Two types of water conflicts have been studied in the 3-year CO-Water research program. The first is place-based conflict, centred on the eviction of riparian communities living in informal settlements, or riparian kampungs. These communities have been displaced under the pretext of flood management, yet the government’s technological interventions, such as cement and concrete flood walls, have paradoxically harmed both the environment and water ecosystems. The second type of conflict is non-place-based, arising from key conflicting values that polarize water as an economic good versus water as a common good. This conflict is manifested within the case of water privatization in Jakarta and its opposition. Although the era of privatization has officially ended, with Jakarta's water utility now returned to state control, the utility still operates under the paradigm of water as an economic good, with the entire provision chain highly financialized.
Within the studied conflicts, various formations of collective actors were analyzed. These include intellectual and activist communities connected at the national level by shared paradigms; place-based communities from informal settlements; locally bound communities engaged in specific (informal) economic sectors; uncoordinated individuals who nonetheless contribute to the formation of collective discourses and practices; and professional groups and policymakers embedded in governmental organizations and beyond. A morphogenetic approach to conflict, drawing on the theoretical works of Margaret Archer, was used to examine both the spatial and historical dimensions of these conflicts. The analytical categories of ‘role’, ‘role formation’, and ‘role occupation’ were developed as interfaces between ‘structure’ and ‘agency,’ helping to bridge the two types of conflicts in our analysis. Additionally, Elinor Ostrom's Institutional Analysis and Development Framework (IADF) was used to guide our field research, especially for mapping out institutions. The framework was also applied as a participatory mapping tool. Although we used it in the early stages of the research, IADF showed promising potential for further development as a participatory tool.
The CO-Water Podcast has released 21 episodes to date, exploring diverse perspectives on water-related issues through interviews with experts from various scientific, policy, and social-movement backgrounds. The lead researcher has presented papers at five interdisciplinary international academic conferences, attended four training sessions and five workshops, and published three papers. Dr. Putri was also invited to speak at seven forums, including events outside university communities, such as one civic forum in Germany and two civic forums in Indonesia.
