© 2007 SAGE Publications 10.1177/146499340700700402 Water governance and poverty: a framework for analysis

Abstract:This paper engages with policy on meeting development goals for water through interventions, which promote good governance. Addressing an under-researched area, we propose a new analytical framework for understanding water governance, not as a set of abstract principles, but as interlinked processes with variable practical outcomes for poor people. The framework is informed by theories of governance, institutions and structuration, empirical research and fi eld insights. We apply the framework to a case in south-western Tanzania, and we identify a range of issues for further research, particularly relating to water access for the poor. Key words: water, governance, resources, poverty, Tanzania, impacts I Water governance – an evolving concept Governance is an increasingly important elem-ent of debates about the state, society, and development. Much of this has come about as a result of a recognition of the changing nature and role of the state in a globalize