Urban ponds, environmental imaginaries and (un)commoning: An urban political ecology of the pondscape in a small city in Gujarat, India
Urban ponds in India have for a long time been used for multiple purposes and have been accessible to a wide range of social groups; they thus often represent an urban commons. However, recent transformations of urban ponds into infrastructure that serves more limited uses have been accompanied by...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Water Alternatives Association
2020-06-01
|
| Series: | Water Alternatives |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol13/v13issue2/572-a13-2-2/file |
| _version_ | 1828425679600877568 |
|---|---|
| author | Anna Zimmer René Véron Natasha L. Cornea |
| author_facet | Anna Zimmer René Véron Natasha L. Cornea |
| author_sort | Anna Zimmer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Urban ponds in India have for a long time been used for multiple purposes and have been accessible to
a wide range of social groups; they thus often represent an urban commons. However, recent transformations of
urban ponds into infrastructure that serves more limited uses have been accompanied by enclosure and social
exclusion. Using an urban political ecology approach that is enriched with the concepts of environmental
imaginaries and (un)commoning, this paper examines the ideational foundations and societal mechanisms
underpinning the transformation of the pondscape of Navsari, a small city in the state of Gujarat. Based on
interviews and field observations, the study found that the small-town elite’s imaginary of the 'modern city'
underpinned the shift to the ponds becoming part of Navsari’s drinking water infrastructure; this led to the
enclosure of the ponds and thus the ideational and physical separation of residents from these waterbodies and
the exclusion of traditional user groups. This socio-ecological transformation of the pondscape, however, was not
characterised by simple, linear processes of uncommoning driven by local elites: the dismantling of the urban
commons (in the form of waste dumping by multiple actors) largely preceded the creation of infrastructure;
enclosures and exclusions remained imperfect and spatially variable; and in some places informal resource-use rules
continued or were recreated by local communities. This research points to how important it is for urban political
ecology to consider the imaginaries and practices of multiple actors – including those beyond the metropolitan
areas – in the construction of a nuanced narrative of dispossession in the neoliberal city. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T16:35:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-062521c146b745d595ff024ec95549df |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1965-0175 1965-0175 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T16:35:31Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | Water Alternatives Association |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water Alternatives |
| spelling | doaj.art-062521c146b745d595ff024ec95549df2022-12-22T01:41:26ZengWater Alternatives AssociationWater Alternatives1965-01751965-01752020-06-01132225247Urban ponds, environmental imaginaries and (un)commoning: An urban political ecology of the pondscape in a small city in Gujarat, IndiaAnna Zimmer0René Véron1Natasha L. Cornea2Independent researcher, New DelhiUniversity of Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandUniversity of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomUrban ponds in India have for a long time been used for multiple purposes and have been accessible to a wide range of social groups; they thus often represent an urban commons. However, recent transformations of urban ponds into infrastructure that serves more limited uses have been accompanied by enclosure and social exclusion. Using an urban political ecology approach that is enriched with the concepts of environmental imaginaries and (un)commoning, this paper examines the ideational foundations and societal mechanisms underpinning the transformation of the pondscape of Navsari, a small city in the state of Gujarat. Based on interviews and field observations, the study found that the small-town elite’s imaginary of the 'modern city' underpinned the shift to the ponds becoming part of Navsari’s drinking water infrastructure; this led to the enclosure of the ponds and thus the ideational and physical separation of residents from these waterbodies and the exclusion of traditional user groups. This socio-ecological transformation of the pondscape, however, was not characterised by simple, linear processes of uncommoning driven by local elites: the dismantling of the urban commons (in the form of waste dumping by multiple actors) largely preceded the creation of infrastructure; enclosures and exclusions remained imperfect and spatially variable; and in some places informal resource-use rules continued or were recreated by local communities. This research points to how important it is for urban political ecology to consider the imaginaries and practices of multiple actors – including those beyond the metropolitan areas – in the construction of a nuanced narrative of dispossession in the neoliberal city.http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol13/v13issue2/572-a13-2-2/fileurban political ecologyurban commonsenvironmental imaginariespondsgujaratindia |
| spellingShingle | Anna Zimmer René Véron Natasha L. Cornea Urban ponds, environmental imaginaries and (un)commoning: An urban political ecology of the pondscape in a small city in Gujarat, India Water Alternatives urban political ecology urban commons environmental imaginaries ponds gujarat india |
| title | Urban ponds, environmental imaginaries and (un)commoning: An urban political ecology of the pondscape in a small city in Gujarat, India |
| title_full | Urban ponds, environmental imaginaries and (un)commoning: An urban political ecology of the pondscape in a small city in Gujarat, India |
| title_fullStr | Urban ponds, environmental imaginaries and (un)commoning: An urban political ecology of the pondscape in a small city in Gujarat, India |
| title_full_unstemmed | Urban ponds, environmental imaginaries and (un)commoning: An urban political ecology of the pondscape in a small city in Gujarat, India |
| title_short | Urban ponds, environmental imaginaries and (un)commoning: An urban political ecology of the pondscape in a small city in Gujarat, India |
| title_sort | urban ponds environmental imaginaries and un commoning an urban political ecology of the pondscape in a small city in gujarat india |
| topic | urban political ecology urban commons environmental imaginaries ponds gujarat india |
| url | http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol13/v13issue2/572-a13-2-2/file |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT annazimmer urbanpondsenvironmentalimaginariesanduncommoninganurbanpoliticalecologyofthepondscapeinasmallcityingujaratindia AT reneveron urbanpondsenvironmentalimaginariesanduncommoninganurbanpoliticalecologyofthepondscapeinasmallcityingujaratindia AT natashalcornea urbanpondsenvironmentalimaginariesanduncommoninganurbanpoliticalecologyofthepondscapeinasmallcityingujaratindia |