This research is an attempt to conceptualize the underlying forces behind persistent and ubiquito... more This research is an attempt to conceptualize the underlying forces behind persistent and ubiquitous problems of inequality in access to water in cities of the global south. Inequality in water access is hypothesized to result from urban water regimes that tend to prioritize the right to water access or to provide preferential terms of access for some groups in society, while marginalizing others. By employing a critical realist approach, different theories in relation to inequality are applied in exploring the mechanisms and conditions leading to the unequal provision of water. In doing so, a structuralist perspective is built on the transition framework, integrated with critical urban theory and tested in two settings, Johannesburg, South Africa, and Hyderabad, India. In addition, a relational perspective, based on the concept of durable inequality, is used to scrutinize the relationship between state and citizen in contemporary South Africa and India. Combining these perspectives ...
Transition is a process of societal change and the consequence of shifting from an unsustainable ... more Transition is a process of societal change and the consequence of shifting from an unsustainable to a more sustainable state by tackling persistent problems. Transition management is a framework concerned with long term and sustainability-oriented approaches focusing on conceptual learning, reframing and transformative outcomes. In this context, transition models are useful tools to represent the complexity of adaptive systems, and they can be used as learning tools to convey information between agents with different background in stakeholder meetings, and to enhance agents’ collaboration. By observing and participating in the implementation of the transition management framework in this case study, it is shown that there is a gap between idealized transition management and the implementation phase. This research analyzes the implication of applying the transition management cycle to the case of the Ebro River Basin, about the water management issues. In this respect, an agentbased ...
In sustainability science, the research is expected to go beyond disciplinary thinking and incorp... more In sustainability science, the research is expected to go beyond disciplinary thinking and incorporate different concepts, methods, and data to explore nature–society interactions at different levels and scales. In realizing these expectations, reflexivity is often noted as an influential factor in inter- and transdisciplinary research processes in sustainability science, wherein researchers reflect on their assumptions, judgments, roles, and positions in the research processes, rethink their ways of knowing and doing, and open up new possibilities for actions. Despite the growing literature on the notion of reflexivity in sustainability science and how it emerges during the research processes, the debates and discussions are often based on lessons learned from sustainability research projects, drawing on individuals’ experiences and motivations. This paper aims to grapple with the notion of reflexivity from a structural point of view, which is less discussed in sustainability resea...
Loss and Damage from climate change, recognized as a unique research and policy domain through th... more Loss and Damage from climate change, recognized as a unique research and policy domain through the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) in 2013, has drawn increasing attention among climate scientists and policy makers. As the "third pillar" of the international climate regime—along with mitigation and adaptation—some have suggested that Loss and Damage has the potential to catalyze important synergies with other international agendas, particularly sustainable development. However, the specific approaches to sustainable development that inform Loss and Damage research and how these approaches influence research outcomes and policy recommendations, remains largely unexplored. We offer the first systematic analysis of the assumptions of sustainable development that underpin Loss and Damage scholarship through a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed research on Loss and Damage. We demonstrate that the use of specific metrics, decision criteria and policy prescriptions by Loss...
To protect public health, heat-related policies are increasingly being adopted by city authoritie... more To protect public health, heat-related policies are increasingly being adopted by city authorities to address the unequal impact of heatwaves. Ahmedabad’s Heat Action Plan (HAP) is an acclaimed and successful policy response in India and beyond. While the pilot evaluation of the initiative suggests that almost a thousand deaths were avoided annually after its implementation, it is not yet clear whose lives were saved, and to what extent this statistic was due to the HAP, rather than other factors. By reviewing the published and grey literature centering on the HAP target groups, outreach strategies, and impacts on urban services, this paper points out major knowledge gaps concerning the potentials and impacts of the HAP, which may lead to the systematical exclusion of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups from the intended benefits. In this paper, it is argued that the effectiveness and inclusiveness of the HAP predominantly depend on its integration into urban development projects, w...
Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 2012
After apartheid, South Africa has stepped up to the challenge of reforming an inequitable water s... more After apartheid, South Africa has stepped up to the challenge of reforming an inequitable water service delivery system to meet the needs of all citizens. We frame this systematic societal change as a transition in water governance. We argue that when evaluating this pathway of transition, we should not only look at the changes in water legislation and number with improved access, but also analyze the quality of the water service delivery in terms of different payment schemes, participation by local citizens and conflicts around equality of water provision. By analyzing power in transition studies, we explore the power dynamics at play in two regions of Johannesburg, namely Alexandra and Soweto. The paper highlights the need to explicate the politics of water service delivery and suggests opportunities to break the negative patterns in order to achieve equitable and sustainable water service delivery in South Africa.
