IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/zbw/espost/170540.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The paradox of water management projects in Central Asia: An institutionalist perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Chatalova, Lioudmila
  • Djanibekov, Nodir
  • Gagalyuk, Taras
  • Valentinov, Vladislav

Abstract

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Central Asian countries have been faced with numerous development challenges in agriculture, especially those related to water use. Well-intentioned foreign donors and development agencies have stepped in to support local farmers, research centers, and public authorities in devising innovative solutions. Yet, development aid projects have borne fruit only partially. Paradoxically, innovative and apparently useful technologies proposed by foreign donors have rarely and only partially succeeded in taking root in the local institutional contexts. To explain this paradox, this paper draws on the institutional approach which shows the possibility of technological innovations being encapsulated by dysfunctional institutions. Reviewing recent studies of water-related projects in Central Asia, the paper shows this encapsulation to be at the core of the development project failures pervasive both in the Soviet period and today. If the concept of encapsulation is valid, then the current development efforts can be made more effective by detecting and counteracting the structures of vested interest on the part of all the actors involved, such as foreign donors, public authorities, research centers and local farmers.

Suggested Citation

  • Chatalova, Lioudmila & Djanibekov, Nodir & Gagalyuk, Taras & Valentinov, Vladislav, 2017. "The paradox of water management projects in Central Asia: An institutionalist perspective," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 9(4), pages 1-14.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:170540
    DOI: 10.3390/w9040300
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/170540/1/Chatalova_2017_Water_Management_Projects.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.3390/w9040300?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thorstein Veblen, 1909. "The Limitations of Marginal Utility," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 17(9), pages 620-620.
    2. Paul D. Bush, 1987. "The Theory of Institutional Change," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(3), pages 1075-1116, September.
    3. Chaddad, Fabio & Valentinov, Vladislav, 2017. "Agency costs and organizational architecture of large corporate farms: evidence from Brazil," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 20(2), pages 201-220.
    4. Radosevic, Slavo, 2002. "Regional Innovation Systems in Central and Eastern Europe: Determinants, Organizers and Alignments," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 87-96, January.
    5. Paul Diederen & Hans van Meijl & Arjan Wolters, 2003. "Modernisation in agriculture: what makes a farmer adopt an innovation?," International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 2(3/4), pages 328-342.
    6. World Bank, 2016. "World Development Indicators 2016," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 23969.
    7. Vladislav Valentinov, 2013. "Veblen and Instrumental Value: A Systems Theory Perspective," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(3), pages 673-688.
    8. Veblen, Thorstein, 1909. "The Limitations of Marginal Utility," History of Economic Thought Articles, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, vol. 17.
    9. William Easterly & Ross Levine & David Roodman, 2004. "Aid, Policies, and Growth: Comment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(3), pages 774-780, June.
    10. Spencer Thompson & Vladislav Valentinov, 2017. "The neglect of society in the theory of the firm: a systems-theory perspective," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 41(4), pages 1061-1085.
    11. Kopsidis, Michael & Bromley, Daniel W., 2016. "The French revolution and German industrialization: dubious models and doubtful causality," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 161-190, March.
    12. Dani Rodrik, 2014. "When Ideas Trump Interests: Preferences, Worldviews, and Policy Innovations," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 28(1), pages 189-208, Winter.
    13. Tavares, Jose, 2003. "Does foreign aid corrupt?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 79(1), pages 99-106, April.
    14. Sunding, David & Zilberman, David, 2001. "The agricultural innovation process: Research and technology adoption in a changing agricultural sector," Handbook of Agricultural Economics, in: B. L. Gardner & G. C. Rausser (ed.), Handbook of Agricultural Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 4, pages 207-261, Elsevier.
    15. Wolfram Elsner, 2012. "Microeconomics of Interactive Economies," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 2233.
    16. Stefan Hielscher & Ingo Pies & Vladislav Valentinov, 2012. "How to Foster Social Progress: An Ordonomic Perspective on Progressive Institutional Change," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(3), pages 779-798.
    17. World Bank, 2017. "World Development Indicators 2017," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 26447.
    18. Kevin M. Morrison, 2012. "What Can We Learn about the "Resource Curse" from Foreign Aid?," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 27(1), pages 52-73, February.
    19. Pomfret, Richard, 2002. "State-Directed Diffusion Of Technology: The Mechanization Of Cotton Harvesting In Soviet Central Asia," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 62(1), pages 170-188, March.
    20. Dearden, James & Ickes, Barry W & Samuelson, Larry, 1990. "To Innovate or Not to Innovate: Incentives and Innovation in Hierarchies," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(5), pages 1105-1124, December.
    21. Oughton, Christine & Landabaso, Mikel & Morgan, Kevin, 2002. "The Regional Innovation Paradox: Innovation Policy and Industrial Policy," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 97-110, January.
    22. Wolfram Elsner, 2012. "The Theory of Institutional Change Revisited: The Institutional Dichotomy, Its Dynamic, and Its Policy Implications in a More Formal Analysis," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(1), pages 1-44.
