Scales of justice in water governance: hydropower controversies in Switzerland

Schneider, Flurina; Buser, Tobias Johannes; Graefe, Olivier (2014). Scales of justice in water governance: hydropower controversies in Switzerland. Water Policy, 16(2), pp. 137-154. IWA Publishing 10.2166/wp.2014.405

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One significant challenge for the operationalization of water justice arises from the many dynamic scales involved. In this paper we explore the scalar dimension of justice in water governance through the insights derived from empirical research on hydropower production in the Swiss Alps and the application of the geographical concept of politics of scale. More specifically, we investigate how different actors frame the justice problem, the scales that they invoke and which actors consequently get included or excluded in their justice assessments. This study shows that there is no ideal scale for justice evaluations; whichever scale is used, some actors and justice claims are included whereas others are excluded. This is particularly true when using Fraser’s trivalent concept of justice, taking into account issues of distribution, recognition and participation where each calls for its own set of scales. Moreover, focusing on the politics of scale framing, our study reveals that the justice claim itself can become a power element. Consequently, to achieve more just water governance, there is not only a need for debate and negotiations about the conceptions and meanings of justice in a specific context, there is also a need for debate about the relevance and implications of divergent scales involved in justice claims.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

08 Faculty of Science > Institute of Geography > Geographies of Sustainability > Unit Critical Sustainability Studies (CSS)
08 Faculty of Science > Institute of Geography
08 Faculty of Science > Institute of Geography > NCCR North-South Management Centre [discontinued]
10 Strategic Research Centers > Centre for Development and Environment (CDE)

UniBE Contributor:

Schneider, Flurina, Buser, Tobias Johannes

Subjects:

900 History > 910 Geography & travel
300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 330 Economics

ISSN:

1366-7017

Publisher:

IWA Publishing

Projects:

[444] Approaching water stress in the Alps

Language:

English

Submitter:

Leandra Stella Meyer

Date Deposited:

02 Dec 2014 11:25

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:38

Publisher DOI:

10.2166/wp.2014.405

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.60630

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/60630

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