This paper traces the emergence and dominance of a singular discourse about rural development. The “more water” discourse that emerged in the 2000s in Canterbury was rooted in the idea that vibrant communities depend on economic growth, which hinges on accessing more freshwater for irrigation. Using thick description of the work of a catchment committee, this paper charts the dominance of this discourse and the attempts to channel “more water” through a tightly controlled collaborative and consensus‐based approach. More democratic processes would welcome difference, questioning of prevailing approaches to development, and may lead to more diverse economies and resilient communities.

中文翻译：

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更多的水：对农村发展的单一愿景的兴起

本文追溯了关于农村发展的单一论述的出现和主导。坎特伯雷（Canterbury）在2000年代出现了“更多水”的说法，其根源在于充满活力的社区依赖于经济增长，这取决于获得更多淡水用于灌溉。通过对集水区委员会工作的详尽描述，本文描绘了这种话语的主导地位以及通过严格控制的基于共识的协作方法引导“更多水源”的尝试。更加民主的进程将欢迎差异，对现行发展方法的质疑，并可能导致更加多样化的经济和具有复原力的社区。