Deborah F. Shmueli

Institutions for management of transboundary water resources : their nature, characteristics and shortcomings

Abstract This paper examines the evolution structure and characteristics of the management systems of 12 transboundary river basins: The Mekong, Indus, Ganges–Brahmaputra, the Nile, Jordan, Danube, Elbe, Rio Grande and Colorado, Rio de la Plata, Senegal and Niger. The paper presents the legal principles which guide the legal regime of the studied rivers, particularly the principle of equitable use of transboundary water resources and the obligation not to cause harm in the management of transboundary water resources. The practice of management in the abovementioned rivers is divided into three categories: (a) Treaties and agreements stopping short of allocating water between riparian states such as free navigation treaties or institutions which were established for a sole purpose such as combating pollution (Elbe, Danube, Rhine). (b) Treaties and agreements allocating water between states (the Indus, Nile, Ganges, Jordan). (c) Agreements for joint management of internationally shared waters (Colorado and Rio Grande, Mekong, Senegal and Niger). Some of the institutions discussed in this paper have evolved only after a long conflict (Indus, Ganges, Jordan) and that there is a danger of adopting institutions for only a portion of a river basin (Mekong, Nile). The success of institutions which were founded on basin-wide joint management lie in their territorial coverage and broad functional frameworks. These institutions also reflect, in the best way, the current legal norms in the management of transboundary water resources.

Development of institutional frameworks for the management of transboundary water resources

This paper presents a comparative analysis of institutions (treaties, agreements) for the management of transboundary water resources. The nine river basins investigated are divided according to their level of cooperation and commitment to three categories the highly committed (Colorado, Niger, Rio Grande and Senegal) the least cooperative (Ganges-Brahmaputra and Indus); and the middle level of cooperation (Danube, Elbe and Mekong). Very few of the investigated rivers corresponded to the ideal model of institutions for the management of transborder water resources, namely a basin-wide multipurpose institution and almost all showed that competition among various users and water uses was growing rapidly.

NEURAL NETWORK ANALYSIS OF TRAVEL BEHAVIOR: EVALUATING TOOLS FOR PREDICTION

Abstract This article explores the application of neural networks to a behavioral transportation planning problem. The motivation for adding neural networks as a new modeling methodology stems from its apparent relevance to problems requiring large scale, highly dimensional, data analysis, such as travel related behavior. Neural networks provide a tool to analyze the data in which we can model our intuition, and they provide that capability without the complication of having to formalize all the complex causal variables and relationships which other models require. The transportation issue explored, upon which the neural network methodology is tested, is a comparison of travel demand patterns of men and women in Israel. The information base is the Traveling Habits Survey (Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel, 1984, Statistical Abstract of Israel , No. 35) commissioned by the Israel Ministry of Transport; combined with demographic and socioeconomic data of the 1983 Population and Housing Census. As extensive as such surveys are, the neural networks imply that additional categories of data are necessary to predict how these elements relate to travel behavior. This article concentrates on the extent to which neural networks can combine the relative simplicity of aggregate transportation models, with the theoretical advantages and level of detail of disaggregate transportation models, without the latters complexity. We describe the various directions we took in analyzing complex travel related data with feed forward, backpropagation trained, neural networks.

Mining Negotiation Theory for Planning Insights

The rational planning model based on the view of planners as expert decision makers is gradually being replaced by collaborative models that acknowledge the joint nature of planning decisions. This article addresses the benefits of recognizing that negotiation is the key vehicle for joint decision making and therefore lies at the heart of planning. It calls for applying negotiation theory and practice lessons to examine and improve the dynamics of collaborative interactions. It proposes that analytical frameworks informed by negotiation theory can improve planning decisions and enhance the odds of their implementation. To illustrate their claims, the authors revisit three key concepts from the negotiation field—interests, mutual gains, and information—and illustrate their use in planning situations with vignettes from planning practice.

