Session 1. 21.

The Anambra Imo River Basin Development Authority in Water Governance and the Economic Development of Southeastern Nigeria.
The Imo River is a strategic natural resource and a development priority that offers many opportunities, and poses many challenges for water governance and the material advancement of the Southeastern region of Nigeria. The main water ways which traverse the region especially the Niger River and the Cross River, have been studied in detail by previous authors. But the Imo River, which from very early times provided a vital means of river transport in the area, is only beginning to receive some attention, with the establishment of the Anambra Imo River Development Authority, AIRBDA, which was expected to help harness the enormous agricultural and other potentials of the area, and to help uplift the lives and livelihoods of the local communities along the river basin. This paper examines the opportunities and challenges of developing the Imo River basin with the creation of Abia state in 1991 and also considers the role which the Federal and State governments of Nigeria should play to provide the infrastructure and regulatory framework to enable the local communities and other stakeholders to take full advantage of the resources of the river basin. It further points out certain strategic projects, such as irrigation and related schemes, which the AIRBDA and other public and private sector agencies can undertake in order to promote economic and social activities in such areas of rice farming, fisheries and transportation, and so on. The scope of the paper covers pre colonial time to the present while the adopted methodology draws from an interdisciplinary body of literature on water governance, the records of the AIRBDA and from general interviews with some of the local communities of the river basin.

Keywords: agriculture, development, irrigation, resources, river.

The initially predominantly state-centric water management and governance model in Nepal has gradually shifted towards community-based management practices. This shift is now increasingly embracing the neoliberal framework through the commoditization and privatization of services, facilitated by larger water infrastructures and institutional change. This profound transformation has significantly altered the landscape of water access, particularly in rapidly urbanizing small towns. This study explores the process of neoliberalizing water in these emerging towns and critically examines its impacts on water access for marginalized communities. The analysis covers three key dimensions—infrastructure, institutions and access, and demonstrates how they are interlinked and co-shape access to water. I specifically analyze how access to water is socio-economically and spatially differentiated among different users. Using Diktel and Dhulikhel as two cases study towns in Nepal, I first assess their newly built water infrastructures and critically explain how these developments impose financial burdens on water users, keeping the urban poor away from access. Secondly, I examine how the expansion of larger infrastructure entails institutional rearrangements in water governance. My analysis highlights how traditional community-based water management institutions are being challenged by the emerging neoliberal approach to resource management. Thirdly, I explore how this infrastructure and institutional rearrangement territorializes water access among certain users and often failing to ensure equitable access. The preliminary findings from two case study towns reveal that, while the implementation of larger water infrastructure introduces novel possibilities, it simultaneously disrupts established norms and traditions related to water distribution. These changes do not only create indebted water users but also commodify water, thereby disrupting the fair distribution and weakening the institutional mechanism for water governance. As a result, the ensuing dynamics contribute to growing inequality in water access, placing a disproportionate burden on marginalized communities, particularly the urban poor, periphery dwellers and communal tap users.

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.