Bevattningens biopolitik

Lågt grundvatten som ett regeringsbart problem i Sverige

Abstract

 In several parts of Sweden, difficulties arise regarding access to water. In this article, I explore the biopolitics that take shape when low groundwater levels are turned into an object of government. Firstly, I examine the formation of a so-called anatomical politics which refers to a disciplining form of power in which the responsibilities and actions of the population are at the center. Secondly, I explore the priorities that are made in the political work where human life, health, and well-being are to be protected and other life forms that are not vital for human living are instead deprioritized or allowed to die. The problems have clear consequences but do not pose a threat to human survival. Political efforts aim to bring about changes in people’s everyday lives and affect the use and decoration of households and public spaces. Empirically, I attach particular significance to the irrigation bans that Swedish municipalities can introduce to reduce water consumption.