Achieving water sensitive cities: Institutions as building blocks of collective action

Abstract

There is wide recognition of the paradigmatic changes needed to move toward water sensitive cities, and water management discourse often views institutions as barriers to such a shift. Institutions are social constructs which guide and tie societal activities, providing building blocks for collective action. This broader definition of institutions provides opportunities to address the multiple facets of water management, by understanding the institutional settings and dynamics that underpin adaptive governance. This paper seeks to identify such arrangements by exploring the institutional setting behind the rise of stormwater harvesting in Adelaide. This innovative practice change enabled an ..