ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the emergence of business as a transnational actor, particularly in the fields of world politics and global economy. Starting from the premise that transnational corporations are dynamic and powerful actors in urban water governance, this chapter develops the concept of the transnational space for water. It defines it as the space within which state and non-state actors involved in water management establish multi-scale networks according to their interests, via resource mobilization and diversified strategies. Furthermore, it argues that the transnational space for water can be manifested and territorialized at different scales of water governance through three parameters that link the characteristics of water and the political dimension of its governance: 1) the territorial embeddedness of water, which refers to the geographic aspects of water resources and water services infrastructure; 2) the institutional framework, consisting of the set of regulatory laws and public policy programs put in place by public authorities; and 3) the power of transnational corporations, defined in terms of their interests, strategies, and resources.
