The moral hazards of smart water management

Kris HARTLEY, Glen KUECKER

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlespeer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Smart water management (SWM) brings technological sophistication to water governance by providing monitoring, operational and communications capacities through real-time information. SWM's quantification appeals to metric-driven governance but, we argue, also perpetuates a technocratic and instrumental-rationalist mindset. The peril of this mindset is that it sees technology as a solution for sustainability problems caused by deep-seated structural and behavioural faults. This essay reflects on this dynamic by siting the SWM concept within discussions about technocracy, moral hazard and power dynamics. It suggests that SWM's rhetorical positioning undermines its own goals while naively seeking universal applicability, resolvable by embracing the precautionary principle. Copyright © 2020 International Water Resources Association.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)693-701
JournalWater International
Volume45
Issue number6
Early online dateAug 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Citation

Hartley, K., & Kuecker, G. (2020). The moral hazards of smart water management. Water International, 45(6), 693-701. doi: 10.1080/02508060.2020.1805579

Keywords

  • Smart water management
  • Technocracy
  • Public policy
  • Sustainability
  • South Korea

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