The advocates of the transition sustainability paradigm acknowledge the role of institutions (reg... more The advocates of the transition sustainability paradigm acknowledge the role of institutions (regime practices) to establish enforceable legislation to tackle environmental problems. In this respect, a radical systemic reconfiguration in regime practices is required ...
Nar det galler klimatrorelsen och debatten kring den behovs kunskap om hur samhallet fungerar. De... more Nar det galler klimatrorelsen och debatten kring den behovs kunskap om hur samhallet fungerar. Det skriver sex forskare vid Lucsus, Lunds universitets centrum for studier av uthallig samhallsutveckling
Loss and damage from climate change, recognized as a unique research and policy domain through th... more Loss and damage from climate change, recognized as a unique research and policy domain through the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) in 2013, has drawn increasing attention among climate scientists and policy makers. Labelled by some as the “third pillar” of the international climate regime—along with mitigation and adaptation—it has been suggested that loss and damage has the potential to catalyze important synergies with other international agendas, particularly sustainable development. However, the specific approaches to sustainable development that inform loss and damage research and how these approaches influence research outcomes and policy recommendations remain largely unexplored. We offer a systematic analysis of the assumptions of sustainable development that underpins loss and damage scholarship through a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed research on loss and damage. We demonstrate that the use of specific metrics, decision criteria, and policy prescriptions by los...
There has been widespread recognition in the Global South of
the role of participatory governance... more There has been widespread recognition in the Global South of the role of participatory governance approaches to urban development in responding to citizens’ immediate concerns. However, critiques note that participatory initiatives are often avenues for the political and economic elite to ensure their interests and profits, rather than improving the livelihoods in nonserviced urban peripheries. This article investigates how transition management (TM), as a promising participatory governance framework, can be implemented effectively to improve access to water for disadvantaged groups. First, we highlight lessons learnt from the TM applications in urban and water sectors. Second, we draw on empirical data from low-income urban areas in Ghana and Tanzania to bring the importance of social relations to the fore. By employing open-ended interviews, following the water points and conducting narrative walks, we identify three precautions that need to be addressed through adaptations of the TM approach in order to achieve the emancipatory promises of participatory governance models. In suggesting some guidelines for facilitators and active groups in participatory arenas, we discuss the importance of power dynamics in the communities, potentials and shortcoming of reflexive governance processes, and the need for capacity-building in transition teams.
In recent years, a strong natural science hegemony has predominantly framed our understanding of ... more In recent years, a strong natural science hegemony has predominantly framed our understanding of sustainability challenges and, as a result, the production of solution strategies. In countering this, some academic centers have sought to promote interdisciplinary research, starting from the recognition that the scale and complexity of sustainability challenges necessitates a plurality of different social science perspectives to be incorporated in research. In this article, we analyze the process and outcomes of one of these centers, namely, the Lund University Centre of Excellence for Integration of the Social and Natural Dimensions of Sustainability (LUCID), maintaining a heavy emphasis on incorporating social sciences into interdisciplinary sustainability research from its inception. First, we identify and motivate the selection of a consistent set of criteria for evaluating interdisciplinary research processes and outcomes. Second, we apply these criteria in an analysis of a selection of scholarly work produced at LUCID. Third, we evaluate the impacts of LUCID's institutional settings on the process of interdisciplinary research. Finally, we assess to what degree the outcomes of LUCID research have managed to produce the synthetic integrated knowledge required to analyze and address complex sustainability challenges. Although the LUCID work in aggregate represents a plurality of social science perspectives, our analysis suggests that a meaningful synthetic integration of knowledge was accomplished in cases where researchers employed retroductive logic and adhered to the principles of methodological pluralism. In highlighting the need to systematically incorporate these essential elements into the research process, we stress the importance of institutional settings in terms of finance, administration, and providing a conducive intellectual environment wherein authentic interdisciplinarity can emerge. Maintaining the kinds of horizontal and vertical institutional integration characteristic of such conducive settings, however, poses a major challenge in light of current trends, at least in Sweden, toward more compartmentalized, disciplinary university structures.
