Presentation short abstract

I will examine discursive production of water scarcity and underlying dimensions driving infrastructural developments through urban political ecology lens. My contribution will be to broaden political ecology literature by the specifics of the region and to politicise water insecurity in Istanbul.

Presentation long abstract

My presentation will examine the discursive production of water scarcity in relation to infrastructural development in Istanbul. I plan to examine the underlying dimensions, such as modernisation, nation-state building, and different developmentalist notions, driving infrastructural development and urban-centric visions that generate water (in)security. Additionally, I will explore the effects of infrastructural developments on the everyday experiences of water (in)security for differently positioned people_ specifically those living in the city and surroundings. Through this, I aim to understand who benefits from and who is disadvantaged by infrastructure development and water (in)security.

Istanbul and Turkey are important to explore because of various dynamics in the city and whole country. These include tensions between local and central governments, joining EU, notions of “development” and “modernisation” (Harris, 2008), neo-liberalisation (Erensu, 2015), and periods of centralisation and decentralisation of power (Kuyucu, 2017). While all these dimensions are affecting power dynamics in Turkey and Istanbul, literature on water (in)security and infrastructural development remains mainly apolitical, studied through environmental studies and scientific-technical views, with some exceptions of critical engagements (Harris, 2008, 2012; Harris & Alatout, 2010; Islar & Boda, 2014).

Therefore, my contribution will be twofold. Firstly, political ecology remains understudied in the MENA/SWANA region. I will explore the historical specificities and unique power dynamics that have shaped water insecurity and infrastructure development in Istanbul, broadening political ecology literature. Secondly, critical lens of political ecology will enhance and reshape understanding of the politics of environmental concerns and, more specifically, water insecurity and infrastructural development in Istanbul.