Case Studies
These case studies highlight both the practical application and demonstrable impact of the Blue Peace approach
Good Practices in the Management of Transboundary Water Resources:
The Case Study of the Senegal River Basin Development Organization (OMVS)
Situation:
Stretching for over 1800 kilometres from Guinea, Mali, Senegal and Mauritania, the Senegal River is the third longest in Africa. In a region plagued by poverty, water scarcity and under-development the Senegal River is a vital source of livelihood for local populations. With precipitation projections forecasting drier years in the future, countries along the river basin need to find a way to manage and protect the Senegal River’s vital resources.
Solution:
In 1972 the Senegal River Basin Development Organisation was founded as a regional cooperative management body of the Senegal River representing Guinea, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal. The OMVS is recognized as one the best models of water cooperation because of its benefit-sharing regime. Under the OMVS legal framework, benefit sharing is directly linked to the statute of common infrastructures, and all member states share the benefits of common water installations. Benefit-sharing is organized on an equitable basis , which consists of matching investment costs with the direct benefits earned from water installations.
Financial arrangements also enshrine the principle of equity. Loans made to the organisation for the construction and operations of common facilities are jointly guaranteed by OMVS Member states. The payments are allocated according to each country’s participation in the costs and expenses of the facilities. Contributions to the costs and expenses also determine the benefits which are withdrawn from common installations.
Outcome:
The infrastructure that has been built and is managed by the OMVS generates 800 GWh per year of clean affordable energy, and provides 375,000 hectares of potential irrigable lands. Despite geopolitical turmoil in the region, the OMVS has maintained operations and managed to facilitate benefits sharing of the Senegal River to all member states.
Supporting Water Data Sharing for Cooperation and Peace: The Case Study on the Transboundary Basin of the Chu-Talas Rivers (Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan)
Situation:
The Republic of Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic share the waters of the Chu and Talas rivers, providing critical resources for irrigation of the vast agricultural lands and for hydropower generation for over 3 million people. The vast majority of the infrastructure regulating the both rivers’ water flow (such as dams, canals etc.) are located upstream in Kyrgyzstan. However, Kazakhstan depends heavily on both rivers to meet its water needs, making cooperation over river management and data and information sharing between both countries critical.
Solution:
With this understanding, an agreement was drafted between both countries to define the management and uses of the Chu and Talas rivers, under the principles of joint decision-making, fair and equitable management and sharing of mutual benefits with a distribution of financial and operational responsibilities. This agreement eventually led to the creation of a joint intergovernmental commission for the Chu and Talas river basins created a few years later. The commission manages a number of critical activities including the procedures for regular and transparent data sharing. Additionally, as a result of the agreement, Kazakhstan has agreed to cover a share of the operation and management costs of the Kyrgyz Republic’s water infrastructure.
Outcome:
Under the supervision of the Commission, these quarterly bulletins are now published regularly and the interactive schemes allow online consultation of the data on river water flows and the levels of the main water intakes for irrigation. As a result, Kazakhstan has experienced increased water security, reduced interstate tensions and better management of droughts or overflows.
Costa Rica: A Case Study on the Peaceful Resolution of a Local Water Conflict
Situation:
During the 1990’s, Costa Rica’s state owned electric power monopoly (ICE), mandated to investigate and develop energy resources for Costa Rica, drew up plans to develop a hydroelectric dam on the Pacuare River basin. The Pacuare River supports the livelihoods of local indigenous people (the Pacuare Cabécar people), citizens of the city of Turrialba and a thriving adventure tourism industry.
Solution:
Local citizens came together to form the Amigos del Rio Pacuare (Friends of the Pacuare River) which catalysed a broad social and political movement to prevent the development of the hydroelectric dam. After years of dialogue and negotiation between the community, government and ICE, a referendum was held and the inhabitants of the Turrialba region voted against hydroelectric projects in the Pacuare River. In 2015, the government of Costa Rica supported this vote with a presidential decree that will remain in force for 25 years.
Outcome:
This water resource conflict was resolved due to strong advocacy and the equal participation of multiple actors involved in the issue including community leaders, the government and ICE. The government backed the community referendum and today the Pacuare River retains the livelihood of the Pacuare Cabécar people, the citizens of Turrialba as well some of the best and most sustainable water rafting in the world.
The Sava River Basin: basin level cooperation contributes to sustainable management of resources
Situation:
The Sava River basin is a key basin in the Western Balkans, covering considerable parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia and a small part of Albania. The 2002 Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (FASRB) established a joint governance instrument and legal framework for the countries, which allows for the sharing of data and discussion of issues of common concern.
The populations of the Sava basin countries are dependent on the basin’s natural resources for their livelihoods including water for irrigation, navigation, energy generation or tourism. This dependency is set to increase, which will lead to competing demands between energy, agriculture and other sectors, as well as impacts across sectors such as reduced hydropower generation or difficulties for navigation and transport. Climate change is expected to add pressure, with floods and droughts becoming more frequent. More coordination across sectors could therefore improve resource management and increase resilience.
Solution:
The Water Convention Secretariat applied the Transboundary Basin Nexus Assessment (TBNA) methodology, which allows for the identification and analysis of positive and negative linkages, benefits and trade-offs between different sectors, as well as potential impact of climatic and socioeconomic changes on the basin’s resources, using participatory methods as well as integrated water-energy modelling.
Outcome:
The TBNA assessment gave important insights to government and local actors. Bridging the gap between river basin management planning and national climate strategies could facilitate the adoption of critical climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in the basin. For example, the assessment showed that hydropower in the basin can support the integration of other renewables helping the countries to meet and even surpass their targets for renewable energy. This makes the case for cooperation within the river basin to allow countries to ascertain energy security and decarbonize their energy system.
The Sava case opened the way for other participatory assessments and more in depth analyses of nexus interlinkages in the Western Balkan region.
Water stewardship: ensuring everyone can drink from the same glass
Situation:
Imagine 10 people, all drinking from the same glass of water with a straw. Naturally, the glass will be empty rather quickly unless there is an agreement to collectively limit one's thirst. This common resource problem is happening all across the world, where aquifers, rivers or other water sources get depleted and oftentimes polluted because users of a local watershed fail to act collaboratively. The consequences of such developments can be extreme, ranging from lack of access to clean water for local populations, to pollution of vital ecosystems, to local conflicts.
Solution:
Water stewardship aims to achieve responsible use of water by major users (private companies, local farmers, and others) in a watershed. This starts by a user understanding their own water use and impact, and work collaboratively and transparently towards sustainable water management. Water stewardship aims to encourage more concrete water stewardship action, which in turn contributes to peaceful societies.
Outcome:
Several leading water stewardship organizations are currently setting standards to certify company sites to support responsible water stewardship. They convene private sector, government and civil society actors locally to create a space for discussing and taking concrete action in their local watershed; advocate for companies to take up water stewardship measures at the most senior level of their companies; and catalyze partnerships to ensure that water stewardship is considered in global debates.
