Search Result

Srl

Item

ID: 159842

How Do Central Control Mechanisms Impact Local Water Governance in China? The Case of Yunnan Province / Habich-Sobiegalla, Sabrina

Habich-Sobiegalla, Sabrina	Journal Article
	0 Rating(s) & 0 Review(s)

Summary/Abstract

Despite being known as “Asia's water tower,” Yunnan frequently experiences severe droughts which put pressure on local communities and state actors alike. This article examines the institutional arrangements that guide water governance strategies employed by local cadres in Yunnan province, showing how central control mechanisms in the Chinese administrative system undermine effective water governance at the local level. Findings obtained from field research in two counties in Yunnan with different levels of economic development and water resource access show that current institutional arrangements – including those regulating local cadre performance and the procedures to apply for project funding from higher-level governments – hinder the efficient use of infrastructure investment. Instead, provincial and prefectural water bureau officials use their authority to channel funding to those regions with an already positive track record of project applications.

Key Words

Water Governance ; Yunnan Province ; Central–Local Relations Policy ; Implementation Project Mechanism

Links

'Full Text'

In Basket

Export

ID: 189912

Topologies of power in China’s grid-style social management during the COVID-19 pandemic / Habich-Sobiegalla, Sabrina ; Plümmer, Franziska

Habich-Sobiegalla, Sabrina	Journal Article
	0 Rating(s) & 0 Review(s)

Summary/Abstract

This article analyses the organization of Chinese grassroots social management during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on a range of local cases researched through policy documents, media coverage and interviews, we scrutinize the appropriation of emergency measures and the utilization of grid-style social management since the outbreak of COVID-19. Grid-style social management – a new grassroots administrative division aiming to mobilize neighbourhood control and services – is a core element in China’s pursuit of economic growth without sacrificing political stability. Conceptualizing grids as confined spaces of power, we show how the Chinese party-state is able to flexibly redeploy diverse forms of power depending on the particular purpose of social management. During non-crisis times, grid-style social management primarily uses security power, casting a net over the population that remains open for population elements to contribute their share to the national economy. Once a crisis has been called, sovereign power swiftly closes the net to prevent further circulation while disciplinary power works towards a speedy return to a pre-crisis routine.

Key Words

Power ; China ; Foucault ; Security Apparatus ; COVID-19 ; Grid-Style Social Management

Links

'Full Text'

In Basket

Export