Carl Schmitt’s observations are broadly correct; the concept of security is by its essence a strongly political topic, one which is open to various interpretations and contestations linked to the position of different political actors in various contexts. Barry Buzan has charted many of these contestations across the political spectrum since the end of the Cold War. This article argues that water security is one such contested and normative concept. It entails no single authoritative definition because different definitions are drawn from multiple accounts involving the various moral positions and viewpoints of actor-stakeholders.
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