Using Ostrom’s DPs as Fuzzy Sets to Analyse How Water Policies Challenge Community-Based Water Governance in Colombia
Ostrom’s design principles have been broadly used to analyse the governance of common pool resources. However, they are normally assessed as present or absent. We challenge this assumption by considering them as fuzzy sets where membership scores range from 0 to 1, because, in real situations, the d...
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doaj-5014ccfd6cdb40f28d88484f48d833262020-11-24T23:20:36ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412017-07-019753510.3390/w9070535w9070535Using Ostrom’s DPs as Fuzzy Sets to Analyse How Water Policies Challenge Community-Based Water Governance in ColombiaMaría Mar Delgado-Serrano0Pablo Andrés Ramos1Edwin Lasso Zapata2Departamento de Economía, Sociología y Política Agrarias, ETSIAM, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Edificio Gregor Mendel, E-14071 Córdoba, SpainFacultad de Estudios Ambientales y Rurales, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Transversal 4 # 42-00 piso 8, Bogotá, ColombiaFacultad de Estudios Ambientales y Rurales, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Transversal 4 # 42-00 piso 8, Bogotá, ColombiaOstrom’s design principles have been broadly used to analyse the governance of common pool resources. However, they are normally assessed as present or absent. We challenge this assumption by considering them as fuzzy sets where membership scores range from 0 to 1, because, in real situations, the design principles can be present at a certain level. We define categories to assess the level of membership and apply it to a single case study analysing how changes in water policy can affect the community-based management of the Water User Association of Mondomo (Colombia). In rural areas of Colombia, most water and sanitation services are provided by water user associations, wherein civil society has developed governance systems based on active citizen involvement and community-based management. Some of these associations have been operating for decades and are essential pillars of the local social fabric. However, recent changes in the country’s policy and legal framework threaten these long-lasting governance systems. The results show that most of the design principles would suffer important changes that undermine the governance system. Essential principles for sustainable community-based governance, such as the congruence of the rules with local conditions, the local monitoring and sanctioning capacities, the internal conflict-resolution mechanisms and the recognition of the rights to organize, are dramatically reduced after the policy implementation.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/9/7/535democratic water governanceLatin AmericaOstrom design principleswater user associations |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
María Mar Delgado-Serrano Pablo Andrés Ramos Edwin Lasso Zapata |
spellingShingle |
María Mar Delgado-Serrano Pablo Andrés Ramos Edwin Lasso Zapata Using Ostrom’s DPs as Fuzzy Sets to Analyse How Water Policies Challenge Community-Based Water Governance in Colombia Water democratic water governance Latin America Ostrom design principles water user associations |
author_facet |
María Mar Delgado-Serrano Pablo Andrés Ramos Edwin Lasso Zapata |
author_sort |
María Mar Delgado-Serrano |
title |
Using Ostrom’s DPs as Fuzzy Sets to Analyse How Water Policies Challenge Community-Based Water Governance in Colombia |
title_short |
Using Ostrom’s DPs as Fuzzy Sets to Analyse How Water Policies Challenge Community-Based Water Governance in Colombia |
title_full |
Using Ostrom’s DPs as Fuzzy Sets to Analyse How Water Policies Challenge Community-Based Water Governance in Colombia |
title_fullStr |
Using Ostrom’s DPs as Fuzzy Sets to Analyse How Water Policies Challenge Community-Based Water Governance in Colombia |
title_full_unstemmed |
Using Ostrom’s DPs as Fuzzy Sets to Analyse How Water Policies Challenge Community-Based Water Governance in Colombia |
title_sort |
using ostrom’s dps as fuzzy sets to analyse how water policies challenge community-based water governance in colombia |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Water |
issn |
2073-4441 |
publishDate |
2017-07-01 |
description |
Ostrom’s design principles have been broadly used to analyse the governance of common pool resources. However, they are normally assessed as present or absent. We challenge this assumption by considering them as fuzzy sets where membership scores range from 0 to 1, because, in real situations, the design principles can be present at a certain level. We define categories to assess the level of membership and apply it to a single case study analysing how changes in water policy can affect the community-based management of the Water User Association of Mondomo (Colombia). In rural areas of Colombia, most water and sanitation services are provided by water user associations, wherein civil society has developed governance systems based on active citizen involvement and community-based management. Some of these associations have been operating for decades and are essential pillars of the local social fabric. However, recent changes in the country’s policy and legal framework threaten these long-lasting governance systems. The results show that most of the design principles would suffer important changes that undermine the governance system. Essential principles for sustainable community-based governance, such as the congruence of the rules with local conditions, the local monitoring and sanctioning capacities, the internal conflict-resolution mechanisms and the recognition of the rights to organize, are dramatically reduced after the policy implementation. |
topic |
democratic water governance Latin America Ostrom design principles water user associations |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/9/7/535 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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