ABSTRACT
Central Asia has been one of the most popular destinations for testing water policy ideas and instruments that have been developed and practised in the West (Rahaman and Varis, 2008; Wegerich, 2008, 2010). With the Aral Sea crisis and the crucial need for transboundary water allocation between the Central Asian states, the emphasis on good governance of water has been repeatedly emphasized (O’Hara, 2004; Rahaman and Varis, 2008; see also Chapter 2). One of the defining characteristics of water policy reform in Central Asia is the externally driven agenda for policy change dominated by donors and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (Rahaman and Varis, 2008). In this chapter, I investigate the process of water policy reform in the biggest country of the region, Kazakhstan. The institutional reform of water management in Kazakhstan has been based on three policy innovations advocated by international organizations, such as the World Bank (WB), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). These innovations include (1) the introduction of an integrated water resources management and water efficiency plan referred hereafter as the IWRM plan; (2) river basin councils (RBC); and (3) a piece of modern water legislation in the form of the Water Code. However, the translation of these policy innovations into the context of Kazakhstan has proven to be a bumpy ride with unplanned consequences and great complexities. I argue that the context of Kazakhstan, the history of its water and land management, and the characteristics of water policy and politics, such as the presence or absence of a forum for policy deliberation, are among the main drivers that have pushed these policy innovations in a certain direction. Overall, I argue that the context plays a key role in how Western-born innovations popular within the circles of international experts touch ground in developing and transition countries.