The advocates of the transition sustainability paradigm acknowledge the role of institutions (reg... more The advocates of the transition sustainability paradigm acknowledge the role of institutions (regime practices) to establish enforceable legislation to tackle environmental problems. In this respect, a radical systemic reconfiguration in regime practices is required to achieve sustainability objectives, i.e. sustainable water resource management. Drawing on the theoretical and methodological foundations of governance in the water domain, we strive to develop
The ambition to be recognized as a ‘World City’ or ‘Global City’ is rapidly increasing not the le... more The ambition to be recognized as a ‘World City’ or ‘Global City’ is rapidly increasing not the least among cities in the global south such as Hyderabad in India and Johannesburg in South Africa. While such a status seems promising for attracting foreign capital and for expanding the economic potential of urban areas, it may have adverse impacts on the hinterland and contribute to growing urban inequality. Therefore, in this paper, the government initiatives inspired by world-city visions in Johannesburg and Hyderabad are analyzed in order to explore the social and environmental implications of the rhetoric around becoming a world city. By demonstrating the disparity in water access, the paper argues that the promises of city development plans in terms of social integration and ‘world-class service’ provision for all citizens, have not been fulfilled. Instead, the narrative of world-class cities in Hyderabad and Johannesburg open new avenues for the accumulation of wealth among the financial and political elite. Hence, the quest to become world cities will likely exacerbate the inequality gap within urban areas in the two cities.
This research is an attempt to conceptualize the underlying forces behind persistent and ubiquito... more This research is an attempt to conceptualize the underlying forces behind persistent and ubiquitous problems of inequality in access to water in cities of the global south. Inequality in water access is hypothesized to result from urban water regimes that tend to prioritize the right to water access or to provide preferential terms of access for some groups in society, while marginalizing others. By employing a critical realist approach, different theories in relation to inequality are applied in exploring the mechanisms and conditions leading to the unequal provision of water. In doing so, a structuralist perspective is built on the transition framework, integrated with critical urban theory and tested in two settings, Johannesburg, South Africa, and Hyderabad, India. In addition, a relational perspective, based on the concept of durable inequality, is used to scrutinize the relationship between state and citizen in contemporary South Africa and India. Combining these perspectives ...
Transition is a process of societal change and the consequence of shifting from an unsustainable ... more Transition is a process of societal change and the consequence of shifting from an unsustainable to a more sustainable state by tackling persistent problems. Transition management is a framework concerned with long term and sustainability-oriented approaches focusing on conceptual learning, reframing and transformative outcomes. In this context, transition models are useful tools to represent the complexity of adaptive systems, and they can be used as learning tools to convey information between agents with different background in stakeholder meetings, and to enhance agents’ collaboration. By observing and participating in the implementation of the transition management framework in this case study, it is shown that there is a gap between idealized transition management and the implementation phase. This research analyzes the implication of applying the transition management cycle to the case of the Ebro River Basin, about the water management issues. In this respect, an agentbased ...
In sustainability science, the research is expected to go beyond disciplinary thinking and incorp... more In sustainability science, the research is expected to go beyond disciplinary thinking and incorporate different concepts, methods, and data to explore nature–society interactions at different levels and scales. In realizing these expectations, reflexivity is often noted as an influential factor in inter- and transdisciplinary research processes in sustainability science, wherein researchers reflect on their assumptions, judgments, roles, and positions in the research processes, rethink their ways of knowing and doing, and open up new possibilities for actions. Despite the growing literature on the notion of reflexivity in sustainability science and how it emerges during the research processes, the debates and discussions are often based on lessons learned from sustainability research projects, drawing on individuals’ experiences and motivations. This paper aims to grapple with the notion of reflexivity from a structural point of view, which is less discussed in sustainability resea...
Loss and Damage from climate change, recognized as a unique research and policy domain through th... more Loss and Damage from climate change, recognized as a unique research and policy domain through the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) in 2013, has drawn increasing attention among climate scientists and policy makers. As the "third pillar" of the international climate regime—along with mitigation and adaptation—some have suggested that Loss and Damage has the potential to catalyze important synergies with other international agendas, particularly sustainable development. However, the specific approaches to sustainable development that inform Loss and Damage research and how these approaches influence research outcomes and policy recommendations, remains largely unexplored. We offer the first systematic analysis of the assumptions of sustainable development that underpin Loss and Damage scholarship through a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed research on Loss and Damage. We demonstrate that the use of specific metrics, decision criteria and policy prescriptions by Loss...