    23. Valentinov, Vladislav, 2015. "From equilibrium to autopoiesis: A Luhmannian reading of Veblenian evolutionary economics," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 143-155.
    24. Vladislav Valentinov, 2009. "Mapping the Third Sector in John R. Commons' Typology of Transactions," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(4), pages 917-930.
    25. Williams, Robin & Edge, David, 1996. "The social shaping of technology," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(6), pages 865-899, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Otrachshenko, Vladimir & Hartwell, Christopher A. & Popova, Olga, 2023. "Energy efficiency, market competition, and quality certification: Lessons from Central Asia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    2. Shan Zou & Abuduwaili Jilili & Weili Duan & Philippe De Maeyer & Tim Van de Voorde, 2019. "Human and Natural Impacts on the Water Resources in the Syr Darya River Basin, Central Asia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-18, May.
    3. Daniel Mercado-Garcia & Thomas Block & Jheni Thalis Horna Cotrina & Nilton Deza Arroyo & Marie Anne Eurie Forio & Guido Wyseure & Peter Goethals, 2023. "Freshwater Management Discourses in the Northern Peruvian Andes: The Watershed-Scale Complexity for Integrating Mining, Rural, and Urban Stakeholders," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-19, March.
    4. Lee, Seung Oh & Jung, Younghun, 2018. "Efficiency of water use and its implications for a water-food nexus in the Aral Sea Basin," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 207(C), pages 80-90.
    5. Dimitrios Zikos, 2020. "Revisiting the Role of Institutions in Transformative Contexts: Institutional Change and Conflicts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-20, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Valentinov, Vladislav, 2015. "From equilibrium to autopoiesis: A Luhmannian reading of Veblenian evolutionary economics," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 143-155.
    2. Tae-Hee Jo, 2021. "A Veblenian Critique of Nelson and Winter’s Evolutionary Theory," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(4), pages 1101-1117, October.
    3. Valentinov, Vladislav & Hielscher, Stefan & Pies, Ingo, 2015. "Nonprofit organizations, institutional economics, and systems thinking," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 491-501.
    4. Rustem Nureev & Vyacheslav Volchik & Wadim Strielkowski, 2020. "Neoliberal Reforms in Higher Education and the Import of Institutions," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-18, May.
    5. David Dequech, 2005. "Institutions: A Concept For A Theory Of Conformity And Innovation," Anais do XXXIII Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 33rd Brazilian Economics Meeting] 174, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
    6. Claudius Graebner & Amineh Ghorbani, 2019. "Defining institutions - A review and a synthesis," ICAE Working Papers 89, Johannes Kepler University, Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy.
    7. Vladislav Valentinov, 2012. "The Institutionalist Implications of the General Systems Theory: The Societal Role of the Market," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 253-262, May.
    8. Dreher, Axel & Fuchs, Andreas & Langlotz, Sarah, 2019. "The effects of foreign aid on refugee flows," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 127-147.
    9. Elert, Niklas & Henrekson, Magnus, 2017. "Entrepreneurship and Institutions: A Bidirectional Relationship," Working Paper Series 1153, Research Institute of Industrial Economics, revised 05 May 2017.
    10. Kilby, Christopher, 2005. "World Bank lending and regulation," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 384-407, December.
    11. Dieter Bögenhold, 2008. "Economics, Sociology, History: Notes on Their Loss of Unity, Their Need for Re-integration and the Current Relevance of the Controversy between Carl Menger and Gustav Schmoller," Forum for Social Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 85-101, January.
    12. Oteng-Abayie, Eric & Awuni, Prosper Ayinbilla & Adjei, Thomas Kwame, 2020. "The Impact of Inward Remittances on Economic Growth in Ghana," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 8(3), November.
    13. Blind, Georg, 2015. "Behavioural rules: Veblen, Nelson-Winter, Oström and beyond," MPRA Paper 66866, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Schneider, Sophie Therese, 2018. "North-South trade agreements and the quality of institutions: Panel data evidence," Hohenheim Discussion Papers in Business, Economics and Social Sciences 27-2018, University of Hohenheim, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.
    15. Coviello, Decio & Islam, Roumeen, 2006. "Does aid help improve economic institutions ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3990, The World Bank.
    16. Annie Tubadji & Brian Osoba & Peter Nijkamp, 2015. "Culture-based development in the USA: culture as a factor for economic welfare and social well-being at a county level," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 39(3), pages 277-303, August.
    17. Bouët, Antoine & Cosnard, Lionel & Laborde, David, 2017. "Measuring Trade Integration in Africa," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 32(4), pages 937-977.
    18. Ann-Sofie Isaksson & Dick Durevall, 2023. "Aid and institutions: Local effects of World Bank aid on perceived institutional quality in Africa," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 523-551, July.
    19. Kseniia Gatskova & Artjoms Ivlevs & Barbara Dietz, 2017. "Does migration affect education of girls and young women in Tajikistan?," WIDER Working Paper Series 104, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    20. Temple, Jonathan R.W., 2010. "Aid and Conditionality," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Dani Rodrik & Mark Rosenzweig (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 4415-4523, Elsevier.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:170540. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/zbwkide.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.