Title: Market triumphalism in water governance: a study of the Indonesian West Tarum Canal water allocation

Authors: Wijanto Hadipuro; Rusmadi; Aulia Latif; Astrid Ekaningdyah

Addresses: Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Soegijapranata Catholic University, Jl. Pawiyatan Luhur IV/1 Bendan Duwur, Semarang 50234, Indonesia ' Post Graduate Programme on Environment and Urban Studies, Soegijapranata Catholic University, Jl. Pawiyatan Luhur IV/1 Bendan Duwur, Semarang 50234, Indonesia ' Post Graduate Programme on Environment and Urban Studies, Soegijapranata Catholic University, Jl. Pawiyatan Luhur IV/1 Bendan Duwur, Semarang 50234, Indonesia ' Post Graduate Programme on Environment and Urban Studies, Soegijapranata Catholic University, Jl. Pawiyatan Luhur IV/1 Bendan Duwur, Semarang 50234, Indonesia

Abstract: Governing, which is defined as the totality of interaction of actors aiming to solve societal problems, is never as ideal as its definition. A two-tier analysis of governance - one that considers individual actors and institutions - proves that dominance is always at play among these multiple interactions. The two-tier analysis shows that when water is managed by a public agency, it does not necessarily mean that water is managed by a state institution. The study of water allocation at West Tarum Canal shows that the adoption of market institutions by the Government of Indonesia has resulted in a societal problem of the marginalisation of farmers. The hegemony of the market is achieved through the successful attempt by multilateral agencies to make the Indonesian Government and its apparatus adopt market institutions. Fiscal decentralisation is another determining factor accelerating the adoption of market institutions in the allocation of water at West Tarum Canal.

Keywords: water governance; market institutions; Indonesia; Jatiluhur Dam; water allocation; West Tarum Canal; marginalisation; farmers; fiscal decentralisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJW.2014.065793

International Journal of Water, 2014 Vol.8 No.4, pp.368 - 380

Received: 09 Jul 2012
Accepted: 24 Mar 2013

Published online: 29 Nov 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article