Papers by Muhammad Mizanur Rahaman
Water Policy, 2017
This article investigates the motives and incentives that drive countries' diplomatic efforts... more This article investigates the motives and incentives that drive countries' diplomatic efforts in the area of inter state behaviours over international rivers. It aims to identify links between the formation of water management institutions (WMI) and the outcomes of such institutional cooperation. Three features have been identified as key to the effectiveness of WMIs: 1) the development of trust; 2) sanctions aimed at curbing cheating, and; 3) the balancing of different countries' interests over shared waters. This article conducts a comparative analysis of the formation of institutional arrangements among three riparian states by focusing on two cases: water interactions between China and India, and between India and Bangladesh. It argues that India, China and Bangladesh have exhibited different preferences in regard to their participating in WMIs. The two subcases illustrate how different WMIs are formed and also how, in proportion to variations in the level of competition...
Principles of international water law: creating effective transboundary water resources management
âWhat would be the three key preconditions for jumpstarting or scaling up the transfer of environmentally sound technologies for climate change to developing countries?â
Natural Resources Forum, Jan 1, 2009
International Journal of Water …, Jan 1, 2008
A study of climate change impact on the livelihood of the people in Tanguar Haor, Bangladesh
ABSTRACT
The aim of this paper is to analyze the coverage of international water laws in achieving integra... more The aim of this paper is to analyze the coverage of international water laws in achieving integrated Ganges basin management. The principles of international water laws as well as relevant water conventions and agreements are discussed. The paper also scrutinizes two bilateral treaties in the Ganges basin on the basis of the principles of the international water law. The treaties are 1996 Mahakali treaty between Nepal and India; and 1996 Ganges water treaty between India and Bangladesh. The study concludes that integrated management of the Ganges basin involving three riparian states, i.e., Nepal, India and Bangladesh, could offer a window of opportunity for the sustainable development of the Ganges basin, if being based on the theory of limited territorial sovereignty and principles of consultation, notification and information exchange.
International Journal of Water Resources Development
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0790062042000248493#.VTqGRL856fQ
International Journal of Water Resources Development
Water development projects are very much interlinked with the overall regional development framew... more Water development projects are very much interlinked with the overall regional development framework around the world. Regrettably, water professionals often failed to draw attention comprehensively to the various interrelationships between water development and regional development. As a result, due to the increasing concerns of social and environmental activists during the 1980s and 1990s, environmental and social impacts of water development projects always tend to be negative. To address this misleading development, this book, authored and edited by the world's leading water professionals, reviews the experiences from different parts of the world to find out the socio-economic and environmental consequences of water development projects in the context of regional development.
This book includes 11 articles that scrutinize the economic, environmental, social and governance... more This book includes 11 articles that scrutinize the economic, environmental, social and governance challenges of Central Asia; the region that is not limited to Aral Sea basin but encompasses Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and northern Afghanistan. The book consists of two parts. The first one, consisting of three chapters, provides an introduction to the problematique and institutions. The second part of the book includes eight research articles. Our sincere hope is that this book will lubricate and bring new insight into the discussion of water management in Central Asia The electronic version of the book is available free of charge in: http://www.wdrg.fi/publications/water-development-publications/central-asian-waters/
Driving forces behind the groundwater degradation – a comparative analysis on three developing macro-regions in Asia
This paper overviews groundwater degradation in terms of quantity and quality in the three develo... more This paper overviews groundwater degradation in terms of quantity and quality in the three developing macroregions - South Asia, Southeast Asia, and China. Groundwater degradation is embedded in the general development context of those regions. The most important driving forces behind the ground water problems are identified and the trends in their development analysed and compared. The importance of groundwater as a reliable and high-quality source in industrial, municipal and agricultural sectors is rapidly increasing. Meanwhile the groundwater resources are depleting and deteriorating with far-reaching adverse impacts in economical, social and environmental dimensions. Five common driving forces causing groundwater degradation in the macroregions were found. These are population growth and urbanization, food insecurity, industrialization, economy and climate change. The interfaces of these variables with groundwater degradation are scrutinized. Furthermore cross-regional comparis...
Empowerment
“Help yourself” is one of the most basic compliments of the English lan-guage. It is used in situ... more “Help yourself” is one of the most basic compliments of the English lan-guage. It is used in situations where somebody offers another person to approach her/himself something that has been set for instance on serve. In a societal context, the term empowerment is somewhat analogical. Instead of keeping the individuals passively waiting for the government or some-body else to serve them with amenities of whatever kind, they are enabled and encouraged to be active in the society in a constructive manner.
