Water management measures are often pointed out as resolution alternatives for first-order water conflicts (related to water resources scarcity). However, adoption of these measures, which requires a societal adaptation effort, may act as a source of second-order conflicts (related to social resources scarcity). This makes it important to evaluate water management measures with regard to their potential for second-order conflicts induction, considering the influence exerted by the institutional and socioeconomic environment where they might be applied. Therefore, this article presents a methodology—based on conflict theory concepts and analysis tools and on a multidisciplinary approach—for systematically analyzing first- and second-order water conflicts, which aims to identify the best alternatives for first-order conflicts resolution as well as the most adequate guidelines for avoiding or minimizing induced second-order conflicts. The methodology comprises seven major steps (data collection and compilation, water institutional framework analysis, water conflicts identification, conflicts pre-analysis, first-order conflicts analysis, second-order conflicts analysis and results analysis), which are illustrated through their application to the semi-arid portion of the Paraíba River Basin in northeast Brazil. As the results indicate, the methodology constitutes a useful tool for supporting both political and operational water management decision making at the basin, sub-basin, or local level.
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Research Article|
April 09 2010
A methodology for first- and second-order water conflicts analysis
Zédna Mara de Castro Lucena Vieira;
aRua Montevidéu, 876, Bela Vista, CEP: 58428-790, Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil
Corresponding author. Fax: 55-031-83-33101388. E-mail: [email protected]
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Márcia Maria Rios Ribeiro
Márcia Maria Rios Ribeiro
bUniversidade Federal de Campina Grande, Centro de Tecnologia e Recursos Naturais, Unidade Acadêmica de Engenharia Civil, Área de Recursos Hídricos, CP 505, CEP: 58109-970, Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil
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Water Policy (2010) 12 (6): 851–870.
Article history
Received:
February 02 2009
Accepted:
June 26 2009
Citation
Zédna Mara de Castro Lucena Vieira, Márcia Maria Rios Ribeiro; A methodology for first- and second-order water conflicts analysis. Water Policy 1 December 2010; 12 (6): 851–870. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2010.114
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