New paper: Soft power, discourse coalitions, and the proposed interbasin water transfer between Lake Chad and the Congo River
Dr. Nidhi Nagabhatla, co-lead of ESP’s sectoral working group on ES in water management, co-authored the paper Soft power, discourse coalitions, and the proposed interbasin water transfer between Lake Chad and the Congo River. The article examines the transboundary water interactions between the two relatively under-researched basins of Lake Chad and the Congo River; it highlights how various state actors, agencies and institutions are shaping of transboundary water politics and policies based on economic and political agenda, focus on ecosystems and biodiversity is scarcely embodied in such dialogues presenting a cause of concern for water-secure futures of these critical zones. The authors argue while interbasin water transfer (IBWT) is considered as a dominant option for Lake Chad rejuvenation, the proposed intervention is promoted mainly as part of political agendas with the limited scope of community participation or opportunities for inclusive decision making by all stakeholders, more so those who are outside the high-level political sphere.