Water theft in rural contexts

Abstract

Water theft is a phenomenon that is set to grow in the light of climate change, chronic drought, freshwater scarcity, and conflicts over natural resources. Drawing upon recent developments pertaining to poor regulation and the stealing of water from the Murray-Darling river system in Australia, this paper explores the cultural and political economic dimensions of water theft in the context of rurality and criminality. Framed within the overarching perspective of green criminology, the article examines water theft through the lens of rural folk crime as well as failures of regulation and environmental law enforcement. It raises issues relating to the social construction of victims of water theft, human (such as Indigenous people) and non-human (such as ecosystems). This article argues that the geographical location of water theft is integral to the dynamics of the harms committed, and the response of both governments and residents to the crime.

News media framing of the Murray–Darling Basin ‘water theft’ controversy

“…From a critical green criminology perspective, stealing water is considered a major offence (Brisman et al, 2018;Eman et al, 2020) that affects humans, ecosystems, non-human animals, and plants, as well as specific communities differentially such as family farmers and Indigenous people (White, 2019). Yet, the mobilisation of state machinery and criminal law may belie its status as either serious or warranting strong remedy.…”

“…This is reminiscent of the neutralisation techniques identified by green criminologists (Brisman & South, 2014). But critical green criminologists, and framing theorists for that matter, would also argue that reduction of the issue to one of state-rights (and wrongs) serves to distract from several other frames and salient issues at the heart of the matter -for example, the disproportionate use of water by large agribusinesses along the Murray-Darling Basin and the lack of attention to the ecological criteria needed to assess adequate water flows and distributions (White, 2019). This is despite opinion pieces such as those by former South Australian Minister for Water Security and the River Murray, Karlene Maywald (2018), which claimed: 'These are not allegations about the rights and wrongs of the Basin Plan.…”

“…Much has been written about the Murray-Darling Basin and the ineffectiveness of its governance regimes and the plan which has sought to sustain its health (Baird et al, 2020;White, 2019). Less attention has been paid to mainstream media's coverage of water resource management in the Basin, and the implications of journalistic investigations, such as the one by Four Corners.…”

Water Theft Maleficence in Australia

“…Other drivers may include drought, climate variability, increasing water prices, insufficient water allocations, personal desire to farm, the advantages of ongoing availability and accessibility of fresh water upstream, and that fresh water is a valuable and profitable commodity to be sold, especially during times when fresh water is scarce (Barlow and Clarke 2017;Douglas et al 2016;Four Corners 2017;Holley et al 2020;Walker 2019). For some, the taking of water is not perceived as a crime, especially if it is for survival purposes, and is, thus, more akin to a rural folk crime than a serious offence (White 2019).…”

Authoritarian Environmentalism and Epistemological Violence: A Southern Green Criminology Analysis of the 2014 Lanzhou Water Crisis and the Belt and Road Initiative Expansion into the Global Water Sector

“…The commodification of water resources has been a significant focus of green criminology, particularly regarding privatization, contamination, and water theft (Brisman et al 2018(Brisman et al , 2020Eman and White 2020;Johnson, South and Walters 2016;White 2019). As the private sector's involvement in water supply management has grown globally, it has been viewed as a manifestation of the neoliberalization of natural resources that can increase water service efficiency and improve water quality in the Global South (Zhang et al 2016).…”