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Governing the water commons in China: from historical oriental despotism to contemporary fragmented hydraulic state

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  • Yan Zhang

Abstract

This paper explores water commons and its governance in China. Neither oriental despotism nor fragmented hydraulic state accurately describes water governance in China. Instead, a combined approach of Grand Union governance logic and polycentric policy-making analysis is proposed. The paper argues that the concept of the commons in China is dual-dimensional, with a vertical dimension of public authority and a horizontal dimension of sharing-in-common; that power structures have often been flexible, adaptive, polycentric and highly experimental; and that, correctly applied, this approach also strives to serve the common good, ensuring positive impacts for shared prosperity, while mitigating negative impacts.

Suggested Citation

  • Yan Zhang, 2019. "Governing the water commons in China: from historical oriental despotism to contemporary fragmented hydraulic state," International Journal of Water Resources Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(6), pages 1029-1047, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:cijwxx:v:35:y:2019:i:6:p:1029-1047
    DOI: 10.1080/07900627.2018.1508989
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    Cited by:

    1. Elisa Blanco & Guillermo Donoso & Pablo Camus, 2023. "Water Conflicts in Chile: Have We Learned Anything from Colonial Times?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Ibnu Budiman & Mattijs Smits, 2020. "How Do Configuration Shifts in Fragmented Energy Governance Affect Policy Output? A Case Study of Changing Biogas Regimes in Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-23, February.

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