Understanding conflict and cooperation in local water management

Implementation time: 4/2007 – 3/2010
Funding agency: Dansk Institut For Internationale Studier (Diis)
Implementation units: Center for Agricultural Research and Ecological Studies (CARES) and other participants

Water is essential for life and is the key to development. In recent years, developing countries have become more interested in finding effective water management strategies. This is reflected in the widespread implementation of water management innovations, largely through donor support.

Along with those developments, inconsistency in water use are also being concerned. This includes an increase in both conflict and cooperation in transnational water use, and in particular, the increase in the number and intensity of conflicts in local water use are being concerned widely (Carius, et al., 2004; Thomasson, 2005). However, while transnational conflicts over water use have been studied in great detail (Wolf et al., 2003), the concept of local conflict is mainly based on scattered and momentary conflicting cases rather than systematic evidence. In particular, there is very little understanding on aspects such as what will happen to the poor, women or in other words these groups have little advantage when there are conflicts and cooperation on water use, and more generally, how competition for water will affect the lives of these groups (United Nations, 2006).

2. Research purpose
The research program is designed to contribute to sustainable local water management associated with helping the poor or disadvantaged groups in developing countries by raising awareness among researchers and managers. about the nature, scale and extent of conflicts and cooperation in local water use and their political, economic and social impacts, and how these effects will change if the increased water competition. In addition, practical insights into this issue will have significant implications for ongoing policy, legal and administrative innovations in developing countries, in particular – if there is not enough information on the relationship between water competition, conflict and poor people’s access to water – such innovations will be less effective and even worse, and not poverty alleviation for people in rural areas.

3. Project participants

• Project owner: Danish Institute for International Studies – DIIS
• Experts: (1) Nordeco (Denmark); (2) Denmmark Institute Water and Environmental Research – DHI (Denmark); (3) International Water Management Institute- IWMI (South Africa); (4) International Institute for Environmental Research and Development – IIED (UK)
• Project implementation: (1) Center for Agricultural Research and Ecological Studies – CARES (Vietnam); (2) Water Research Center (Bolivia); (3) Tungurahua Provincial Leadership Agency and Water Management Division – PGT&AWA (Ecuador); (4) Bamako University – UB (Mali); (5) Nitlapan (Nicaragua); (6) Institute of Resource Assessment – IRA (Tanzania); (7) Center for Integrated water resources management – CIWRM (Zambia)

4. Deployment location

• Nghe An Province – Vietnam
• Valle Alto de Cochabamha – Bolivia
• Tunguarahua – Ecuador
• Duentza – Mali
• Esteli – Nicaragua
• Upstream of the Ruaha’s river – Tanzania
• Itezhi-Tezhi and Namwala – Zambia

5. Expected results
Based on comparative studies conducted in 7 countries (Mali, Tanzania, Zambia of sub-Saharan Africa; Vietnam, Southeast Asia; Bolivia, Ecuador và Nicaragua of Latin America) from April 2007 to March 2010, the research program is expected to achieve the following main results:

• Quantitative and qualitative case studies on the origin, nature, scale and extent of conflict and cooperation in local water use in 7 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and their influence on politics, economy and society
• Analyzing and synthesizing findings from country studies, including patterns of conflict and cooperation in water use and contributions to theoretical understandings, is unfair. economic and political equality has influenced the nature and outcomes of conflict and cooperation in water use
• Provide suggestions for policy makers, regulators, researchers and Danida donors in developing and publicizing policy, regulatory and administrative innovation through multilateral organizations
• Capacity building and experience for partner research institutions in the area of analyzing poverty trends caused by conflict and cooperation in water use