Water Infrastructure Always In-The-Making: Distributing Water and Authority through the Water Supply Network in Moamba, Mozambique

Water Infrastructure Always In-The-Making: Distributing Water and Authority through the Water Supply Network in Moamba, Mozambique

Using the concept of sociotechnical tinkering, this paper provides detailed empirical observations about the everyday practices of design, construction, operation, maintenance and use of a piped water supply network in a small town in Mozambique. We use these to show that the form, materiality, and...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Luis Miguel Silva-Novoa Sanchez, Jeltsje Sanne Kemerink-Seyoum, Margreet Zwarteveen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-09-01
Series:Water
Subjects:
sociotechnical tinkering
water infrastructure
everyday practices
small towns
Mozambique
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/11/9/1926
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spelling doaj-bd7b3f4e03204e35988669fabc660ed22020-11-25T01:08:44ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412019-09-01119192610.3390/w11091926w11091926Water Infrastructure Always In-The-Making: Distributing Water and Authority through the Water Supply Network in Moamba, MozambiqueLuis Miguel Silva-Novoa Sanchez0Jeltsje Sanne Kemerink-Seyoum1Margreet Zwarteveen2Silvanovoa Consultores S.A.C., Jr. Tarapacá 131, Barranco, Lima 04, PeruIntegrated Water Systems and Governance Department, IHE Delft, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft, The NetherlandsIntegrated Water Systems and Governance Department, IHE Delft, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft, The NetherlandsUsing the concept of sociotechnical tinkering, this paper provides detailed empirical observations about the everyday practices of design, construction, operation, maintenance and use of a piped water supply network in a small town in Mozambique. We use these to show that the form, materiality, and functioning of this water infrastructure are constantly changing as result of interactions with its physical environment as well as in response to experimentation and improvisation by engineers, construction workers, operators and water users. Sociotechnical tinkering not just (re)distributes water, but also provides an avenue through which powers to control water flows can be wielded and exercised. In this sense, empirical attention to sociotechnical tinkering provides a useful entry-point for rethinking the distribution of control, authority and responsibility in water governance, or more broadly the relations between power and infrastructure. This, in turn, may yield new inspirations for identifying pragmatic possibilities for progressive water politics.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/11/9/1926sociotechnical tinkeringwater infrastructureeveryday practicessmall townsMozambique
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Luis Miguel Silva-Novoa Sanchez
Jeltsje Sanne Kemerink-Seyoum
Margreet Zwarteveen
spellingShingle Luis Miguel Silva-Novoa Sanchez
Jeltsje Sanne Kemerink-Seyoum
Margreet Zwarteveen
Water Infrastructure Always In-The-Making: Distributing Water and Authority through the Water Supply Network in Moamba, Mozambique
Water
sociotechnical tinkering
water infrastructure
everyday practices
small towns
Mozambique
author_facet Luis Miguel Silva-Novoa Sanchez
Jeltsje Sanne Kemerink-Seyoum
Margreet Zwarteveen
author_sort Luis Miguel Silva-Novoa Sanchez
title Water Infrastructure Always In-The-Making: Distributing Water and Authority through the Water Supply Network in Moamba, Mozambique
title_short Water Infrastructure Always In-The-Making: Distributing Water and Authority through the Water Supply Network in Moamba, Mozambique
title_full Water Infrastructure Always In-The-Making: Distributing Water and Authority through the Water Supply Network in Moamba, Mozambique
title_fullStr Water Infrastructure Always In-The-Making: Distributing Water and Authority through the Water Supply Network in Moamba, Mozambique
title_full_unstemmed Water Infrastructure Always In-The-Making: Distributing Water and Authority through the Water Supply Network in Moamba, Mozambique
title_sort water infrastructure always in-the-making: distributing water and authority through the water supply network in moamba, mozambique
publisher MDPI AG
series Water
issn 2073-4441
publishDate 2019-09-01
description Using the concept of sociotechnical tinkering, this paper provides detailed empirical observations about the everyday practices of design, construction, operation, maintenance and use of a piped water supply network in a small town in Mozambique. We use these to show that the form, materiality, and functioning of this water infrastructure are constantly changing as result of interactions with its physical environment as well as in response to experimentation and improvisation by engineers, construction workers, operators and water users. Sociotechnical tinkering not just (re)distributes water, but also provides an avenue through which powers to control water flows can be wielded and exercised. In this sense, empirical attention to sociotechnical tinkering provides a useful entry-point for rethinking the distribution of control, authority and responsibility in water governance, or more broadly the relations between power and infrastructure. This, in turn, may yield new inspirations for identifying pragmatic possibilities for progressive water politics.
topic sociotechnical tinkering
water infrastructure
everyday practices
small towns
Mozambique
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/11/9/1926
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AT jeltsjesannekemerinkseyoum waterinfrastructurealwaysinthemakingdistributingwaterandauthoritythroughthewatersupplynetworkinmoambamozambique
AT margreetzwarteveen waterinfrastructurealwaysinthemakingdistributingwaterandauthoritythroughthewatersupplynetworkinmoambamozambique
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