Water and common goods: community management as a possible alternative to the public-private model

Name: Water and common goods: community management as a possible alternative to the public-private model
Brand: Vita e Pensiero
Price: 6.00 EUR
Availability: OnlineOnly

digital

Article

Magazine

RIVISTA INTERNAZIONALE DI SCIENZE SOCIALI

Issue

RIVISTA INTERNAZIONALE DI SCIENZE SOCIALI - 2011 - 2

Title

Water and common goods: community management as a possible alternative to the public-private model

Authors

Margherita Cervio, Alba Distaso

Publisher

Vita e Pensiero

Format

Article |

Pdf

Pages

Online from

04-2011

Issn

0035-676X (print) | 1827-7918 (digital)

€ 6.00

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Description

In this paper we demonstrate that in economic systems characterised by social structures founded on reciprocal trust and interpersonal relations, water is a common good. In order to verify this, we refer to an economy of reciprocity practiced by some indigenous communities of the Bolivian Andes. We compare water management in these communities with another case of collective provision of water services now present and functioning in some areas of the Italian Alps and Apennines. In the examined case studies, we find that any kind of water property regime other than that the indigenous communities practice represents not only an inefficient system of management of the resource but also a reduction in relational goods. In both cases, water is a resource to exploit, and also a means to strengthen the interpersonal relations and the identity of the community.

Key words: Water, Economy of Common Goods, Economy of Reciprocity, Community Management.

JEL Classification: A13, D13, Q15, Q25.