Water Management in the Indus Basin of Pakistan: A Half-century Perspective

Wescoat, James L.; Halvorson, Sarah J.; Mustafa, Daanish

doi:10.1080/713672507

Cited by 59 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…New large scale water infrastructure could also be an important aspect of polycentric water management within basins [9,10]. Some of the past investments in large scale water infrastructure are based on the fragmentation of former colonies and new national water security approaches, such as the construction of link-canals in the Indus Basin in Pakistan [11]. This paper contributes to the literature on indirect water security approaches in a recently fragmented basin, the Syr Darya in Central Asia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, for supporting irrigated agriculture, countries or even smaller administrative units (like provinces) established resilient systems to cope with international or national transboundary water supply insecurities [11,[70][71][72][73]. Common in all these formal systems of resilience is a diversified access to water resources as well as less reliance on one main supply infrastructure.…”

Section: Water Securitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Infrastructure development was not only seen to increase indirect national water security within transboundary basins [11] but also to enable polycentric water management within basins [9,10].…”

Section: Water Securitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Water Security in the Syr Darya Basin

Wegerich

Rooijen

Soliev

et al. 2015

Water

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Abstract:The importance of water security has gained prominence on the international water agenda, but the focus seems to be directed towards water demand. An essential element of water security is the functioning of public organizations responsible for water supply through direct and indirect security approaches. Despite this, there has been a tendency to overlook the water security strategies of these organizations as well as constraints on their operation. This paper discusses the critical role of water supply in achieving sustainable water security and presents two case studies from Central Asia on the management of water supply for irrigated agriculture. The analysis concludes that existing water supply bureaucracies need to be revitalized to effectively address key challenges in water security.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Water Securitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Water Security in the Syr Darya Basin

Wegerich

Rooijen

Soliev

et al. 2015

Water

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“…After independence in 1947, the government continued implementing the strategy originally laid out by the British (see Wescoat et al 2000 for more details). By 1962, all traditional canals were integrated into a centralized system (Badruddin 1993).…”

Section: Field Site and Background Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incorporating local institutions in irrigation experiments: evidence from rural communities in Pakistan

Javaid¹,

Falk²

2015

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Many irrigation systems are special cases of common-pool resources (CPRs) in which some users have preferential access to the resource, which in theory aggravates collective action challenges such as the under-provision of necessary infrastructure as a result of unequal appropriation of water resources. We present experimental evidence based on an irrigation game played in communities that are dependent on one of the largest contiguous irrigation network: the Indus basin irrigation system in Punjab, Pakistan. Furthermore, we simulate two institutional mechanisms that are neglected in experimental studies, despite their importance in many CPR governance systems: traditional authorities and legal pluralism. In our experiments, Punjabi farmers (N = 160) managed to provide the CPR at a level close to the social optimum, even without communication or enforcement opportunities. The equal investment in water infrastructure seems to be a strong social norm, even though those in disadvantageous positions (tail-users) earn less than those who have preferential access (head-users). At the same time, head-users restrain themselves from maximum resource extraction, which could be interpreted either as a norm or a stationary bandit strategy. In contrast to one of the most consistent findings of previous experimental studies, the participants in our experiment increased their earnings over the experimental rounds by using the available resources in a more efficient manner. One explanation for this behavior could be the availability of social information in our game. Starting from a high level of cooperation during baseline rounds, the treatments did not change the group investment significantly. The introduction of external sanctions created additional coordination problems, which led to a decrease in the level of group welfare. More specifically, head-users reduced their water extraction in the face of possible external sanctions to a level that the remaining water could not be used completely by tail-users.

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“…As a consequence, no changes or amendments were made in the Calamities Act 1958 and a crisis management style towards disasters remained dominant in the country. During this time, little focus was given to communicating risks, assessing social vulnerabilities and capacities, or promoting a cultural shift towards DRR and management (Mustafa and Wrathall, 2011;Wescoat et al, 2000). Increase in budget allocations for flood control measures Third 5-year plan [1965][1966][1967][1968][1969][1970] Continued sole focus on river flooding control including adding measures for enhancement of flood protection to increase the area under cultivation Fourth 5-year plan [1970][1971][1972][1973][1974][1975] Cyclone hit East Pakistan and an Emergency Relief Cell (ERC) established at federal level.…”

Section: Research Design and Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning from the past

Cheema

Mehmood

Imran

2016

Disaster Prevention and Management

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If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.*Related content and download information correct at time of download. Muhammad ImranSchool of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand Abstract Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical analysis of the disaster management structure, policies and institutions in Pakistan between 1947 and 2005, and highlights the contemporary challenges in view of the learning from the past. Design/methodology/approach -The paper uses a historic-integrative case study approach to disaster management and risk reduction policy, planning and practice. Qualitative data were collected through purposive sampling and a case study design was adopted. A broad range of actors was recruited as research participants. In total, 22 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted in relation to this study in six different districts of Pakistan to achieve insight into the role of different institutions and stakeholders. Findings -Overall, the post-colonial flood-centric policy framework and fragmented responsibilities of different disaster management institutions show the lack of an effective institutional structure for disaster management and mitigation in Pakistan, particularly at the local level. Until the event of the 2005 earthquake, policies heavily relied on attaining immediate and short-term goals of response and relief while ignoring the long-term objectives of strategic planning for prevention and preparedness as well as capacity building and empowerment of local institutions and communities. Practical implications -The analysis explains, in part, why disaster planning and management needs to be given due attention in the developing countries at different policy scales (from local to national) especially in the face of limited resources, and what measures should be taken to improve effectiveness at different phases of the disaster management cycle. Originality/value -The paper advances the importance of a historical case study approach to disaster management and mitigation. The empirical work provides original research evidence about the approaches to dealing with disasters in Pakistan and thus enriches existing knowledge of disaster management...

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Water Management in the Indus Basin of Pakistan: A Half-century Perspective

Cited by 59 publications

References 31 publications

Water Security in the Syr Darya Basin

Water Security in the Syr Darya Basin

Incorporating local institutions in irrigation experiments: evidence from rural communities in Pakistan

Learning from the past

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