Local Participation, and the Structures of Political and Bureaucratic Water Management in Tijuana, Mexico

Abstract

Clean water and adequate sanitation are crucial for community development and a reduction of waterborne diseases. Despite this certainty, a viable process for achieving this goal has yet to be formulated. This public health and development problem is not from a lack of hydraulic or biomedical knowledge. Rather, the failure to provide community services and infrastructure is rooted in the dynamic interplay between a hyper formalized public sector bureaucracy and the informal practices of political parties and patron-client relationships. Using qualitative, semi-structured interviews and participant observation, this study undertakes a narrative analysis of three communities and their interactions with political parties and the public sector in Tijuana, Mexico. Bureaucratic incapacity prevents the effective management of water and sanitation planning, programs, and infrastructure development. A sociological analysis of organizations is applied to the policy subsystem involving the persistent prevalence of waterborne diseases. Faced with an unresponsive and inefficient public sector, community groups direct their local development efforts towards political parties and the strategic use of clientelist relationships in order to procure health care services and community infrastructure. The role of community participation, as a means toward local empowerment and political co-option is examined. This study also highlights the need for further research in the areas of public accountability, public vs. private water management, and the role of participation in community development.