UPCOMING EVENT: Governing water(s) as a common [26 and 27 October 2022]

Governing water(s) as a common: Innovative experiences of coproduction in Southeast Asia and Beyond 

A deep dive exploring empirical and theoretical perspectives

26 – 27 October 2022, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand 

Co-organizers: Center for Social Development Studies (CSDS), Chulalongkorn University; Chulalongkorn University UNESCO Chair in Resource Governance and Futures Literacy; SustainAsia; Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia (IRASEC);

Institute of Political Sciences (Sciences Po) Toulouse; and Heinrich Böll Foundation

Inclusive and just water security is widely recognized as a principal challenge in the era of the Anthropocene. This deep dive aims to share experience and analysis on innovative practices of knowledge-governance coproduction for water commoning in rural and urban contexts, as well as at the local, national and transnational scales, and - importantly - the interconnections between them. It intends to explore how water as a commons and processes of commoning enrich both political ecology theoretical frameworks and public policy in water(s) governance.  Particular attention will be paid to the role of civil society and social movements in the coproduction process based on their innovative water governance experiences. The implications of multiple ‘water worlds’ will also be explored, namely that water itself is always embedded in ecological socio-political and cultural contexts that produce diverse meanings and values of water between different societal groups who may then contest these values when translated into policy and practice. Two main deep dive themes will address the multiplicity of commons and commoning practices: 1) within the Mekong River basin; and 2) in relation to urban issues.

A limited number of remaining spaces are available to join the deep dive. Please contact Dr. Carl Middleton for further details. A full program can be downloaded here.