https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/AM_1192Water is central for ecosystems, human wellbeing and development. The relationship between society and water resources is critical and complex. Water issues have been historically treated as a technical problem, something to be resolved through hydraulic and engineering solutions. However, the increasing and exacerbating competition over water resources due to expanding global population, climate change and conflicting production activities raises new political and democratic challenges. Understanding water governance implies developing multidisciplinary knowledge about the different problems, approaches, perspectives and controversies related to how societies cooperate and compete over water resources. This course aims at building students’ knowledge, critical thinking and analytical skills on the governance of freshwater resources with particular emphasis on the institutional, political and organizational dimensions. Course objectives: The main objective of this course is for you to develop an expert understanding of the multidimensional challenges of governance of water resources. Collectively as a class, and individually, you will develop expertise in the water governance world by engaging with the core scientific literature, discussing and tackling real world problems and independent research activities. By the end of the course, you will have gained an understanding of the complexity of water governance: the various models of governance, its structures and institutions at multiple scales, the different values and uses of water, and the main frames and debates from multiple perspectives. By the end of this course you will be able to: Describe various principles and theories for water governance and
management Apply these to analyze different water policy and governance interventions, by analyzing them from diverse and diverging perspectives Formulate your own analysis and suggestions regarding water-governance interventions on multiple scales: local, national and international Synthesize and communicate your ideas and expertise orally and in written formTentative program which can be revised, main themes are: Water politics and critical perspectives Neoliberalism and privatization Commons Theory and Community Irrigation Schemes Water Law and Water Rights NEXUS, Virtual Water, Water & Energy, Water and Mining International cooperation and water conflicts Global virtual water trade, water grabbing, water war and peaceThis course will be intensive, during three weeks you will be “immersed” in water governance studies. We will spend an important amount of the course in the classroom but you will be primarily required to study the readings to prepare for lectures and discussions. We will have three weekly meetings and each day we will mix: frontal lectures, discussions and group activities. The structure of each session, generally, consists of lectures at the start, where we will first highlight concepts and key questions related to the topics we are working on. We will then engage in-group discussions associated with the key issues addressed in each session. The group activities will include simulations and team assignments and presentations. Readings will be assigned for each session and it will be essential to be well prepared in order to successfully participate and address key questions that we will tackle in the discussions. Finally, writing exercises, group activities, and debates will be an integral part of the course too. Participation and preparation: Due to the complexity of the issues addressed and the concentrated length of the course I highly recommend attending every session. Of course, if you will have serious family or health reasons you can count on our help for making up for your absence and catching up, but otherwise it will really not be in your interest to miss classes. You are kindly invited inform the teaching assistant in case you cannot attend one session. The amount of the material that we will go through and the very short time to prepare between the end of classes and the final exam will not allow you to be successful in this course if you procrastinate. We will have group discussions on key questions related to the readings lead by myself and other teaching assistants. In the discussions and lectures we will call on students directly to address specific question during the group discussion. Referring to the “Socratic method” you might be challenged to defend your informed opinion and perspective on specific subjects. (This is a method that might seem a little intimidating, but is particularly useful to develop the capacity to debate publicly and defend your opinions – in line with the learning goals of the course). Preparation advice: As MSc students you are very qualified, motivated and brilliant therefore some of this advice might be unnecessary. However, I can’t stress enough the importance to hit the ground and start running from day one, actively participate and not fall behind...keep in mind it’s only 3 weeks of classwork. A critical aspect is that you make an effort to study the assigned readings before class. If you don’t you will see pages adding up quickly and you not be as able to engage productively in discussions and have less information and tools to understand the lectures.Class participation, public debated, discussion and presentations.Water documentary review: This is a team project that includes a. search and selection of water documentaries; b. a written review of one selected documentary; c. a presentation to the class.In class final exam: there will be a closed-book 2.15h digital exam prevalently with open ended questions.Selected articles and book chapters available in Canvas, organized around the above topics. There is no textbook for this class. For the most part, we will use scientific peer reviewed articles and, in certain cases, policy reports or other kind of documents. As we will be using scientific articles I will provide instructions on what I expect you should be focusing. There will also be an additional number of suggested readings for the people interested in learning more about specific topics. Also, please note that the reading list available here in some rare cases might change during the course but you will all be clearly notified. You will find the final readings list every week and all the required readings in weekly folders on Canvas.Master level students with an interest in understanding the role of governance in the emergence of water issues, and their potential resolutionThrough the regular VU channelsThe course is coordinated and taught by Dr. Jampel Dell'Angelo (Associate Professor of Water Governance and Politics) with invited guest speakers. Language of teaching is English.no specific background required, just an eager motivation to engage, debate, learn and READ (a lot)