with as close to three respondents from their colonias (n=175). Data analysis included thematic and typical exemplar approaches based on Collins et al.’s (2024) theoretical framework for household water insecurity coping strategies: reducing consumption, increasing availability, psychosocial coping, and accepting shortfall. Coping strategies differ by social-ecological conditions, including location dimensions, water reliability, affordability and accessibility, and individual factors (race, gender, class). By understanding how colonias residents cope with water insecurity, policymakers can more effectively plan and manage interventions to mitigate community-wide vulnerabilities to water scarcity. This knowledge can lead to suitable solutions to address the issues facing colonias’ water supplies.