| Although knowledge networks can be inclusive, democratic spaces to exchange information and determine policies, a critical analysis of the World Water Council reveals that knowledge networks can also be sites of power. This thesis explores the role of the two largest water corporations (Suez and Veolia) in the Council. It argues that Suez and Veolia not only influence trade and water policies but also contribute to a discourse that fills the theoretical gap between inadequate access to water and water privatization as a solution. A political ecology framework exposes how the Council uses a water scarcity discourse to justify the implementation of privatization policies. A feminist political ecology lens reveals that the Council's policy recommendations fail to reflect the experiences of women in the global South. Ultimately, Suez and Veolia's participation in the Council influence global power dynamics that advance the dominant neoliberal framework, which characterizes the current global political economy. |
