TY - JOUR

T1 - Reliving the past in a changed environment

T2 - Hydropower ambitions, opportunities and constraints in Tajikistan

AU - Wegerich, Kai

AU - Olsson, O.

AU - Froebrich, J.

N1 - Funding Information: The work presented in this paper was carried out during the initial part of the JAYHUN project (Hanover University), which is funded by the European Commission within the INCO program

PY - 2007/7/1

Y1 - 2007/7/1

N2 - In Central Asia, various arguments, ranging from a unifying purpose to political control to conflict potential, have been made about the relationship between downstream water utilisation and the upstream water control infrastructure. This paper analyses the construction and utilisation of the Nurek dam in Tajikistan during and after the break-up of the Soviet Union. The political and socio-economic changes that ensued after independence influenced the utilisation of the water control infrastructure. The new economic reorientation of Tajikistan demanded by the break-up caused concerns to downstream riparian states. The conflict potential is based not on water resource allocation, but on the utilisation of water for energy production, its control and transmission infrastructure. Even though there is conflict potential, the situation could be turned into a win–win situation for all the riparian states.

AB - In Central Asia, various arguments, ranging from a unifying purpose to political control to conflict potential, have been made about the relationship between downstream water utilisation and the upstream water control infrastructure. This paper analyses the construction and utilisation of the Nurek dam in Tajikistan during and after the break-up of the Soviet Union. The political and socio-economic changes that ensued after independence influenced the utilisation of the water control infrastructure. The new economic reorientation of Tajikistan demanded by the break-up caused concerns to downstream riparian states. The conflict potential is based not on water resource allocation, but on the utilisation of water for energy production, its control and transmission infrastructure. Even though there is conflict potential, the situation could be turned into a win–win situation for all the riparian states.

KW - Energy research

KW - water control

KW - hydropower

KW - tajikistan

KW - Construction engineering and architecture

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34147140864&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/28bd64b1-6ff5-3d06-a75b-47bc5aa87bba/

U2 - 10.1016/j.enpol.2007.01.024

DO - 10.1016/j.enpol.2007.01.024

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 35

SP - 3815

EP - 3825

JO - Energy Policy

JF - Energy Policy

SN - 0301-4215

IS - 7

ER -