Yoshimi Hagihara

Coordination Process by a Third Party in the Conflict Between Bangladesh and India over Regulation of the Ganges River

The graph model for conflict resolution is used to formally analyze an ongoing conflict between India and Bangladesh over the regulation of the Ganges River in order to illustrate the crucial role a third party can play in resolving the dispute. Because a third party can assist in resolving a dispute in a variety of ways, a general systems approach to conflict management with a third party is devised. The strategic analysis of the India/Bangladesh conflict using the graph model clearly shows that one can determine, in advance, exactly how a third party can influence potential resolutions to the dispute

Third Party Intervention in Conflict Resolution: Dispute Between Bangladesh and India over Control of the Ganges River

To demonstrate the strategic influence a third party can have on negotiations, a formal approach to resolving a complex conflict is applied to an important international water resources controversy. Specifically, third party intervention is employed within the framework of the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR) to systematically investigate the ongoing dispute between Bangladesh and India over the regulation of the Ganges River by India at the Farakka Barrage located just upstream on the Ganges River in India before it flows into Bangladesh. A general system of systems engineering approach to Third Party Intervention within the GMCR structure is designed to reflect a range of ways in which it can be implemented in practice. Having an insightful and powerful tool like Third Party GMCR permits one to ascertain how a Third Party can guide a serious conflict to a more reasonable resolution which may be mutually beneficial to all concerned parties.

Social Stability and Mathematical Stability in Conflict Management

The future risk of water resources shortage is world widely recognized. Conflicts over ways of water utilization will happen more often in the future as water resources shortage becomes more sever. In this study, firstly, mathematical stabilities are summarized. Some mathematical theories are focused on in this study, such as game theory and differential equations. Secondly, a social conflict over regulation of the Ganges between India and Bangladesh is modeled with those mathematical theories. Thirdly, the possibility of conflict management for the India-Bangladesh conflict is analyzed considering with the concept of relationship of social stability and mathematical stability, which is summarized and conclude in the first part of this study.

Waterside Environmental Management Incorporating Sustainability and Survivability

This chapter aims to demonstrate an adaptive waterside environmental management process that incorporates sustainability, survivability and participation. The concept of sustainability has give rise to questions about what it is supposed to mean: the sustainability of what, for whom, for how long, and why? For instance, there is a case where the sustainability in the same city and same region as a whole is achieved, but on the other hand, some people in a part of city and region may be in danger of not only risking their sustainability but also their very lives due to floods and ecological destruction at the waterside. In this chapter, we focus on differences among residents both in same area and in different areas and consider waterside management in urban area taking into account sustainability, survivability and participation along the adaptive waterside environmental management process. First, cost-benefit analysis is reviewed critically from the viewpoint of sustainability and survivability. It is suggested that the adaptive waterside environmental management process which uses a systems analysis methodology is a promising method to aid management decisions. The methodology is applied in three areas along Kamo River in Kyoto city, two of which are located in the upper river area and one in the downstream area. Based on a social survey of residents, environmental characteristics of each area are determined. The environmental valuation function for each area is then defined, and possible priorities for waterside environmental management are presented. Waterside environmental management incorporating sustainability and survivability is thus demonstrated.

Water Resources Conflict Management: Social Risk Management

The global social risks of managing water resources are swiftly increasing. Managing water resources conflicts is the most essential and serious problem for the survival of human beings. Firstly, this chapter analyses water resources conflicts in Japan and abroad – especially the conflict between India and Bangladesh – the circumstances in these areas, and the reasons for the strife that afflicts them. With the aim of ensuring regional sustainability, the authors try to answer the question: ‘What is Sustainability?’, and show the need for a paradigm shift in water resources management amidst conditions of social inequality. Next, the chapter examines a meta-methodology for managing water resources conflicts, with a focus on the GES (Geo-, Eco- and Socio-) environment, a time-based circulation system of mid- and long-term environmental change, and an adaptive water resources planning. Finally, some examples of research are briefly introduced from three phases of meta-methodology, including ‘producing alternatives’, a multiple evaluation’ and ‘conflict management’.

