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| Titel |
Reconstructing the duty of water: a study of emergent norms in socio-hydrology |
| VerfasserIn |
J. L. Wescoat |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
1027-5606
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ; 17, no. 12 ; Nr. 17, no. 12 (2013-12-03), S.4759-4768 |
| Datensatznummer |
250086011
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/hess-17-4759-2013.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| This paper assesses the changing norms of water use known as the duty of water.
It is a case study in historical socio-hydrology, or more precisely the
history of socio-hydrologic ideas, a line of research that is useful for
interpreting and anticipating changing social values with respect to water.
The duty of water is currently defined as the amount of water reasonably
required to irrigate a substantial crop with careful management and without
waste on a given tract of land. The historical section of the paper traces
this concept back to late 18th century analysis of steam engine
efficiencies for mine dewatering in Britain. A half-century later, British
irrigation engineers fundamentally altered the concept of duty to plan
large-scale canal irrigation systems in northern India at an average duty of
218 acres per cubic foot per second (cfs). They justified this extensive
irrigation standard (i.e., low water application rate over large areas) with
a suite of social values that linked famine prevention with revenue
generation and territorial control. The duty of water concept in this
context articulated a form of political power, as did related irrigation
engineering concepts such as "command" and "regime". Several decades
later irrigation engineers in the western US adapted the duty of water
concept to a different socio-hydrologic system and norms, using it to
establish minimum standards for private water rights appropriation (e.g.,
only 40 to 80 acres per cfs). While both concepts of duty addressed
socio-economic values associated with irrigation, the western US linked
duty with justifications for, and limits of, water ownership. The final
sections show that while the duty of water concept has been eclipsed in
practice by other measures, standards, and values of water use efficiency,
it has continuing relevance for examining ethical duties and for
anticipating, if not predicting, emerging social values with respect to
water. |
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