To protect public health, heat-related policies are increasingly being adopted by city authoritie... more To protect public health, heat-related policies are increasingly being adopted by city authorities to address the unequal impact of heatwaves. Ahmedabad’s Heat Action Plan (HAP) is an acclaimed and successful policy response in India and beyond. While the pilot evaluation of the initiative suggests that almost a thousand deaths were avoided annually after its implementation, it is not yet clear whose lives were saved, and to what extent this statistic was due to the HAP, rather than other factors. By reviewing the published and grey literature centering on the HAP target groups, outreach strategies, and impacts on urban services, this paper points out major knowledge gaps concerning the potentials and impacts of the HAP, which may lead to the systematical exclusion of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups from the intended benefits. In this paper, it is argued that the effectiveness and inclusiveness of the HAP predominantly depend on its integration into urban development projects, w...
Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 2012
After apartheid, South Africa has stepped up to the challenge of reforming an inequitable water s... more After apartheid, South Africa has stepped up to the challenge of reforming an inequitable water service delivery system to meet the needs of all citizens. We frame this systematic societal change as a transition in water governance. We argue that when evaluating this pathway of transition, we should not only look at the changes in water legislation and number with improved access, but also analyze the quality of the water service delivery in terms of different payment schemes, participation by local citizens and conflicts around equality of water provision. By analyzing power in transition studies, we explore the power dynamics at play in two regions of Johannesburg, namely Alexandra and Soweto. The paper highlights the need to explicate the politics of water service delivery and suggests opportunities to break the negative patterns in order to achieve equitable and sustainable water service delivery in South Africa.
The advocates of the transition sustainability paradigm acknowledge the role of institutions (reg... more The advocates of the transition sustainability paradigm acknowledge the role of institutions (regime practices) to establish enforceable legislation to tackle environmental problems. In this respect, a radical systemic reconfiguration in regime practices is required ...
Nar det galler klimatrorelsen och debatten kring den behovs kunskap om hur samhallet fungerar. De... more Nar det galler klimatrorelsen och debatten kring den behovs kunskap om hur samhallet fungerar. Det skriver sex forskare vid Lucsus, Lunds universitets centrum for studier av uthallig samhallsutveckling
Loss and damage from climate change, recognized as a unique research and policy domain through th... more Loss and damage from climate change, recognized as a unique research and policy domain through the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) in 2013, has drawn increasing attention among climate scientists and policy makers. Labelled by some as the “third pillar” of the international climate regime—along with mitigation and adaptation—it has been suggested that loss and damage has the potential to catalyze important synergies with other international agendas, particularly sustainable development. However, the specific approaches to sustainable development that inform loss and damage research and how these approaches influence research outcomes and policy recommendations remain largely unexplored. We offer a systematic analysis of the assumptions of sustainable development that underpins loss and damage scholarship through a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed research on loss and damage. We demonstrate that the use of specific metrics, decision criteria, and policy prescriptions by los...
There has been widespread recognition in the Global South of
the role of participatory governance... more There has been widespread recognition in the Global South of the role of participatory governance approaches to urban development in responding to citizens’ immediate concerns. However, critiques note that participatory initiatives are often avenues for the political and economic elite to ensure their interests and profits, rather than improving the livelihoods in nonserviced urban peripheries. This article investigates how transition management (TM), as a promising participatory governance framework, can be implemented effectively to improve access to water for disadvantaged groups. First, we highlight lessons learnt from the TM applications in urban and water sectors. Second, we draw on empirical data from low-income urban areas in Ghana and Tanzania to bring the importance of social relations to the fore. By employing open-ended interviews, following the water points and conducting narrative walks, we identify three precautions that need to be addressed through adaptations of the TM approach in order to achieve the emancipatory promises of participatory governance models. In suggesting some guidelines for facilitators and active groups in participatory arenas, we discuss the importance of power dynamics in the communities, potentials and shortcoming of reflexive governance processes, and the need for capacity-building in transition teams.
