Some thoughts on ways forward

[vishnu pandey]

Respected seniors, colleagues and friends,

We are receiving interesting views/opinions/comments on the proposed sub-themes. There are still few hours to formally close the discussion. However, I think, we can continue it informally until the end of Nepal National Water Week.

 

Based on the posts in this platform as well as my personal thoughts following could be some of ways to move forward in the direction of “ensuring transboundary cooperation for water security” in the Ganges basin;

 

1.    It is very much important to alert/aware stakeholders at different levels (e.g., decision makers, policy makers, community and individual) on water issues. Support of media in this regard is also very much important. Adequate level of awareness on water issues on national and cross-national context can promote Type-III diplomacy, which would ultimately stimulate Type-II and III diplomacies. I would refer a post by Dr. Rabin Malla and Giri Raj Khatri that highlight the need to act locally but think globally as a real need of today. Even if it may take years to negotiate Transboudnary cooperation, an individual, community, and sub-national/national governments may initiate and promote good practices to manage and efficiently use water resources to the extent in their scope.

2.    Nepal National Water Week (or National Water Week of Nepal or Nepal Water Week) initiated in 2009 with joint efforts of government and non-government agencies are playing an important role to stimulate discussion on the issues of national interest. “Kathmandu Water Declaration” in 2009 can be considered as an example. Probably, importance of NNWW can further be enhanced by evaluating achievements of issues included in the declaration in every year’s celebration. Furthermore, every year NNWW may consider coming up with consensus professional view (or NATIONAL RESOLUTION) on one of the issues of national interest in water sector. In this context, it would be relevant to refer a post from Bishnu Prasad Gautam on the need of unity among the professional groups (based on professional ethics) regardless of their ideological inclination.

3.    As indicated by some participants, regular discussion with cross-country stakeholders through a common forum would be beneficial to stimulate cooperation. In this context, NNWW may consider organizing “South Asian Water Forum” in Nepal in regular intervals.

4.    Learning from good cases around the world (e.g., Mekong, Nile, Tigris-Euphrates, etc) could help better negotiate Transboundary cooperation in the Ganges Basin

5.    Even if opportune time for establishing River Basin Authority is yet to come (???), it I think is an opportune time to establish basin scale knowledge generation, management, and dissemination system; stimulating Type II and Type III diplomacies; and initiating good practices even if at a local level. I think organizations like ICIMOD, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, can take initiative to bridge gap with the decision making process.

6.    As indicated by Prof. Das Gupta, political thrust is the first and foremost important to address the issues of water stress in national or trans-national basins. It is responsibility of we water professionals to guide the decision makers based on solid science. Again, it is relevant to quote a post from Bishnu Prasad Gautam that “water resources experts should not be guided from those who knows less that they do”. We should take responsibilities to aware general public on the issues of national and international interest by means of contributing articles in mainstream media in addition to publications on journals.

7.    Respect to each other’s existence, understanding each other’s contexts, giving emphasis on socio-cultural environment, and willingness to view from wider and sustainable perspective (i.e., ready to share risks in addition to benefits) is essential for Transboundary cooperation. In this context, even if a formal “River Basin Authority” is not in place, an alliance of like-mined scholars and advocates may take initiatives to demonstrate how the aforementioned perspectives help to synergize the benefit from available resources in the Ganges Basin.

 

With Warm Regards,

Vishnu Prasad Pandey

 

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Vishnu Prasad Pandey, Dr. Eng.

Researcher

International Research Center for River Basin Environment (ICRE), 

University of Yamanashi
4-3-11, Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8510, JAPAN

 

Email: vis...@yamanashi.ac.jp; vishnu...@gmail.com
Phone: (+81) 806 751 6443 (Mob), 55 242 7015 (Res), 55 220 8670 (Off)

Skype: vishnuprasadpandey
URL: http://www.icre.yamanashi.ac.jp/e/index.html