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Institutions for international river management – is integrated water resources management a viable concept?
INES DOMBROWSKY
UFZ Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle, Department of Economics, Permoserstraße 15, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany
Abstract In recent years, the concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has been promoted as a strategy for sustainable resource use. IWRM has also been advocated for the management of international river basins. This paper asks to what extent this policy recommendation is in line with the incentives of riparian states and reflected by empirical evidence. It finds that if rational self-interested behaviour is assumed, cooperation and integration remains institutionally demanding. Experiences with international water management institutions show that the majority of these institutions are bilateral and narrow in scope. Overall, these findings indicate a gap between policy prescriptions and economic arguments and empirical findings. Searching for the expedient degree of integration in international water management is recommended.
Key words Coase theorem; Integrated Water Resources Management; international river basins; membership; substantive scope