International Journal of Water Resources Development
International Journal of Water Resources Development
The water sector has witnessed remarkable changes and developments in recent decades, and is expe... more The water sector has witnessed remarkable changes and developments in recent decades, and is expected to be subject to further changes. The basic issues are the increasing complexity, more attributes and their interactions to be considered, and a growing importance of the consideration of many temporal and spatial scales in parallel.
International Journal of Sustainable Society, 2015
This paper analyses the current status of hydropower development in Myanmar and its role in stren... more This paper analyses the current status of hydropower development in Myanmar and its role in strengthening regional energy development and cooperation. Myanmar's water sector is facing intensive changes as the country's abundant water resources provide substantial scope for development. Several plans are underway to tap the country's vast hydropower potential and to achieve economic growth through increased hydro electricity exports. Factors driving intensive water resources development are: policies seeking energy security, economic growth in the region, the resulting energy demand growth as well as opening of Myanmar's economy for investments. The development plans provide many opportunities for economic development and regional cooperation, but also for accelerated natural resources extraction and socioeconomic inequity. This paper concludes that in the face of intensifying hydropower cooperation, improved national level water governance in Myanmar as well as an integrated regional hydropower plan would support sustainable regional energy cooperation and ensure shared benefits and responsibilities from the cross-border hydropower development. . Previously he worked at the Water and Development Research Group, Aalto University, Finland and at the University of Cambridge, UK. His work focuses on global water policies, water laws, integrated water resources management, transboundary river basin institutions and conflicts.
Stucki, V., Wegerich, K., Rahaman, M. M. & Varis, O. (Eds.) (2013) Water & Security in Central Asia: Solving a Rubik’s Cube, 192 pages (Routledge, UK) [ISBN: 978-0-415-82692-1]
Examining the water, development and security linkages in Central Asia can feel a bit like solvin... more Examining the water, development and security linkages in Central Asia can feel a bit like solving a Rubik’s cube. The Rubik’s cube starts to usually find structure and the different pieces find their places when its solver adopts a systematic approach. Still, solving the whole cube takes time and perseverance. This is also the case with water and security in Central Asia as demonstrated by the chapters in this book. In the case of water and security in Central Asia, there are many "faces", including not only the Central Asian states but also the neighbouring countries and other players of global geopolitics; "stickers" such as policies, practices, causes, and impacts; and "colours" such as the different stakeholders, ranging from the micro and meso levels to the macro level. Understanding all these, or getting clarity on the nexus, can seem extremely challenging. Even though none of the chapters alone answers the question of what constitutes water and ...
Istanbul World Water Forum's Ministerial Statement (2009): a positive shift of global water policy recommendations towards sustainability
International Journal of Sustainable Society, 2013
Hydropower ambitions of South Asian nations and China: Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers basins
International Journal of Sustainable Society, 2012
This paper analyses the current status of hydropower development in two major rivers basins in So... more This paper analyses the current status of hydropower development in two major rivers basins in South Asia, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra. The total drainage area of the basins is about 1,660,000 km² shared by China, Nepal, India, Bhutan and Bangladesh. ...
International Journal of Sustainable Society, 2012
Whether, the world will have to deal with 'water war(s)' in 21st century or beyond for competitio... more Whether, the world will have to deal with 'water war(s)' in 21st century or beyond for competition over shared international freshwater resources? Nothing is one sided -each and every time -there is other side of the story. This is so true for the two schools of thoughts -that exists in current academic debate -for and against the possibility of water wars. This introductory paper argues that perceived fears of losing control over shared water might contribute towards a constant preparedness to go to war among riparian nations. It emphasises that while this kind of academic debate -for and against water wars -is healthy, it is also important that instead of outright dismissal of any school of thought as a myth, water professionals should equip themselves with the tools to uproot the root causes of the fears behind the water wars debate. This urgent need is the essence behind the idea of this special issue, not to put an end to this debate.
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 2012
The use of Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) in modeling of environmental and natural resources sys... more The use of Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) in modeling of environmental and natural resources systems has gradually grown, and they have become one of the mainstream approaches in the field. They are typically used in modeling complex systems in which policy or management decisions must be made under high uncertainties. This article documents an approach to constructing large and highly complex BBNs using a matrix representation of the model structure. This approach allows smooth construction of highly complicated models with intricate likelihood structures. A case study of the Ganges river basin, the most populated river basin of the planet, is presented. Four different development scenarios were investigated with the purpose of reaching the Millennium Development Goals and Integrated Water Resources Management goals, both promoted by the United Nations Agencies. The model results warned against the promotion of economic development policies that do not place strong emphasis on social and environmental concerns. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2012;8:491-502. ß 2011 SETAC
Uploads
Papers by Muhammad Mizanur Rahaman