Is regional government-governance nexus delivering on social sustainability promises? Empirical evidence from Moranbah in Australia

Citizen participation dilemmas in water governance: An empirical case of Kumasi, Ghana

“…In related studies on the use and management of water, two broad governance themes are prevalent ( De Loe and Bjornlund, 2010 ; Johannessen et al, 2019 , Taylor and Sonnenfeld, 2019 ). First, a more comprehensive view of the institutional context for water governance that is much more distributed or polycentric across multiple scales and includes informal as well as formal institutional arrangements ( Adams et al, 2019 ; Basson et al, 2018 , Johannessen et al, 2019 ). The other theme explains a mode of planning that strives to be inclusive, collaborative and participatory, and is grounded in discursive decision making ( Tlor and Sonnenfeld, 2019 ).…”

Aspirational Individuals, Hopeful Communities: Histories and Subjectivities of Precarity in Regional Australia

“…These labour conditions contribute to mining towns having common demographic characteristics, including a higher male population and larger numbers of temporary residents (Ivanova et al, 2007; Petkova-Timmer et al, 2009). These demographic characteristics, along with increasingly insecure work conditions, undermine the ability of towns to sustain downturns in the industry (Basson et al, 2018). Insecure employment also extends beyond the mining sector, as businesses and residents see risk in long-term investment within a precarious local economy.…”

“…Thus, economic activity increases during times of a mining boom but is not sustained through the post-boom period. Recent studies have shown how this can trap long-term residents in a cycle of poverty (Basson et al, 2018; Basson and Erdiaw-Kwasie, 2019). In this context, growth in the mining sector compounds rather than alleviates disadvantage.…”

“…A local economy reliant on resource extraction, temporary labour force and lack of demographic diversity play a central role in the loss of ‘community spirit’ or ‘social sustainability’ in regional towns. In this context, precarity extends beyond the labour market with populations expressing fear, uncertainty and anxiety about future prospects for these towns (Basson et al, 2018; Basson and Erdiaw-Kwasie, 2019). By examining community responses to a proposed industrial development, we add qualitative insights to this body of work by examining the role histories and subjectivities of precarity play in framing understandings of the future of Bowen.…”

Rural water project planning and evaluation in Ghana: a new methodological perspective

“…While overall growth trends in community development are positive, governments are increasingly developing policies that seek to maximise the economic, environmental, and social benefits that local initiatives can bring (Ngaruiya et al, 2015;Mtika & Kistler, 2017;Mangai & De Vries, 2018). In addition, current efforts have been geared towards reducing the pressures that arise when community development and empowerment initiatives are unplanned and unmanaged (Basson et al, 2018;Erdiaw-Kwasie & Acheampong, 2018). Although community development is viewed as a self-generating process aimed at important changes in social structures and conditions of life, as well as the involvement in decisions that affect their lives, challenges at the project level are evident (Mvulirwenande et al, 2019;Steimanis et al, 2020).…”