37. Urban water governance - From Malmö to Melbourne

I am currently supervising an international Masters student who is looking into urban water governance. At this stage, there are two possible cases, including Malmö, Sweden and Melbourne, Australia. Both are engaging in innovative approaches to water, including a green and blue strategy in Malmö and water sensitive urban design in Melbourne. The research plan for the thesis states that the water sector has traditionally been driven by investments in technological innovations like increased water efficiency, improved water quality and treatment, and developing alternative water supply and recycling. However, scholars argue that “it is the co-evolution of the socio-institutional and technical systems that enable a system wide transition”. The emphasis on technical solutions has left the water resource community with "blind spots" about the social and institutional dimensions of sustainable urban water management. 

An increase in awareness about the complexity of water management, the multi-functional character of water and the need to adapt to climate change, has called for new modes of governance that focus on more process-oriented societal co-steering through public-private partnerships and formal and informal networks. However, the literature reveals that there are institutional barriers impeding transitions towards sustainable urban water management, and building institutional capacity has been identified as a key strategy for transitions. Furthermore, governance theories have been more descriptive and analytical in nature and that an opportunity exists to offer a more prescriptive basis for how to achieve the required change in governance to facilitate the adoption of more sustainable urban water practices. Looking forward to the results of this thesis!