Projects

Fragility, Complexity and Development: A Political Economy Analysis of Kosi Basin

Duration: 2017-2018

Status: Completed
Supported by
The Asia Foundation
Location
India, Nepal
Tag Words

Political Economy Analysis, Riverine Resources, Trans-Boundary River, Water Stewardship, River Ecology

Kosi Sub-basin has been a focus of a variety of hydrological interventions for irrigation, flood control, up-stream hydropower development, livelihood programmes designed to generate incomes in riverine communities, navigational use, ecological restorations, and forest and wildlife conservation.

This project aimed to conduct a Political Economy Analysis (PEA) of the Kosi Sub-basin to better comprehend the role of the different actors, the interests of these diverse groups and to bring about a dialogue seeking commonality for the sustainability of the basin.

Several completed, ongoing and proposed projects regarding infrastructural development were mapped and categorised. Further, a mapping of stakeholders at different scales in the basin was done to identify their political and economic interest at different scales. The project also identified and ascertained methods and processes that would be useful to mediate through diverse, also disparate, interests of stakeholders to build an environment of constructive engagement for water stewardship at different scales in the basin, including the one at trans-boundary scale.

GEAG’s key recommendations in the final PEA report are:

  • -The key issues and challenges of the basin should be revisited from a climate change perspective.
  • -Without entering into the debate of revising the provisions of the treaty or benefit sharing, both the countries should focus on the management of infrastructures with little burden on local communities.
  • -Enhance capacity of the society of both the countries to respond to the constraints whether they are local or regional, short or long- term, political, economic or technical.

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