Wastewater treatment on Chongming eco-island: The cultural politics of hydrosocial territory-making
The introduction of rural domestic wastewater treatment (WWT) installations is part of a grand scheme to realise China’s 'ecological civilisation' on Chongming in the Yangtze Delta region. Taking a cultural approach to hydrosocial territoriality, this article examines why this seemingly...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Water Alternatives Association
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Water Alternatives |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol16/v16issue2/699-a16-2-2/file |
| _version_ | 1827916459845615616 |
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| author | Ran Feng Maarten Loopmans Kim Tondeur |
| author_facet | Ran Feng Maarten Loopmans Kim Tondeur |
| author_sort | Ran Feng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The introduction of rural domestic wastewater treatment (WWT) installations is part of a grand scheme
to realise China’s 'ecological civilisation' on Chongming in the Yangtze Delta region. Taking a cultural approach to
hydrosocial territoriality, this article examines why this seemingly well-intended welfare intervention is rejected by
rural islanders. The introduction of WWT does not only imply an upgrading of rural services, but is also seen as a
top-down attempt at reshuffling the hydrosocial territories in which Chongming villages are embedded. Villagers
perceive the WWT project as a forerunner of the greater threat of urbanisation and displacement of rural
livelihoods, and also express a cultural reaction rooted in alternative rural understandings of landownership and
engrained traditions related to water, waste, and soils. Village resistance forces local village cadres to intervene as
cultural mediators between the villagers and the state. This moves the village cadres, against their own will, into a
prominent position in the hydrosocial network. The article reveals how hydrosocial territories emerge from
confrontations between top-down governance reshuffling and bottom-up manoeuvring. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:14:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cd90a5f6bd664d17b7b739a3652e4e3c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1965-0175 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:14:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Water Alternatives Association |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water Alternatives |
| spelling | doaj.art-cd90a5f6bd664d17b7b739a3652e4e3c2023-06-26T06:12:03ZengWater Alternatives AssociationWater Alternatives1965-01752023-06-01162444462Wastewater treatment on Chongming eco-island: The cultural politics of hydrosocial territory-makingRan Feng0Maarten Loopmans1Kim Tondeur2Division of Geography and Tourism, KU Leuven, BelgiumDivision of Geography and Tourism, KU Leuven, BelgiumUniversité Libre de BruxellesThe introduction of rural domestic wastewater treatment (WWT) installations is part of a grand scheme to realise China’s 'ecological civilisation' on Chongming in the Yangtze Delta region. Taking a cultural approach to hydrosocial territoriality, this article examines why this seemingly well-intended welfare intervention is rejected by rural islanders. The introduction of WWT does not only imply an upgrading of rural services, but is also seen as a top-down attempt at reshuffling the hydrosocial territories in which Chongming villages are embedded. Villagers perceive the WWT project as a forerunner of the greater threat of urbanisation and displacement of rural livelihoods, and also express a cultural reaction rooted in alternative rural understandings of landownership and engrained traditions related to water, waste, and soils. Village resistance forces local village cadres to intervene as cultural mediators between the villagers and the state. This moves the village cadres, against their own will, into a prominent position in the hydrosocial network. The article reveals how hydrosocial territories emerge from confrontations between top-down governance reshuffling and bottom-up manoeuvring.https://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol16/v16issue2/699-a16-2-2/file: hydrosocial territorycultural politicseco-islandwastewater treatmentrural yangtze deltachina |
| spellingShingle | Ran Feng Maarten Loopmans Kim Tondeur Wastewater treatment on Chongming eco-island: The cultural politics of hydrosocial territory-making Water Alternatives : hydrosocial territory cultural politics eco-island wastewater treatment rural yangtze delta china |
| title | Wastewater treatment on Chongming eco-island: The cultural politics of hydrosocial territory-making |
| title_full | Wastewater treatment on Chongming eco-island: The cultural politics of hydrosocial territory-making |
| title_fullStr | Wastewater treatment on Chongming eco-island: The cultural politics of hydrosocial territory-making |
| title_full_unstemmed | Wastewater treatment on Chongming eco-island: The cultural politics of hydrosocial territory-making |
| title_short | Wastewater treatment on Chongming eco-island: The cultural politics of hydrosocial territory-making |
| title_sort | wastewater treatment on chongming eco island the cultural politics of hydrosocial territory making |
| topic | : hydrosocial territory cultural politics eco-island wastewater treatment rural yangtze delta china |
| url | https://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol16/v16issue2/699-a16-2-2/file |
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