The twelfth lecture of the NEWAVE The Next Wave of Water Governance Diffused Conference is ESR14 Preeta Dhar's revolving around Water and Corruption.
Abstract
Providing universal drinking water is challenging, especially in developing countries. Mainstream narratives attribute this to inadequate investments in developing water infrastructure and a lack of accountability around public services. Premised on this, governance reforms and developmental assistance in many countries support private sector participation. This presentation discusses one such intervention in India - the ‘24x7’ continuous water supply project in Hubballi-Dharwad, which is widely cited as a success story. Using an accountability lens, it draws attention to some of the underlying gaps and contradictions of this model. Specifically, it looks at the primary decision-makers, the narratives that they draw on, and what they reinforce and obscure. The case study in India is juxtaposed with the experience of private sector participation in Jakarta’s water supply shared by the invited discussant.
Biography
Preeta Dhar is a doctoral researcher at SOAS University of London. Her research is a comparative study of irrigation and urban drinking water services in India and Indonesia. In her research, she explores themes of power and accountability in identifying and addressing systemic integrity challenges.
She will be joined by Prof Peter Mollinga and Sigit Karyadi Budiono.