Heterodox thinking on water economics, values and governance

Global water crises are, finally, near the top of the agendas at the United Nations and multi-lateral initiatives and organizations. A social sciences and humanities informed emerging literature, we call ‘Heterodox Thinking’, offers alternatives to much of the current decision-making on water. Rooted in water economics, values and governance, Heterodox Thinking comprises developments in non-market valuation, systems thinking, risk assessments and mitigation, infrastructure investments, and understanding injustices and relationality. It is characterized by the Three P’s: People (e.g., who has voice and power and who does not); Place (e.g., locally informed and justice-based); and Planet (e.g., systems interconnections, risks, ecological and non-human considerations). At its best, Heterodox Thinking is informed by on-the-ground evidence and multiple disciplines/knowledge and seeks to value water, expose power imbalances, support human rights/well-being, and mitigate system risks. If effectively operationalized, it delivers more equitable, risk-mitigated and sustainable responses to the many different and localized water crises.