Suchergebnisse

To date, there can be found numerous controversial large-scale water projects in Asia and Europe. The so-called "zombie water projects" are associated with insufficient communication, massive investments and prolonged marginalisation of the negative impacts. Traditional impact assessment studies backed by water engineers and other water professionals are struggling to accountably address the political issues. Hence, in the presented study, a new schematic political impact assessment was proposed to evaluate meaningful water dialogue. To dynamics of water dialogue over the zombie water projects was investigated upon the VUDU analytical framework at four micro-case studies (Navigational Channel Improvement Project, Myitsone dam, Oder-Danube-Elbe Canal and Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros dam). These studies were selected according to the extensive literature review to illustrate different development pathways and long-term behavioural changes. The results show that despite the conflict of interests and prolonged distrust towards zombie water projects, the justification of these projects were often driven by inconsistent empirical data, (i)rational justification and changing political environments. In addition, by comparing various four micro-case studies, we noticed that the meaningful water dialogue was more influenced by the degree of transparency and communication rather than the actual decision whenever to build such water project or not. By showing contemporary dilemmas towards the large-scale water project development, the presented study provides valuable feedback on the previous interdisciplinary studies regarding the transboundary water governance.

Xishuangbanna presents one of eight China's Autonomous Prefectures in Yunnan Province and an important trans-Asian hub at the Myanmar-Laos borders. Apart from rich ethnic diversity and a well-preserved tropical ecosystem, it is also the only place from where China shares the actual hydrological water data with downstream countries on the Mekong River since November 2020. As a part of China's water diplomacy, Xishuangbanna presents both a geostrategic instrument and a fountain of inspiration for non-traditional regional cooperation. In the presented study, we used the constructivist discourse analysis to re-interpret the "Lancang-Mekong Spirit", a narrative emphasising the community of shared destiny, common interests and solidarity among Mekong countries. Data has been collected from the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and Conflict Database, which records over 3000 water-related events in the Mekong River Basin between 1990 to 2023. While emphasizing the historical, geographic and political proximity with other Mekong countries positively facilitate China's foreign policy image in Southeast Asia, the success of the China's water diplomacy may be limited without accountable inclusion of Yunnan Province specifics. The findings can be replicable in other case studies on China's non-traditional foreign policy strategies.

Since April 2020, the Eyes on Earth Study has received significant media attention for considering the Chinese mainstream reservoirs as one of the main drivers for changing the natural water flow and compounding the severe droughts in the Lancang-Mekong Basin. Unlike other hydrological studies, the Eyes on Earth Study polarized the international research community and received unusual media attention. While the Eyes on Earth Study raised public awareness about upstream water operations and motivated civil society to co-develop the water knowledge, there can be found numerous shortcomings and other irregularities in the current research dialogue over the research conclusions. By drawing on the politicization of scientific theories and combining the socio-hydrology with critical political ecology, the presented paper (1) conceptualizes the human-water interaction in the context of the politicization of the EoE Study, (2) reviews current development pathways in contemporary research dialogue in the Lancang-Mekong Basin, and (3) examines contemporary challenges for water science. To re-define the politicization of water science, the constructivist discourse analysis has been applied to investigate the argumentation patterns over the Eyes on Earth Study in the last 18 months (April 2020–September 2021). In addition, we applied the adapted Baker's model to double-check the content of the EoE Study and degree of alignment with high-quality research inputs. Our data show that (i) benefits from ensuring the standard research procedures outweigh the benefits from using the alternative research procedures, (ii) gradual stratification of contemporary research channels and simplification of research findings contribute to political distrust towards the water science, and (iii) growing intervention of non-traditional actors in the research dialogue produce the gap in applied discourse practices and medialize the desirable water narratives. The topic is highly actual and beneficial for water experts and other interdisciplinary scientists who want to better understand the power of hydrological studies and clarify the incentives undermining the trust in science.

Socio-hydrology presents one of the scientific approaches interpreting complex interactions between human and water systems. To date, water becomes extremely politicized by non-scientists and frequently put in a broader political context with non-water issues. The purpose of this text is to (1) analyse drivers of the growing politicization of hydrological science in the Lancang-Mekong Basin, (2) examine solutions for addressing the misinterpretation of hydrological data, and (3) outline the unintended consequences of politicization the hydrological studies. The paper argues that politicization of science (i) gives more power to non-scientists, (ii) undermines the trust in science and other research institutions, (iii) creates inequality among hydrological studies and water scientists, and (iv) provides more incentives for making research tailored to desirable outcomes. The topic is highly actual and beneficial for water experts and other scientists who want to better understand the potential negative implications of hydrological studies and the limits of socio-hydrology.