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Unlikely Alliances in Action: Balancing Alignment and Autonomy in Rural-Urban Water Conflicts
Abstract:
<p>Environmentalists, ranchers, and Indigenous nations are increasingly coming together on environmental issues in what have been called “unlikely alliances.” These alliances offer important insights into the role of collaboration and collective action in environmental governance, yet they have received relatively little scholarly attention. In this paper, we examine two cases of unlikely alliances that formed in response to large rural-to-urban water transfer projects in the western United States. Based on narrative analysis of interviews and focus groups with a diverse range of actors involved in these efforts, we highlight several key insights about unlikely alliances in action. Our findings suggest that unlikely alliances can take many different forms, often shifting over time; that they require a delicate balance between alignment and autonomy, particularly when involving sovereign Indigenous nations; and that there can be divergent understandings and expectations in regard to what it means to ally, with a notable distinction between between issue-oriented and relationship-oriented approaches.</p>
Keywords: Unlikely alliances, water governance, rural-urban, water transfers, Western U.S.
Authors:
Sophia L Borgias, Boise State University; Submitting Author / Primary Presenter
Kate A Berry, University of Nevada, Reno; Co-Author (this author will not present)
Dalten Fox, Boise State University; Co-Author (this author will not present)
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Unlikely Alliances in Action: Balancing Alignment and Autonomy in Rural-Urban Water Conflicts
Category
In-Person Paper Abstract