The Depopulation Problem

The depopulation problem in Japan is considered from the viewpoint of local public goods equilibrium. If in moving from one region to another migrants do not account for the effect of their moving on the other residents, then one region may be overpopulated and the other underpopulated. In the framework of a simple model, it is suggested that the central government may be justified in using a system of intergovernmental grants to overcome these inefficiencies. In order to confirm the role of intergovernmental grants, the model is applied to a village which is designated as a depopulated area. Furthermore, the effects of the countermeasures taken for about 40 years since the first depopulation law was implemented are investigated. In the final section, it is pointed out that there is a need to take into account another situation: there are areas which are similar to depopulated areas, but are not designated as such under the law.

Community Level Planning for Arsenic Contaminated Drinking Water in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, arsenic contaminated drinking water has become a serious problem. Since the revelation of arsenic contamination, various water supply options have been installed to supply drinking water. However, some of them have already been abandoned. These options are not acceptable for local residents without consideration of their social environments and support after introduction. Purpose of this chapter aims to plan acceptable processes to install water supply options for the disaster of arsenic contaminated drinking water considering local social environment in Bangladesh.

Health and Environmental Risks Related to Water Supply and Sanitation in the Socio-environment of Rural Bangladesh

Ensuring safe water supply and proper sanitation is a basic requirement for maintaining public health and safety, as well as the foundation of sustainable development. Although arsenic contamination mitigation from tube wells is an urgent issue related to public health in Bangladesh, a significant portion of the population still subsists on arsenic contaminated water. One of the primary reasons for this is the difficulty involved in accessing safe water, even in areas where arsenic mitigation facilities exist. As for sanitation, although coverage of sanitary facilities has been increasing in the country, existing toilets have various disadvantages; one of which is that improper human excreta management is causing surface water pollution, hindering the use of this water as an alternative drinking water source. To maintain soil quality and food productivity in the future, it is expected that human excreta will be used to fertilize agricultural land. In this chapter, socio-environmental problems and the risks related to water supply and sanitation will be identified and their interrelationships will be discussed. Additionally, the factors considered during the selection of technical options aimed at reducing risks will be discussed based on the authors’ sanitation improvement-related field activities.

Social Environment Analysis Regarding Arsenic-Contaminated Drinking Water in Bangladesh

Arsenic contamination of drinking water has long been a serious problem in Bangladesh. Many foreign institutions have provided support to Bangladesh in terms of constructing arsenic-free wells, providing arsenic removal equipments and so forth. However, most of them are not accepted by local residents because they cannot understand how to maintain the equipments or their effectiveness for reducing arsenic contamination. Furthermore, they find certain equipment is too inconvenient to use in their daily lives. A survey was conducted in two villages in Bangladesh in order to define the relationship between arsenic contamination in drinking water and their social environment. First, we attempt to analyse residents’ satisfaction with the drinking water available to them. Second, we introduce the unhappiness function in our model and finally, we identify alternatives acceptable to the residents by devising a structural model addressing distrust of external support.

Management of rainfall-related environmental risks in urban area

Rainfall brings urban residents both benefits, such as water resources, but also adverse risks such as flooding. Additionally, it has been recognized that wet weather run-off discharges pollutants and transfers chemicals and pathogen bacteria into the aquatic ecosystem. This causes not only deterioration of water quality but also environmental pollution risk. Both the flood risk and environmental pollution risk are treated here as ‘rainfall-related environmental risks’. Although these two kinds of risks are quite different in their characteristics, the main purpose of urban wet weather flow management is how to decrease these risks. Furthermore, these risks have a similar background which is concerned with both the urban structure and the life-style of urban residents. Recently, flood disaster has occurred in the Japanese urban area with increasing frequency causing damage due not only to rainfall intensity, but also the vulnerability of urban structures against heavy storms. Although there has been urban area expansion and a decline in substrate permeability, wet weather flow management in Japan is aimed simply to drain the increased run-off volume quickly. As for the management of hazardous chemicals which might be discharged together with rainfall run-off, this has not been implemented sufficiently. It is necessary to develop a methodology to reduce rainfall-related environmental risks in urban wet weather flow management. In this paper, the possible risk management process and control options of rainfall-related risks will be discussed after a summary of both the similar and differing points between inundation risk and environmental pollution risk. As a result, it is deemed necessary to operate a scheme to raise the rainfall-related environmental risk perception level of urban residents to ensure their participation in risk management.