Conclusion
The conclusion synthesizes the main findings from the empirical chapters in response to the three research questions guiding the book, modifies the “moments of social transformation” model of rights realization, and proposes hypotheses to guide future research. The chapter reviews the key mechanisms, actors, and pathways that lead to acceptance of the right to water and sanitation at the global level, and to the fulfillment of these rights in Chile and Bolivia. The main contributions of the book are presented, including the finding that neoliberal approaches to water policy have the potential to weaken state capacity to fulfill the right to water and sanitation, and that implementing a human rights-based approach to water policy alone will not lead to social transformation. Rather, meaningful social transformation in the water sector requires mechanisms for citizen participation, accountability, and the creation of alternatives to the state/market binary.