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Cusec Deadlock The Indus and Hydropolitics in a Fault Zone. Rohan D’Souza (Centre for Studies in Science Policy, Jawaharlal Nehru University). “River waters: Perspectives and Challenges for Asia” New Delhi, 18 th -20 th , November, 2011 Foundation for NON VIOLENT ALTERNATIVES.
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Cusec DeadlockThe Indus and Hydropolitics in a Fault Zone Rohan D’Souza (Centre for Studies in Science Policy, Jawaharlal Nehru University) “River waters: Perspectives and Challenges for Asia” New Delhi, 18th-20th , November, 2011 Foundation for NON VIOLENT ALTERNATIVES
Two Centuries of negotiating bends and turns 19th Century Modern Hydrology 20th Century Nation Making
The Emergence of Modern Water Management: A History of Manipulation and Control The steady elimination of the Pastoral , the Nomad and landscapes of mobility. From Inundation to Perennial Irrigation. Cusecs harnessed with universal principles of science and technology Settled agriculture defines colonial presence and power
The ExoskeletonRivers into CanalsPermanent head-worksDiversions Shuffling flows Weirs Barrages Canals
Indus as National Biography: Nature as Nation and Nation as Nature
Disenchanted Divisions The Insoluble Dilemmas of the IWT (1960) Upper Riparian vrs. Lower Riparian Head-works vrs. Flows IWT was a techno-engineering solution In the Expert we Trust Neutral facts to trump Interpretation
The Clutter of Conflict Demography, Geography and Hydrology Water demand: Urban vrs. Rural vrs. Industry vrs. Agriculture vrs. Environmental Flows…etc Generates ‘overbuilt basins’ Absolute Scarcity and absolute Surplus Driven by centralized management and big engineering
IWT and the Hopes of Quantification Coordination Mechanisms a)Indus Commission; b)Governments of Pakistan and India c)Neutral Experts and d)Court of Arbitration. Replace Anarchy on the Ground with Rules of the Expert and Transform Violence into Legal-Technical Contention. Water does not have a History Flows lack ecological contexts and can be shuffled across distances and environments
But what is a River? Cusecs + Kilowatts = River Fluvial Processes
A River of Qualities Fluvial regimes are complex geomorphologic, chemical and biological processes in motion. Rivers are made up of habitat mosaics that support a wide variety of aquatic and riparian species. Variable flows create and maintain particular dynamics between the channel, floodplain, wetland and the estuary. The magnitude and frequency of high and low flows regulate numerous ecological processes
Reworking the IWT from the Delta Upwards New Constituencies for New Dialogues Re-crafting compacts as discussions amongst river communities De-centering the Expert Instead of Seeing like a State should we Think like a River ?
Recovering Place Restoring Qualities to Flows
Those who are good at controlling water give it the best opportunity to flow away, those who are good at controlling people give them plenty of chance to talk. Chia Jang, 16th C, Han Engineer