Transnational Corporations in Urban Water Governance Public-Private Partnerships in Mexico and the US Earthscan Studies in Water Resource Management Series

This book examines the role played by business in urban water governance by analyzing the evolution of the global private water sector along with four public-private partnerships in Mexico and the U.S.

The local nature of water services often hides the global developments behind the rise of transnational water corporations, which have gone from being local operators to becoming dynamic and powerful actors within an interconnected transnational space for water. This book focuses on the French groups Veolia and Suez, two of the most prominent private actors in global water governance, and the development and adaptation strategies of both companies in the cities of Aguascalientes, Mexico City, Atlanta, and Milwaukee over the past 30 years. Drawing on over 100 interviews conducted with corporate executives, public authorities, and local users of water services, this book moves beyond the simplistic dichotomy of the public-private debate and develops a theoretical framework that analyzes the economic and political power wielded by transnational business actors in global water governance. Not only does the book explain how Veolia and Suez strategically mobilize resources at difference scales in order to expand their global operations, but it also provides a nuanced picture of how state regulation remains of central importance to understanding the dynamics and evolution of the global water sector.

Students and scholars interested in business and the environment, including public-private partnerships, business management and transnational corporations, and water governance, will find this book of great interest as will professionals and policymakers working in these fields.

Introduction 1. The Transnational Space for Water 2. Unravelling the Global Private Water Sector 3. From Local Water Companies to Transnational Corporations: Veolia and Suez 4. Transnational Water Corporations in Aguascalientes and Mexico City: The Limits of Adaptation Strategies in a Highly Politicized and Centralized Water Sector 5. Learning from the Past and Adapting to the Future in a Competitive U.S. Water Sector: Public-Private Partnerships in Atlanta and Milwaukee Conclusion

Joyce Valdovinos is a Research Fellow with the Mexican National Council of Science and Technology (Conacyt) at Centro de Investigación en Ciencias de Información Geoespacial (CeontroGeo). She holds a PhD in Geography and Urban Planning from Université Sorbonne-Nouvelle Paris 3, France.