Flows against the current: governance and politics of wastewater reuse in Valle Alto, Bolivia

Treated wastewater reuse is increasingly promoted to address water scarcity in semi-arid regions of the Global South, yet it often develops outside formal regulation. This study examines how reuse is organized and governed in the Valle Alto region of Cochabamba, Bolivia, using a qualitative case study combining farmer interviews, policy and legal analysis, and technical information on treatment plants. The findings show that reuse practices are shaped less by technological constraints than by fragmented governance conditions. Regulatory ambiguity sustains locally negotiated arrangements that enable access under scarcity but generate risks related to public health, environmental protection and unequal access.