Abstract

VILLA FONTECHA, Germán Humberto. ON WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD. A BIOPOLITICAL APPROACH. anal.polit. [online]. 2012, vol.25, n.74, pp.109-133. ISSN 0121-4705.

This article highlights the importance of reflecting on the problems associated with water management in the contemporary world, facing the challenges posed by the global water cycle imbalance, the increasing water demand for varied uses and the progressive decline in the availability of drinking water. In view of this, we present a theoretical discussion that refers, however, to multi ple references of concrete situations and quantitative data. Adopting a critical position, the discussion centers on the confrontation of the so-called paradigms of water (as a Human Right or a vital asset, and as an economic good) and, from there, it sets out the consideration of the importance and significance of water for life, using the concept of biopower present in the biopolitical thought of Michel Foucault. Next, some comments on the role of international environmental organizations in setting the guidelines for water management in different countries are made. It is also examined the argument used to justify the imagination of a future of 'global water crisis', a future of scarcity. Finally, we present arguments and references to specific cases in order to assert the inconvenience of understanding and managing water as an economic good. This is the inconvenience, in social and environmental terms, of private management of water and sanitation services. It also raises some concerns on the Colombian case.

Keywords : water; biopower; economic good; vital heritage; human right; scarcity; privatization.

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