Wicked Problems of Water Quality Governance

This book explores the many dimensions of water quality problems in different parts of the globe, with a focus on governance issues. It highlights the challenges of managing water from source to sea, the differing social discourses on market-based instruments, and the misalignment of established Eastern European water laws with those of the EU. It also examines the impacts of service coverage and quality on low-income households, the importance of perceptions, and the confluence of wicked problems in refugee camps facing COVID.

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 26 December 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the multifaceted aspects of water quality issues across the globe, placing a strong emphasis on governance challenges. It explores the legal frameworks, social discourses, and compensation measures associated with these problems, highlighting the complexities involved in addressing them. Recognizing the critical importance of water quality for sustainable development, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.3 on Water and Sanitation emphasizes the need to improve water quality. However, the road to achieving this goal is fraught with significant obstacles.

This book uncovers a diverse range of challenging and complex "wicked" problems related to water quality governance worldwide. It examines cases such as the management of water from source to sea, exploring why efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef have fallen short in mitigating harm; the contrasting social discourses surrounding market-based instruments in Canada; the ongoing efforts to address the human legacies of Minamata methyl mercury poisoning in Japan, half a century after the incident; the current challenges of mercury use in Andean mining regions; the discrepancies between established Eastern European water laws and those of the European Union; the development of water quality markets in China; the impacts of service coverage and quality on low-income households in countries ranging from New Zealand to Bangladesh, Malawi, and beyond; the significance of perceptions, encompassing the use of treated wastewater by farmers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, consumers in Fukushima, and users of the artificial river in Beijing's Olympic Park; and lastly, the convergence of wicked problems in refugee camps grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chapters in this book were originally published in the esteemed journal, Water International. By examining these diverse cases, the book provides valuable insights into the complexities and challenges of water quality governance, shedding light on the need for innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to address these pressing issues.

Weight: 698g
Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032363349