Water-conservation policies in perspective: insights from a Q-method study in Salta, Argentina

Iribarnegaray, Martín Alejandro; Zerda, M. F. E. de la; Hutton, Craig M.; Brannstrom, Christian; Liberal, Viviana Isabel; Tejerina, Walter Alfredo; Seghezzo, Lucas

doi:10.2166/wp.2014.159

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 48 publications

(53 reference statements)

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“…Ormerod (2017) examined the subjective views of water stewards regarding the current planning discourse surrounding potable water reuse in the southwestern US. Iribarnegaray et al (2014) used Q methodology to show that the limited success of water policies in Salta (Argentina) was partly due to ignorance or disregard of users' social perspectives on water management.…”

Section: Q Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying diverging sustainability meanings for water policy: a Q-method study in Phoenix, Arizona

et al. 2021

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We identify and describe social perspectives on the sustainability of the water sector in the metropolitan area of Phoenix, Arizona. Using Q methodology, we find evidence for different meanings of sustainability when stakeholders are presented with concrete policy options and applications in spite of an apparently widespread agreement on the concept of sustainability itself. We put the social perspectives articulated by local stakeholders in perspective by analyzing whether they adhere to a commonly used set of sustainability principles when applied to water management and governance. The analysis indicates that although there is some level of acceptance of sustainability principles among the social perspectives identified, there are important discrepancies in the salience of different principles. Results suggest that when people are interacting in policy-making processes they tend to support their previously held own vision of the problems and that their normative considerations may be opposed to broadly accepted sustainability discourses. The different visions of water sustainability may have a direct impact on the water policy-making process depending on the position and influence of the actors involved in the governance scheme.

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Section: Q Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying diverging sustainability meanings for water policy: a Q-method study in Phoenix, Arizona

et al. 2021

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“…The opinion of relevant local actors on the potential of a more open sustainability assessment method facilitated by online tools was solicited in open interviews. The selection of actors was based on a previous study we conducted in the city of Salta using Q methodology (see [19]), in which we identified four social perspectives on water and sanitation, namely: (a) Rights-based consumption advocates; (b) Proponents of market-based and technical water management; (c) Participatory governance advocates; and (d) State-led governance supporters. For the current study, we interviewed one actor for each social perspective identified [46][47][48].…”

Section: Virtual Interaction and Monitoring Spacesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the fact that results from these assessments are rarely incorporated into official decision-making processes has put sustainability indicators under scrutiny [18,19]. Particularly contentious issues in the use of these indicators are concerns with their transparency, openness, and democratic character as a result of the exceedingly technical approaches used that tend to preclude the participation of end users and other relevant stakeholders [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Indicators to Policies: Open Sustainability Assessment in the Water and Sanitation Sector

et al. 2015

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A water and sanitation sustainability index (WASSI) was developed and estimated in four cities of the province of Salta, in northern Argentina. The index was built with nine descriptors and fifteen indicators that covered all essential aspects of the sustainability of local water and sanitation management systems. Only one of the cities studied obtained a sustainability value above the acceptability threshold adopted (50 of 100 points). Results indicate that the water company needs to address some environmental and social issues to enhance the sustainability of the systems studied. The WASSI was conceptually robust and operationally simple, and could be easily adapted to the case studies. The index can be followed and updated online on a web site specially developed for this project. This website could be useful to promote participatory processes, assist decision makers, and facilitate academic research. According to local stakeholders, a more open sustainability assessment based on sustainability indices and supported by virtual tools would be relevant and highly feasible. It would help decision makers improve the sustainability and transparency of water and sanitation management systems, and promote more sustainable water policies in the region and beyond. OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2015, 7 14538

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“…The results presented in this article focus on the qualitative data to develop rich descriptions of the subjectivity of the study participants: people who are particularly knowledgeable about urban water supply, water disposal, and water reuse options in the Southwest. In doing, this article contributes to the emerging field of "critical Q" scholarship (Sneegas 2019: 1), which integrates Q statistics with discourse analysis to understand how people align into shared worldviews (Cousins 2017a;Iribarnegaray et al 2014;Jepson et al 2012;Sneegas 2019;Ward 2013;Lehrer and Sneegas 2018;Nost et al 2019). The remainder of this article proceeds in five parts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toilet power: potable water reuse and the situated meaning of sustainability in the southwestern United States

Ormerod

2019

Journal of Political Ecology

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Proposals to recycle urban wastewater for potable purposes are at the forefront of water development. In this article I combine political ecology's attention to networked relations with Q methodology to identify the shared positions of select stakeholders in the southwestern United States, an urbanizing region increasingly reliant on potable water reuse. I employ critical Q methodology to provide a contextual understanding of how water and sanitation technology shapes subjects and environments. The analyses reveal two distinct sanitary subjectivities, which I label neosanitarian and ecosanitarian, whose views most sharply diverge regarding the appropriateness of direct potable reuse and composting toilets. The findings highlight the situated meaning of sustainability and also underscore the role that wastewater and water reuse play in shaping ecologies, which in turn, helps to identify the environments of elimination that make specific innovations in the water sector possible. In conclusion, I suggest that in the broader context of potable water reuse, the toilet is in a perniciously powerful position to make city-spaces and shape the future citizenry. RésuméLes propositions de recyclage des eaux usées urbaines à des fins potables sont à la pointe du développement de l'eau. Dans cet article, je combine l'attention de l'écologie politique sur les relations en réseau avec la méthodologie Q pour identifier les positions communes de parties prenantes sélectionnées dans le sud-ouest des États-Unis, une région en pleine urbanisation qui dépend de plus en plus de la réutilisation de l'eau potable. J'utilise une méthodologie Q critique pour fournir une compréhension contextuelle de la manière dont la technologie de l'eau et de l'assainissement façonne les sujets et les environnements. Les analyses révèlent deux subjectivités sanitaires distinctes, que je qualifie de néosanitaires et d'écosanitaires, dont les points de vue divergent considérablement en ce qui concerne la pertinence des toilettes à réutilisation directe et à compostage. Les résultats soulignent la signification localisée de la durabilité et soulignent également le rôle que jouent la réutilisation des eaux usées dans l'écologie, ce qui aide à identifier les environnements d'élimination permettant des innovations spécifiques dans le secteur de l'eau. En conclusion, je suggère que, dans le contexte plus large de la réutilisation de l'eau potable, les toilettes occupent une position extrêmement puissante pour créer des espaces urbains et façonner les citoyens de demain. Mots-clés: infrastructure, métabolisme urbain, méthodologie Q, recyclage de l'eau, toilettes à compost 1 Dr.

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Water-conservation policies in perspective: insights from a Q-method study in Salta, Argentina

Cited by 12 publications

References 48 publications

Identifying diverging sustainability meanings for water policy: a Q-method study in Phoenix, Arizona

Identifying diverging sustainability meanings for water policy: a Q-method study in Phoenix, Arizona

From Indicators to Policies: Open Sustainability Assessment in the Water and Sanitation Sector

Toilet power: potable water reuse and the situated meaning of sustainability in the southwestern United States

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