Resumen

BARILLAS-GIRON, Byron Renato. Costa Rica, Water in Dispute: A Necessary Contextualization. Espiga [online]. 2024, vol.23, n.47, pp.93-123. ISSN 2215-454X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.22458/re.v23i47.5216.

This article aims to shed light on the process of institutionalization, participation, and social conflict regarding the management of drinking water in Costa Rica. It takes the second decade of the 20th century as its starting point, leading towards the construction of an effective centralized-decentralized model from the 1970s. This process is analyzed by identifying three distinct historical periods, through which the article seeks to explain the continuum, changes, gaps, and conflicting interests of the water management model and its legal framework. The main finding highlights that community participation under the mentioned centralized-decentralized management model, still in force, has ensured the protection of water for the common good. It appears to be, up to now, a legally institutionalized shield preventing the privatization of this vital resource. The conclusion is that attempts to privatize the availability of drinking water for commercial purposes have not succeeded in distorting the social function of the State, which is to protect and guarantee water as a public good.

Palabras clave : Centralized-decentralized institutionalization model; local water administration; public water management; social participation.

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