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abstract 130

Transboundary basins and their development projects: status of some projects and elements of analysis

Author(s): Julie Ladel

Keyword(s): transboundary basins, water transfers, Lake Chad, Niger, Ganges,China, India

Article:

Poster:

Session: OS5d Transboundary water issues

AbstractRegional organisations managing

transboundary river basins such as Lake Chad basin and Niger river basin in Africa are on the way to develop

management tools to better share water resources. At the same time, nationally, regionally and internationally, large

scale development projects are planned and sometimes implemented with non reversible impact on these

ecosystems.

The objective of this paper is to present current water governance and planned development

projects in these basins as well as elements of analysis in order to contribute to the foreseeing of their impacts and

ultimately long-term sustainability.

It will also present the cases of China (Yangzijiang to Huang He rivers

transfers) and India fast development plans based on internal and transboundary water transfers. For example, in

1980, the Ministry of Water Resources of the Government of India formulated a National Perspective Plan for water

resources development based on a project of water transfers from water surplus basins to water deficient

regions.

Its objective is to warrant a suitable water supply in the whole country, based on the planned increase

of population pressure and of a better style of living, irrigation and hydropower demands. These planned beneficial

impacts would also be coupled with the improvement of flood control and the development of navigation, as well as

the guarantee of minimum environmental flows, all ensuring attractive socio-economic benefits.

A judgement of

the Supreme Court requested immediate attention of the Government of India for the “Interlinking of Rivers” project

for implementation before 2016. Therefore, the Government of India established a Task Force on the so-called

“Interlinking of Rivers” project to study various Interbasin Water Transfer Proposals. A National Conference was

organised on this issue on October, 29th 2003 in New Delhi, where the project was presented and discussed with

various international experts.

Finally, some elements for analysis of these integrated development projects,

including transboundary basins, will be proposed to foster discussions related to their impacts and sustainability

among specialists.

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Transboundary basins and their development projects: status of some projects and elements of analysis