Murat Yakubov

International river basin organizations: variation, options and insights

Permanent international river basin organizations (IRBOs) come in many shapes and sizes, ranging from those which are mainly facilitative in nature to those empowered to act on their own. Although differences in IRBO types may have important impacts on transboundary water resources management, systematic analysis of variation in their structure and responsibilities is scant. This paper synthesizes and applies a typology to determine the structural composition, abundance, spatial distribution, scale and in-basin configurations of the different forms of IRBOs. The results provide a set of options for future IRBOs, and serve to ground-truth and nuance theoretical divisions between different types of organizations in transboundary basins.

From monocentric ideal to polycentric pragmatism in the Syr Darya: searching for second best approaches.

While best practice in water management typically calls for the use of a basin-level approach, specific guidance in the absence of basin-level management is fairly scant. This paper reviews the experience of the Syr Darya basin to identify insights related to second best practices for water management at scales below the basin level. This paper first presents the causes for the disintegration of river basin management within the Syr Darya, which include both changes in operation of the Toktogul reservoir and rising water demands due to shifts in agricultural production and land ownership. Focus is then devoted specifically to small transboundary tributaries, where bottom-up cooperation has continued or reemerged in recent times. This paper concludes by highlighting the limitations to singular focus on sub-basins and tributaries, suggesting a balance between more intense cooperation and water control on tributaries and a loose overarching framework at the basin level.

Climate Change in a Small Transboundary Tributary of the Syr Darya Calls for Effective Cooperation and Adaptation

Abstract This article focuses on cooperative adaptation strategies at the community, water user association, district, and national levels along the Khojabakirgansai, a small transboundary tributary of the Syr Darya in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Data were collected in the basin through in-depth expert interviews, site visits, and household surveys, and were triangulated with climate change data from the available literature. Basin inhabitants cooperate on extreme events that are exacerbated by climate change, including water scarcity, droughts, and flash floods. Water demand and efficiency are key issues driven by population growth, expansion of croplands, and deteriorating canal infrastructure. Lessons learned can be considered in other small transboundary tributaries in the Ferghana Valley and Central Asia, which demonstrate how, despite the international level of tension on water issues in the region, local communities can find solutions. Cooperation, however, does not always improve the basin environment or living standards, and is likely to be strained in the coming decades by climate and population trends, among other issues.

A Programme Theory Approach in Measuring Impacts of Irrigation Management Transfer Interventions: The Case of Central Asia

Irrigation management transfer (IMT) reforms in most transition economies of Central Asia have largely relied on the funding and expertise of multiple international aid providers. Such reforms are aimed at the establishment of water users associations; however, progress has remained slow and patchy due to poor aid coordination and poor knowledge regarding what works and what does not. This paper argues that a sector-wide impact study is needed to better inform and consolidate local IMT reform. Placing the discourse within the larger domain of evaluation research, this article looks into the approaches, tools, and practical implications of such an impact study.