Public Participation and Effective Water Governance at the Local Level: A Case Study from a Small Under-Developed Area in Chile

Environment, Development and Sustainability (2005) 7: 417431 Springer 2005

DOI 10.1007/s10668-004-3323-9PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND EFFECTIVE WATERGOVERNANCE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL: A CASE STUDY FROM ASMALL UNDER-DEVELOPED AREA IN CHILETARISAI GARANDE1 and SUZAN DAGG2,*113 Hadleigh Walk, London E6 5SA; 2Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Faculty ofLife Sciences, South Kensington Campus, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK(*author for correspondence, e-mail: [email protected]; fax: [phone])(Received 20 June 2003; accepted 12 May 2004)Abstract. The concept of participation in rural development has been evolutionary for the past twodecades with those involved, such as development agencies and governments, particularly in rural watersupply, re-evaluating their active role. The move towards eective community participation has encouraged a shift from the traditional top-down to a bottom-up approach whereby there is a decentralisationof unevenly distributed resources and power to empower a community and allow mobility of peopleparticipation. The Molinos water project is the rst large-scale development project of its kind introduced into the village of Molinos in an under-developed area of Chile, where there has been no tradition of people participation. The project objective was to implement a low technology, low budgetwater treatment plant to the village of Molinos. Various aspects have hindered the continued development of the project including both technical and nancial. In terms of people participation, the initialapproach used was the top-down approach. There was a failure to fully integrate the community orinform the community in a formal manner about the project and consult them regarding key projectissues. This case study illustrates that the lack of comprehensive consultation and the low level of participation of the community on the participatory scale does not achieve much in terms of people-centredbenets. For governance at the local level to be eective, participation should be inclusive and communicative so as to enhance transparency throughout the project lifetime.Key words: indigenous community, local governance, participation, rural development, stakeholders,water governance.1. IntroductionWater and sanitation have, since the 1992 World Water Forum and later at

the 2002 Johannesburg Earth Summit, gained prominence on the international stage. Attempts to alleviate poverty directly associated with inadequate water for basic purposes, have since looked to water governance at

the local level to deliver the necessary instruments in the management of

water resources and to ensure that these reach the lowest levels of society.

The Water...