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TRANSBOUNDARY WATER MANAGEMENTCooperation on small riverscan make a differenceJeff Smith for the International Water Management InstituteAlong two glacier-fed tributaries leading to the decimatedAral Sea in central Asia, river flow, water distributionand other data are shared across national borders. Aspart of the cooperative effort, a river management official inKyrgyzstan used a radio phone provided by the project to warnhis downstream counterparts in Tajikstan of heavy rains andhelp avert a potential devastating flash flood and mudslide.Sometimes water specialists cross borders or meet in neutralzones to discuss water management issues. When borders aretight, they keep in touch by telephone or Skype.The Colombo, Sri Lanka-based International Water ManagementInstitute (IWMI) 1 has worked to foster transboundary cooperationon these two small rivers – the Khojabakirgansai shared byKyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and the Shakhimardansai shared byKyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. 2 “If your neighbour is in peace thenyou are in peace,” A’zamjon Rahmatullaev, the head of an Uzbekbasin irrigation authority in the area, said at a workshop last year incharacterizing the importance of cooperation.IWMI, one of 15 Consultative Group on InternationalAgricultural Research (CGIAR) research centres 3 supported bya consortium of governments, private foundationsand other organizations, generally takes a basin-wideapproach. But in this case, the organization believesthat potential conflicts in this volatile region can beeased through cooperation on small rivers, with thehope that cooperation can spread to broader areas.Local communities in essence learn to manage thewater supply and infrastructure themselves, and maintainit over the long term.Joint river management planning has resulted inbetter communication, more reliable and timely waterdistribution, improved maintenance and a processfor resolving disputes. IWMI helped the groupssystematize what previously was an ad hoc process.“Everything is transparent,” says Mark Giordano,IWMI theme leader, water and society. “The system isworking better overall.”IWMI researcher Kai Wegerich says it is difficult todraw a direct link between cooperation and livelihoods.While water efficiency may be improving, IWMI’sresearch has shown that livelihoods in the basin areImage: Ikuru Kawajima/IWMIGood data underpins successful water cooperation. Students in water management at the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University are the first generation to learnmodern techniques of water data collection[ 53 ]