EXPLAINING WATER GOVERNANCE IN EGYPT: ACTORS, MECHANISMS AND CHALLENGES A thesis submitted by WESAM MAHMOUD MOHAMED LASHEEN To the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Politics January 2019 This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. ..................................... (Signature) 1 | P a g e بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم " َو َعلَّ َم َك َما لَ ْم تَ ُك ْن تَ ْعلَ ُم ۚ َو َكا َن فَ ْض ُل َّ َِّللا َعلَ ْي َك َع ِظي ًما" صدق هللا العظيم سورة النساء اﻵية113- "And Allah has revealed to you the Book and wisdom and has taught you that which you did not know. And ever has the favor of Allah upon you been great". SURAH AN NISA 113 2 | P a g e Dedication I dedicate this thesis to my beloved husband, my greatest supporter, my strongest motivation, Ahmed. Without your devotion and selflessness, I could not have done it. I could not be more proud to be your wife. I also dedicate this thesis to my wonderful children, Adham, Sara and Hazem without whom, I could have finished this thesis two years earlier! 3 | P a g e Abstract This thesis adopts a governance theoretical framework to analyse and explain the complex and non-linear nature of water governance arrangements in Egypt. Drawing on empirical data collected from fieldwork with key water stakeholders in Egypt, and using a documentary analysis of the major water policy documents, the thesis examines the interplay dynamics between water agents and structures at national, regional and international levels. The work rests on the observation that water governance arrangements in Egypt have changed over the last two decades to denote an ever-growing role for non-state actors. The historic domination and monopoly of state actors in water policy decisions is no longer suitable for addressing the emerging water challenges. Consequently, the water crisis in Egypt is perceived as a governance issue that calls for the collaboration of state and non-state actors. In order to inform the ontological, epistemological and methodological basis of the thesis, the governance analytic framework is combined with theoretical insights from structure-agency accounts. By combining theoretical and empirical enquiry, this work attempts to contribute to and advance beyond the existing literature in three ways. First, it offers one of the first attempts to organise an empirical in-depth case study analysis of the water governance arrangements in Egypt using a multi-level structure-agency framework. Second, it provides a systematic examination and mapping-out of the new water governance systems in Egypt. Third, it presents a rigorous evaluation of the impact of water governance regimes at the regional and international levels on water policy decisions at the national level. Following on from the case study analysis, and guided by the developed theoretical framework, this research has concluded that the Egyptian water governance is dominated by powerful and influential government water bodies. Therefore, any attempt to change existing governance arrangements has to be very carefully planned, taking into account the interaction between water policy agents and the existing water structure. Thus, this thesis will appeal to a diverse audience, including public policy and water governance scholars as well as water experts and policy makers. Key words: water governance, water policy-making, Egyptian water sector, water governance in Egypt. 4 | P a g e Acknowledgements After thanking Almighty Allah for the completion of this work, I would like to thank all the people who contributed in some way to the work described in this thesis. First and foremost, I would like to express my immense gratitude to my academic supervisors, Professor Andrew Massey and Professor Clair Dunlop, without whose knowledge, continuous support, and input, this project would have not been possible. Through their guidance, my supervisors have allowed me to further develop my thoughts and build my knowledge on the subject matter of my research. I owe my deepest gratitude to my husband and my children for their patience, understanding, support and encouragement throughout my PhD journey. I am also indebted to my mother and my father, who taught me the value of education, knowledge and hard work. 5 | P a g e Table of Contents Dedication .......................................................................................................... 3 Abstract .............................................................................................................. 4 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................ 5 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ................................................................. 11 List of Figures .................................................................................................. 13 List of Tables .................................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH OUTLINE .......................... 15 1.1 Research Background ............................................................................ 15 1.2 Research Questions and Methodology ................................................... 17 1.3 The Theoretical Framework of the Study ................................................ 19 1.4 Water Governance Reforms in Egypt (The Case Study) ........................ 22 1.5 The Organisation of the Study ................................................................ 26 CHAPTER 2: GOVERNANCE: AN ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK ................... 28 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 28 2.2 The Concept of Governance ................................................................... 29 2.3 ‘Good Governance’ Defined ................................................................... 32 2.4 Conceptualising Multi-Level Governance ............................................... 37 2.5 Defining Global Governance ................................................................... 45 2.6 Administering Global Governance: The Architecture and Mechanisms .. 52 2.7 The Dialectical Relationship between the Concepts of Governance ...... 55 2.8 Conclusion .............................................................................................. 57 CHAPTER 3: WATER GOVERNANCE: CONCEPTION AND MECHANISMS 60 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 60 3.2 Governance and the Water Predicament ................................................ 60 3.3 Understanding Water Governance ......................................................... 64 3.4 Institutional Components of Water Governance Systems: Water Laws, Policies and Administration ........................................................................... 73 3.4.1 Water Laws .......................................................................................... 74 3.4.2 Water Policies ...................................................................................... 75 3.4.3 Water Management ............................................................................. 76 3.4.4 Relationships between the Institutional Components of Water Governance Systems ................................................................................... 78 6 | P a g e 3.5 Strategic Issues in Water Governance ................................................... 79 3.5.1 Water Governance and Sustainability .................................................. 80 3.5.2 Water Governance and Gender ........................................................... 83 3.5.3 Water Governance and Poverty ........................................................... 89 3.6 Conclusion .............................................................................................. 92 CHAPTER 4: THE GOVERNANCE OF POLICY TRANSFER: A STRUCTURE- AGENCY PERSPECTIVE ................................................................................ 95 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 95 4.2 The Agency-Structure Dilemma and Policy Analysis .............................. 96 4.2.1 Agency, Structure, and Policy Analysis: A Conceptual and Theoretical Background .................................................................................................. 97 4.2.2 Bridging the Agency-Structure Divide: Uni-Dimensional and Dialectical Approaches in Policy Analysis .................................................................... 102 4.2.3 The Significance of Structure-Agency Debate to Policy Analysis ...... 108 4.3 Theories of Policy Transfer: Structures, Agency, and Change ............. 111 4.3.1 Policy Transfer Governance: Clarifying the Concepts ....................... 112 4.3.2 Policy Transfer Governance: Unpacking Transfer Processes ........... 115 4.3.3 Agents, Structures and Policy Transfer ............................................. 119 4.3.4 The Limitations of Policy Transfer ...................................................... 122 4.4 Conclusion ...........................................................................................