Choudhury, Nirmalya
DIE Discussion Paper 10/2010 Bonn
German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)

ISBN: 978-3-88985-518-3

This paper explores reforms in environmental and resettlement policies in India and the influence of domestic and external actors on the reform process. It also analyses the ways in which environment and resettlement policies have been implemented in a number of hydropower projects. At project level the analysis focuses on how state and non-state actors influence decision-making on the introduction of superior environmental and social standards through changes in policies and laws. At macro level, the study begins by describing the multilevel processes that govern dam decision-making. It then considers the legal and policylevel changes in the areas of environmental clearance and resettlement and the role played by state and non-state actors in the changes that have been made in the last three decades.
The dam projects selected are the Allain Duhangan Project, which is being funded by the International Finance Corporation, and the domestically funded Lower Subansiri and Dibang Multipurpose projects, the aim being to understand how superior social and environmental standards are put into practice and the role played by various state and non-state actors in this. The study argues that, at macro level, it is civil society which has been the major driver of change in the area of resettlement over the last three decades. In the environment arena the changes are the outcome of competing demands from civil society and growth-oriented ministries and departments of the Government of India. At project level, superior social and environmental standards are primarily driven by social mobilisation initiated by civil society. The presence of international actors like the International Finance Corporation, with superior social and environmental policies, catalyses the process.

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Waltina Scheumann, Elke Herrfahrdt_Pähle (Eds.)
DIE Studies Nr. 32 German Development Institute /
Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)

Keywords: Africa, Aquifers, Groundwater,  Transboundary Water Management


ISBN: 978-3-88985-364-4


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Waltina Scheumann, Susanne Neubert (Eds.)
DIE Studies Nr. 21
German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)

Africa is a continent exceptionally well endowed with transboundary river basins and large lakes extending over the territories of several countries. Since water and water-related products are strategically important for its national economies, development cooperation has a vital interest in supporting the joint management of transboundary waters. The study provides insights into the river and lake basins of the Zambezi, Limpopo, Orange-Senqu, Lake Chad and Lake Viktoria, and it shows that the international development partners and national have had a marked influence on the establishment of water regimes and are still supporting their management activities. The concept of „benefit sharing instead of water sharing“ can provide appropriate incentives for transboundary cooperation, because benefits – and associated costs – of e.g. hydro-power are easier to allocate than absolute water quantities for irrigation purposes. River or lake basin committee or commissions are crucial instruments for developing options to satisfy the nations demands as well as for defining keys for a fair allocation of costs and benefits. However, international and national donor organizations should effectively coordinate their activities in order to avoid overlapping efforts, and they should agree not to fund national projects bilaterally if the transboundary impact of such projects turn out to be negative. The international community should furthermore commit itself to the rules of ‘prior notification’ and ‘no-objection’. Although many success stories can be reported on the African continent, there is still some way to go in transboundary water cooperation there.

Keywords: Africa, Benefit Sharing, River and Lake Basin Institutions Transboundary Water Management

ISBN-10: 3-88985-326-9
ISBN-13: 978-3-88985-326-4


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