In recent years, a strong natural science hegemony has predominantly framed our understanding of ... more In recent years, a strong natural science hegemony has predominantly framed our understanding of sustainability challenges and, as a result, the production of solution strategies. In countering this, some academic centers have sought to promote interdisciplinary research, starting from the recognition that the scale and complexity of sustainability challenges necessitates a plurality of different social science perspectives to be incorporated in research. In this article, we analyze the process and outcomes of one of these centers, namely, the Lund University Centre of Excellence for Integration of the Social and Natural Dimensions of Sustainability (LUCID), maintaining a heavy emphasis on incorporating social sciences into interdisciplinary sustainability research from its inception. First, we identify and motivate the selection of a consistent set of criteria for evaluating interdisciplinary research processes and outcomes. Second, we apply these criteria in an analysis of a selection of scholarly work produced at LUCID. Third, we evaluate the impacts of LUCID's institutional settings on the process of interdisciplinary research. Finally, we assess to what degree the outcomes of LUCID research have managed to produce the synthetic integrated knowledge required to analyze and address complex sustainability challenges. Although the LUCID work in aggregate represents a plurality of social science perspectives, our analysis suggests that a meaningful synthetic integration of knowledge was accomplished in cases where researchers employed retroductive logic and adhered to the principles of methodological pluralism. In highlighting the need to systematically incorporate these essential elements into the research process, we stress the importance of institutional settings in terms of finance, administration, and providing a conducive intellectual environment wherein authentic interdisciplinarity can emerge. Maintaining the kinds of horizontal and vertical institutional integration characteristic of such conducive settings, however, poses a major challenge in light of current trends, at least in Sweden, toward more compartmentalized, disciplinary university structures.
The advocates of the transition sustainability paradigm acknowledge the role of institutions (reg... more The advocates of the transition sustainability paradigm acknowledge the role of institutions (regime practices) to establish enforceable legislation to tackle environmental problems. In this respect, a radical systemic reconfiguration in regime practices is required to achieve sustainability objectives, i.e. sustainable water resource management. Drawing on the theoretical and methodological foundations of governance in the water domain, we strive to develop
The ambition to be recognized as a ‘World City’ or ‘Global City’ is rapidly increasing not the le... more The ambition to be recognized as a ‘World City’ or ‘Global City’ is rapidly increasing not the least among cities in the global south such as Hyderabad in India and Johannesburg in South Africa. While such a status seems promising for attracting foreign capital and for expanding the economic potential of urban areas, it may have adverse impacts on the hinterland and contribute to growing urban inequality. Therefore, in this paper, the government initiatives inspired by world-city visions in Johannesburg and Hyderabad are analyzed in order to explore the social and environmental implications of the rhetoric around becoming a world city. By demonstrating the disparity in water access, the paper argues that the promises of city development plans in terms of social integration and ‘world-class service’ provision for all citizens, have not been fulfilled. Instead, the narrative of world-class cities in Hyderabad and Johannesburg open new avenues for the accumulation of wealth among the financial and political elite. Hence, the quest to become world cities will likely exacerbate the inequality gap within urban areas in the two cities.
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the role of participatory governance approaches to urban
development in responding to citizens’ immediate concerns.
However, critiques note that participatory initiatives are often
avenues for the political and economic elite to ensure their
interests and profits, rather than improving the livelihoods in nonserviced
urban peripheries. This article investigates how transition
management (TM), as a promising participatory governance
framework, can be implemented effectively to improve access to
water for disadvantaged groups. First, we highlight lessons learnt
from the TM applications in urban and water sectors. Second, we
draw on empirical data from low-income urban areas in Ghana
and Tanzania to bring the importance of social relations to the
fore. By employing open-ended interviews, following the water
points and conducting narrative walks, we identify three
precautions that need to be addressed through adaptations of the
TM approach in order to achieve the emancipatory promises of
participatory governance models. In suggesting some guidelines
for facilitators and active groups in participatory arenas, we
discuss the importance of power dynamics in the communities,
potentials and shortcoming of reflexive governance processes,
and the need for capacity-building in transition teams.
the role of participatory governance approaches to urban
development in responding to citizens’ immediate concerns.
However, critiques note that participatory initiatives are often
avenues for the political and economic elite to ensure their
interests and profits, rather than improving the livelihoods in nonserviced
urban peripheries. This article investigates how transition
management (TM), as a promising participatory governance
framework, can be implemented effectively to improve access to
water for disadvantaged groups. First, we highlight lessons learnt
from the TM applications in urban and water sectors. Second, we
draw on empirical data from low-income urban areas in Ghana
and Tanzania to bring the importance of social relations to the
fore. By employing open-ended interviews, following the water
points and conducting narrative walks, we identify three
precautions that need to be addressed through adaptations of the
TM approach in order to achieve the emancipatory promises of
participatory governance models. In suggesting some guidelines
for facilitators and active groups in participatory arenas, we
discuss the importance of power dynamics in the communities,
potentials and shortcoming of reflexive governance processes,
and the need for capacity-building in transition teams.