TY - JOUR
T1 - Jumping the water queue
T2 - Changing waterscapes under water reform processes in rural Zimbabwe
AU - Kemerink-Seyoum, J. S.
AU - Chinguno, N. L.T.
AU - Seyoum, S. D.
AU - Ahlers, R
AU - Bolding, J. A.
AU - van der Zaag, P.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - This paper contributes to the ongoing discussion on the implementation of water reforms in rural African waterscapes and explores how farmers in a tertiary catchment in Zimbabwe react to these reforms. It shows how privileged farmers have jumped the water queue by moving their agricultural activities upstream where they illegally divert water straight from the river, while downstream, in the smallholder irrigation scheme, farmers resort to rainfed farming. This unforeseen consequence of the 1998 water reform process, implemented during the economically unstable decade that followed, is explained by adopting a socio-nature approach. Empirical field data as well as processed satellite images are presented and the politicized implications of water reform processes in the Zimbabwean context are discussed. Besides the need to critically examine the content of water reform processes, more attention is needed for understanding what happens to the water that escapes stipulated plans, prescribed rules of control and visible decision-making arenas.
AB - This paper contributes to the ongoing discussion on the implementation of water reforms in rural African waterscapes and explores how farmers in a tertiary catchment in Zimbabwe react to these reforms. It shows how privileged farmers have jumped the water queue by moving their agricultural activities upstream where they illegally divert water straight from the river, while downstream, in the smallholder irrigation scheme, farmers resort to rainfed farming. This unforeseen consequence of the 1998 water reform process, implemented during the economically unstable decade that followed, is explained by adopting a socio-nature approach. Empirical field data as well as processed satellite images are presented and the politicized implications of water reform processes in the Zimbabwean context are discussed. Besides the need to critically examine the content of water reform processes, more attention is needed for understanding what happens to the water that escapes stipulated plans, prescribed rules of control and visible decision-making arenas.
KW - Irrigation
KW - River basin management
KW - Socio-nature
KW - Water reforms
KW - Zimbabwe
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85026875570&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:4aad7cfd-3c9c-4f2f-9b07-c9b6d8f2ba15
U2 - 10.4314/wsa.v43i3.07
DO - 10.4314/wsa.v43i3.07
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85026875570
SN - 0378-4738
VL - 43
SP - 423
EP - 432
JO - Water SA(Print Edition)
JF - Water SA(Print Edition)
IS - 3
ER -