Toward a Political Ecology of Water Solutions

Abstract

Abstract Expanding on political ecology analyses that are increasingly applied to water-related challenges, this essay calls for greater attention to the political and social consequences of proposed water solutions. Concern about environmental health in Palestine often highlights a lack of water access, with proposed solutions focusing on increasing water supplies. Drawing on fieldwork in the West Bank, northern Israel, and Tel Aviv, this essay compares how differently situated residents and water managers evaluate the potential impacts of one type of supply-side infrastructure: desalination. This comparison counters avowedly apolitical technical evaluations of such initiatives by showing uneven sociopolitical costs and benefits.