6 EC
Semester 2, period 5
5132WGAR6Y
Water is crucial for life on this planet. Humans and other-than-humans need water for daily needs such as drinking, bathing, and food. Yet, ever increasing demand, climate disruption and pollution are endangering present-day and future availabilities. A recent UN report even declares a state of global water bankruptcy: a condition defined by both insolvency - withdrawing and polluting water beyond renewable inflows and safe depletion limits - and irreversibility - the damage to key parts of water-related natural capital, such as wetlands and lakes, that makes restoration of the system to its initial conditions infeasible. The report calls for radically transforming the ways in which water is governed, both by adjusting allocation priorities to availability rather than the other way around, and by prioritizing the protection of ‘natural’ waters.
This interdisciplinary lecture series situates itself in such wider debates to discuss and reflect on what water governance is, should be and how it happens in actual practice. Rather than adopting one definition of governance, the course acknowledges that many definitions are possible and plausible. Which one(s) to choose depends both on one’s objectives (providing drinking water to all; protection from floods; safeguarding biodiversity; ..) and on one’s ideas about how to best order and organize society-water relations (how should political and financial responsibilities and powers for governing water be distributed between governments, civil society and private sector actors)?
The course emphasizes the importance of understanding the particularities of water when trying to govern it, and of being mindful of the distinctions between different waters – drinking water, irrigation water, natural water, virtual water, … - as each come with and demand different governance configurations. And: is it really water that is governed, or is it the infrastructure – the dams, pipes, canals, weirs - to access and convey or distribute it?
The course discusses different modes of governance, and different ways of analyzing governance. At the global level, international organizations actively produce authoritative statements about what water governance is and how it should be done. If and how do such global discourses shape actual governance practices? Neo-liberalism has for instance drastically changed the ways in which the governance of drinking water is talked about, understood and done, with ever more emphasis coming to lie on cost recovery. How are drinking water utilities navigating this, and what strategies do utility staff have to meet sometimes conflicting demands?
Water governance is about making choices and setting priorities. Should environmental protection receive priority, or is social justice more important? Is economic efficiency a prime concern, or is employment the main goal? On the basis of concrete water governance cases, the course proposes to treat water governance as always being simultaneously practical and political, inviting students to reflect on what this means for role of science or scientists understanding or doing water governance.
Compulsury readings will be provided via weblinks on Canvas
Lectures/seminars will introduce the students to concepts and theories, and discussions will help them understand these. Self-study and work on projects will help retaining information and deepening understanding. Skills will be practiced during tutorials and in the application to case studies, while presenting will contribute to practicing skills, deepening knowledge through critical reflection.
|
Activity |
Hours |
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Hoorcollege |
14 |
|
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Presentatie |
4 |
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Tentamen |
2 |
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Werkcollege |
10 |
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Self study |
138 |
|
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Total |
168 |
(6 EC x 28 uur) |
Additional requirements for this course:
Attendance at lectures is strongly recommended, as they are a vital element of the course. Lectures are not recorded, and their content is assessed in the exam. In preparation for the lectures, submission of a preparatory assignment - available on Canvas - is mandatory.
Attendance at working groups - including adequate preparation - is mandatory in order to complete the course. During these sessions, students will be involved in discussions that deepen understanding of the material (which in particular is essential for learning objective #3) and engage in group work (which in particular is essential for learning objective #4). As an exception, one working group can be missed, provided there is a valid reason for absence and this is communicated to the teacher beforehand.
| Item and weight | Details |
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Final grade | |
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1 (50%) Group Project | Must be ≥ 5.5, Mandatory |
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1 (50%) Digital Exam | Must be ≥ 5.5, Mandatory |
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Final grade after retake | |
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1 (50%) Resit exam | Must be ≥ 5.5 |
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1 (50%) Resit Group Project | Must be ≥ 5.5 |
A retake is scheduled for failed parts of the class.
Assessment diagram
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Learning objective: |
Exam: |
Group project: |
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#1. |
X |
X |
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#2. |
X |
X |
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#3. |
X |
X |
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#4. |
X |
According to the OER, course results are valid for a 1 year period. This implies that students who successfully passed part of the course last year, can keep his/her grade for this year, and only need to redo those components for which they failed. Please send an email to the course coordinator prior to the start of the course if this is the case.
The course consists of a digital exam and a group project.
Digital Exam
The (individual) digital exam consists of open questions, and covers the compulsory literature, content and slides of lectures and seminars. The exam takes 120 minutes. A minimum grade of 5.5 has to be obtained in order to complete the course. A resit opportunity is available. The Exam counts as 50% of the final grade.
Group Project
During the course, students will work on a project in a group of 3-4 students. The project consists of a case-study in which a real-life water conflict is analysed.
The end product takes the form of a podcast or a video. The end product should provide a) a description of the main characteristics of the conflict; b) an analysis of who decide on the water-related costs, incomes and risks; and c) recommendations for alleviating the conflict.
Members of a group all obtain the same grade. A minimum grade of 5.5 has to be obtained in order to complete the course. A resit opportunity is available only for groups that fail to meet this minimum. The Group Project counts as 50% of the final grade.
The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl
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Attendance is compulsory in tutorials and is strongly advised for lectures. Unapproved absence may lead to exclusion of further participation of the course.
We vinden het belangrijk dat je je op de UvA en bij Future Planet Studies veilig voelt. Krijg je onverhoopt te maken met ongewenst gedrag of voel je je onveilig, dan kun je terecht bij verschillende personen. Je melding wordt altijd vertrouwelijk behandeld. Kijk op onze website voor meer informatie over waar en bij wie je terecht kunt.
It is important that everyone feels safe at the UvA and Future Planet Studies. We are committed to provide social safety and we offer various forms of support for people experiencing inappropriate or unsafe situations. Consult the UvA website or Future Planet Studies Canvas page for more information and contact info.
In order to provide students some insight how we use the feedback of student evaluations to enhance the quality of education, we decided to include the table below in all course guides.
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| Response lecturer: The entire course has been redesigned. |
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