Bedouin Communities in the Negev

Problem: Conflict roils around recognition, planning, and appropriate municipal frameworks for Israels 194,000 Negev Bedouin, especially the 45,000 Bedouin living in dispersed, unauthorized settlements, housed in tents and cinderblock shacks, lacking municipal water, sewage, or electricity, and accessible only by dirt tracks. Purpose: We examine both the universal (indigenous peoples) and unique (to the Bedouin) aspects of the land claims and planning challenges facing the Israeli Bedouin of the Negev. We seek to shift the focus of land disputes to planning paradigms that facilitate negotiated agreements, which may overcome the impasse between the Bedouin (struggling for land, municipal recognition, and equal economic opportunities) and the Israeli government that perceives the Bedouin as a growing demographic threat and a potential fifth column. We develop a model that builds on the convergence of spatial and socioeconomic forces, reflecting the interplay between Bedouin traditionalism and modernization in developing planning frameworks, and creating an arena of negotiation that balances the interests of the contending stakeholders. Methods: Our methodology is multifaceted: Over a three-year period we conducted in-depth interviews, workshops, and observations, and engaged in a review of the planning literature in indigenous societies, Negev Bedouin society, municipal reforms, societies undergoing modernization through urbanization, and relevant master and statutory plans. Results and conclusions: The universal phenomenon of the clash between traditional cultures and modernization has sharpened with the spread of urbanization into rural areas, presenting a challenge to centralized planning processes. The planning model presents a range of planning options that simplify complex conflicts of interests, needs and goals between the Bedouin and the national and local Israeli governments. Results suggest that diametrically opposite positions may be reconciled by identifying an arena of negotiations within which planning options can be developed through discourse, rather than imposing centrally developed plans that might trigger strong, if not volatile, opposition. Takeaway for practice: While this research deals with conflict over land between traditional and modern societies in Israel, the planning paradigms have international applicability. Forces for economic development and urbanization often compete with environmentalists or indigenous groups clinging to their land to maintain their ways of life. Culturally adaptive versions of collaborative planning are crucial to successful dispute resolution. Research support: None.

Is Israel Ready for Participatory Planning? Expectations and Obstacles

This is a study of recent experiences in Israel to integrate public participation into the Israeli planning system. It aims to analyse and evaluate the adoption of participatory structures and processes within Israels strategic master planning systems. Existing planning laws and traditions, socio-political forces, attitudes of planning leadership and affected populations, geographical settings and other spatial factors are examined for their impact upon the participatory process. In three cases selected for study, a variety of techniques were used to secure the desired information and to test the effectiveness of the structures for involving the public. Two of the cases involve public participation as an input into the planning process. The third is an initial effort at a collaborative form of stakeholder involvement. The findings document the failure of the planning system and its bureaucracy to integrate these processes effectively. An overriding question throughout the analysis is what in the Israeli political and socio-cultural context enhances or inhibits effective participation?

Environmental Justice in the Israeli Context

The ideal of environmental justice is a far reach for Israel, a country with severely limited land area, an overriding concern with security, and a significant minority population. Nevertheless, it is urgent that policy makers take steps in that direction, both for the health of the nation and for moral rightness. After a survey of theoretical approaches to environmental justice, the author offers an operative definition and theory appropriate to the Israeli situation. This approach, embodying all facets of the theory, is applied to a case study of the Arab town of Sachnin, and the policy implications that it indicates are explored. Specific steps that could help progress toward the ultimate goal of environmental justice are suggested.

Application of international law of water quality to recent Middle East water agreements

This paper examines the fit between water and environmental quality issues as articulated in the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 1997 and the water provisions that were included in the Israel–Jordan Treaty of 1994 and the Israel– Palestinian Authority Accord of 1995. It also examines the differences and commonalities of the two agreements with regard to these issues and examines the process of implementation to date. r 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

RESEARCH ARTICLE: Creating Environmental Stakeholder Profiles: A Tool for Dispute Management

In Israel, the same governmental bodies and environmental organizations appear repeatedly as environmental disputants. Irrespective of the conflict, they usually hold consistent perspectives and positions. This research offers a methodology for identifying values frames and creating stakeholder profiles to assist negotiators and disputants in finding common ground or trade-offs in resolving disputes. The profiles enable stakeholders to couch their interests and arguments in language (or frames) understandable to other stakeholders. They enable interveners to steer discussions toward trade-offs or reframing of issues. The research is based on interviews with 160 stakeholders in nine Israeli environmental disputes at national, regional, and local levels.

Real and Ideal Institutional Frameworks for Managing the Common Arab-Israeli Water Resources

Abstract The Oslo A and B agreements of September 1993 and September 1995 were the beginning of a process aimed at a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Israeli-Jordanian Treaty of 1994 addresses issues of water sharing between the two parties. In 1995, Israel and the Palestinians signed an Agreement on Water and Sewage as part of their Interim Agreement. In February 1996, Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinians agreed to a “Declaration of Principles for Joint Development of Water Resources.” The purpose of this paper is to compare the components of the two Agreements with an “ideal” institution for management of shared water resources. The “ideal” institution was formulated by 23 water experts who were interviewed on this issue. The main finding is that in most respects, expert opinions did not differ significantly from the Israeli-Jordanian Treaty of Peace and the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement.