Topic Course: Politics of Water
DEVS 392
300-Level Courses, Undergraduate Topic Courses
Fall 2026
3 Units
In-person
3
one-way Exclusions
Lecture, tutorial, and private study
Please note that course information listed in the Arts and Science Course Calendar supersedes any information listed on the Global Development Studies website.
For the most current course offerings, registered Queen鈥檚 students should consult .
Course Description
This course applies critical social science perspectives to examine how water is governed, used and contested across diverse global contexts. It explores key themes including water and state-building, social mobilization and resistance, and water use in agriculture, industry and technology, tracing these dynamics across multiple scales (from household to global).
Learning Outcomes
- Identify core themes and debates in the political economy and ecology of water, development and sustainability.
- Assess, contrast and apply critical social science perspectives to analyze water contestation, conflict and governance.
- Apply learned concepts to analyze case studies of water use and conflict across diverse global contexts and multiple scales.