Desalination as emergency fix: tracing the drought–desalination assemblage in South Africa

Scheba, Suraya; Scheba, Andreas

doi:10.4337/9781788113816.00011

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“…Our findings here align with, and adds deepened understanding of, earlier points made about the potential of desalination to obscure and sidestep tensions around water resources (see Scheba and Scheba 2018;Swyngedouw and Williams 2016). In the specific case of Gotland, this occurred through a combination of partial naturalization of water scarcity (Kallis 2008;Swyngedouw 2011), gradual normalization wherein the initial small scale plant played an important role, and technocratic thinking underpinned by a sense of urgency linked to the economic role of water.…”

Section: Concluding Discussion and Recommendationssupporting

confidence: 82%

“…He further argues in the Californian context that desalination, although depicted as a solution to the region's water crisis, serves as 'socioecological fix' which instead displaces and deepens crisis in the interest of economic growth. A similar argument is made by Scheba and Scheba (2018) in South Africa, where they argue that desalination is being adopted as an 'emergency quick fix' that primarily serves the interest of wealthier segments of the population and fits well into the dominant ecological modernization model of sustainable development. Using the example of Spain, Swyngedouw and Williams (2016) claim that increasing use of desalination reflects a process of depoliticization by eliminating conflict and thus the opportunity for political debate.…”

Section: Desalination To the Rescue? A Controversial Solution To Watementioning

confidence: 75%

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The irresistible solution: rationale and risks of extending water limits through desalination in the case of Gotland, Sweden

Sophia

Isgren

2019

Journal of Political Ecology

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Water resources are under increasing pressure, and there are tensions between increasing demand and the natural limits to potable water supply. Authorities must find solutions that fulfil societal demands without compromising environmental integrity. As one way to counteract water deficits, desalination has evolved as an attractive solution. This technology is contested and associated with a variety of social, environmental and economic consequences; yet it is increasingly used. In Sweden, the technology is rare but recent droughts have spurred interest. On the island of Gotland, where Sweden's first larger desalination plant was inaugurated in 2016, we examine the perceived benefits and drawbacks of desalination as well as the decision-making process that led up to its implementation. Through qualitative analysis of public documents and stakeholder interviews, we identify mechanisms that contributed to desalination becoming a favored solution. We find that it is associated with a number of benefits that are in line with broader development goals, against which its drawbacks are considered to be acceptable or externalized. Desalination extends natural limits to permit development, delaying deeper social and economic restructuring. Rather than arguing against desalination per se, we emphasize the risk of the depoliticization of water supply through technocratic decision-making, the normalization of scarcity and certain technologies, and the urgency that builds around increasing water supply 'at any economic cost.' These tendencies obscure drawbacks, limitations and conflicting interests. They foreclose the questioning of resource intensive development. In order to invoke transformation towards long-term sustainability of Gotland's water supply, policy-makers should seek to diversify their sources of knowledge and encourage more open democratic debate around alternative regional development pathways.Keywords: desalination, natural limits, water scarcity, Gotland, political ecology, technocracy, depoliticization, normalization

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Section: Concluding Discussion and Recommendationssupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Desalination To the Rescue? A Controversial Solution To Watementioning

confidence: 75%

The irresistible solution: rationale and risks of extending water limits through desalination in the case of Gotland, Sweden

Sophia

Isgren

2019

Journal of Political Ecology

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Desalination as emergency fix: tracing the drought–desalination assemblage in South Africa

Cited by 1 publication

References 0 publications

The irresistible solution: rationale and risks of extending water limits through desalination in the case of Gotland, Sweden

The irresistible solution: rationale and risks of extending water limits through desalination in the case of Gotland, Sweden

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