Low-intensity water conflicts: A case study in Aguascalientes (Mexico)

Academic scholarship on socioenvironmental conflicts offers explanations regarding how water disputes emerge when contentious politics are clearly visible. However, less has been discussed regarding low-intensity conflicts. What explains that some water conflicts remain with low intensity instead of clearly exploding? In this article we answer this research question by examining a case study whether actor frames are similar and whether these are determinant in the lack of emergence of water conflict in the city of Aguascalientes, Mexico. The empirical study enabled detection of all stakeholders' frames and the political use that urban water governance explains a latent conflict with low intensity. Our research contributes to the literature through the analysis of a new longitudinal, 30-year dataset in local media on the topic of water, as well as a novel theoretical framework to explain low-intensity socio environmental conflict.