ABSTRACT
The approach taken in this chapter is a departure from normal academic practice. It draws heavily upon the author’s decades of engagement in the practical business of improving water services and policy in developing countries. It focuses on two dimensions of the political economy of water science and policy. Dimension One is an exploration of what is known about the political economy of actual decision-making in the developing world. Dimension Two is an exploration of the rapidly changing relationships between the “post-development, concept-rich” view of those who dominate the global water conversations, and the grimy reality of a politics-driven, development-focused view that actually drives water policy and practice in the developing world.
