The political economy of river system (mis)management in Latin America : urban catchment area research in the Dominican Republic

An area of increasing scholarly research and public policy in environmental management concerns the protection and restoration of river systems. Much of this focus has thus far been in the older industrial economies of Europe and North America. However, river systems in developing countries are under severe ecological pressures from industrial and agricultural activity and from rapid and unregulated urbanisation. This paper reports on research being undertaken on the (mis)management of river systems in the Dominican Republic, the implications and impacts for communities and the challenges and rewards of conducting international environmental research. Rivers and water systems generally in the Dominical Republic are under multiple threats to their ecological integrity. In recent years rural and regional communities have been active and vocal in opposing the destructive activities of companies and the government sector, but there are deeply embedded webs of interest between the private sector and governments that have limited the effective application of appropriate environmental mismanagement by placing the investigation of corporate policy and practice within a larger political economy framework. The research has thus far been conducted largely through content analysis of newspaper accounts of company, government and community actions. In management, this paper reveals how such documentary sources can be used as effective research tools