Ashleigh Thompson

Thesis project

A comparative analysis of how the global 2030 Agenda is translated into local water-
-related initiatives through decentralized development cooperation in France and the Netherlands
.

Under the supervision of Marc Smyrl (CEPEL, University of Montpellier) and Jenniver
Sehring (IHE Delft Institute for Water Education)

In the current environmental and climatic context, water has emerged as a matter of urgent global concern. Within the framework of the 2030 Agenda, it is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This landmark document, which guides international development cooperation, calls for a shift toward more integrated, multilevel governance approaches in its implementation. This is evident in numerous institutional discourses advocating for the “localization of the 2030 Agenda,” a concept that emphasizes the role of subnational governments as agents of development. On this basis, decentralized development cooperation—simplistically defined as local or regional public policy on international development cooperation—has emerged as an increasingly popular means of achieving this localization.

This study aims to understand how subnational governments, as international development actors, translate global agendas into local water projects. More specifically, how do actors in two countries renowned for their expertise in water—France and the Netherlands—operationalize SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) through the vehicle of decentralized development cooperation? What mechanisms of policy translation and multilevel governance are at play in their efforts? To what extent do the projects implemented on the ground uphold or respect the declarations signed in international forums?

Keywords: development cooperation / water policy / comparative studies / policy translation / multilevel governance