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Journal of Arid Land
Journal of Arid Land  2023, Vol. 15 Issue (10): 1143-1159    DOI: 10.1007/s40333-023-0030-7
Review article     
A review of science-policy interface for water governance in the Caspian Sea
Apoorva BAMAL1,2,3,4,*(), Sogol MORADIAN1,2,3,4, Ali TORABI-HAGHIGHI5, Agnieszka INDIANA-OLBERT1,2,3,4
1College of Science and Engineering, University of Galway, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
2Ryan Institute, University of Galway, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
3MaREI Research Centre, University of Galway, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
4Eco-HydroInformatics Research Group (EHIRG), Civil Engineering, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
5Water Energy and Environmental Engineering Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu FI-90014, Finland
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Abstract  

Science and policy have been interlinked for decades and perform essential nexus conditions in the governing aspects of environmental scenarios. This review paper examines the present challenges in the science-policy interface in terms of water governance in the Caspian Sea and identifies effective conditions that may be used in the current context to enhance the mechanism. The evaluation of the science-policy link in the water policy of the Caspian Sea reveals a gap between knowledge producer and governance system, impeding the translation of scientific information into action. Complicated and context-dependent solutions make it challenging to establish effective science-policy processes in the Caspian Sea water governance settings. Establishing a common governing authority, implementing water and resource management regulations, and protecting the natural environment through legal frameworks are crucial steps to address these concerns and ensure sustainable development. Collaboration among coastal states is essential in environmental, economic, and social aspects of regional development. However, the lack of a comprehensive approach, coherent activities, and effective utilization of national and regional power has hindered efforts to halt the environmental degradation of the Caspian Sea. Local governments need to recognize their responsibility to protect and utilize the Caspian Sea for present and future generations, considering both environmental and human security. The interlinkage of the Caspian Sea water governance with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) water governance principles offers a framework for policymakers to assess gaps and make necessary amendments to existing mechanisms. Effective science-policy interaction, engagement of diverse stakeholders, institutionalizing agreements, and addressing collective action issues are critical for successful water governance.

Key words： resource management      Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development      water security      water governance principle      Caspian Sea     
Received: 08 June 2023      Published: 31 October 2023
Corresponding Authors: *Apoorva BAMAL (E-mail: a.bamal1@universityofgalway.ie)
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Apoorva BAMAL
Sogol MORADIAN
Ali TORABI-HAGHIGHI
Agnieszka INDIANA-OLBERT
Cite this article:

Apoorva BAMAL, Sogol MORADIAN, Ali TORABI-HAGHIGHI, Agnieszka INDIANA-OLBERT. A review of science-policy interface for water governance in the Caspian Sea. Journal of Arid Land, 2023, 15(10): 1143-1159.

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http://jal.xjegi.com/10.1007/s40333-023-0030-7     OR     http://jal.xjegi.com/Y2023/V15/I10/1143

Fig. 1 Framework of political convention of the Caspian Sea. USSR, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Gap Description in terms of water governance Reference
Environmental stress factors Severe contamination by substantial amounts of heavy metals because of sewage discharge
Pollution from organic compounds due to the influx of agricultural and industrial discharges
Eutrophication
Water level fluctuations
Hydrocarbon extraction
Construction of new seaports and rehabilitation of existing ones
Revival of merchant tanker fleet
Enhancement of navy component
Construction of oil and gas pipelines		 Akhmadiyeva and Abdullaev (2019); Akbulaev and Bayramli (2020); Ghayebzadeh et al. (2020); Farhadian Babadi et al. (2021); Yekimov et al. (2021);
Mokarram et al. (2023); Modabberi et al. (2020); Dero et al. (2020)
Challenges in
conservation		 Governmental measures alone cannot ensure sustainable conservation and exploitation of the Caspian Sea
Lack of a comprehensive approach and coherent activities, as well as a lack of utilization of national and regional power
Severity of pollution and destruction in the Caspian region is so great that it is not possible to rely on the agreed legal regime on the Caspian Sea		 Koriche et al. (2021); Ghafourian and Sadeghzadeh (2022); Hatami et al. (2022); Zakeri et al. (2022)
Responsibility of
coastal governments		 Recognizing the right of present generation and future generations to protect the Caspian Sea
Environmental characteristics of the Caspian Sea also have potential impacts on regional security		 Bayramov (2020); Pietkiewicz (2021); Ghafourian and Sadeghzadeh (2022)
Unresolved disputes Lack of cooperation mechanism in the latest treaty
Communication barrier and hindrance in decision making		 Pietkiewicz (2021)
Human security
implications		 Sharp increase in unemployment rate of the fishing industry due to the reduction of fish stocks
Shipping companies are affected		 Yekimov et al. (2021); Koriche et al. (2022); Rasekhi et al. (2023)
Challenges in
resource division		 Oil and gas resources of the Caspian Sea have caused each country to have different positions regarding the legal regime of the sea, which does not have necessary consistency Akbulaev and Bayramli (2020); Pietkiewicz (2021); Hatami et al. (2022)
Table 1 Gaps in science-policy interface for water governance in the Caspian Sea
OECD principle Category Existing gap (Caspian Sea)
Allocation and identification of defined roles regarding water policy (formulation, implementation, management, regulation, and coordination) Politics Conflicts of interest and rivalry for influence among state actors have resulted from the shift of power and influence in the region
Management of water at suitable levels within basin governance integration Politics Lack of definition of exact location of the boundaries or the specific allocation of territorial waters, common maritime space, seabed, and sub-soil to each state
Support coherence in policy through efficient cross-sectoral coordination, particularly between water and environmental policies Governance Water governance in the Caspian Sea lacks adherence to the concept of integrated water resource management that leads to the deterioration of water and associated ecosystem
Adaptation of the level of ability of the accountable authorities to the degree of complexity of the water concerns to be addressed, as well as the set of competences required to carry out their responsibilities Governance Absence of robust regional cooperation and accord on water and environmental concerns continues to hinder and deter states from safeguarding the sea water and surrounding ecosystem
Production, refurbishment, and timely dissemination of the consistent, comparable, and policy-relevant water, and water-related statistics and information for use in guiding, assessing, and improving water policy Governance and research Hydro-social cycle displays a gap and there is a requirement of technical system platform to push the Caspian Sea region to the reflexive modernity
Ensuring mobilization of water finances and allocation of financial resources in an efficient way via governance arrangements Governance Requirement of a model that will define sources of investment in desirable economic projects, youth projects, and assistance in water security
In the public interest, ensuring that competent water management regulatory regimes are successfully implemented and enforced Governance and society Unresolved issue in the latest treaty causing vast gas reserves to face economic challenges, prompting infrastructure development for increased domestic production and western gas exports; and exploitation of natural resources in seabed sectors
Encourage responsible authorities, levels of government, and key stakeholders to adopt and implement innovative water governance methods Politics Lack of coordination among Central Asian governments reduce their ability to tackle external water management problem
Integrity and transparency standards should be consolidated into water policies, institutions, and governance frameworks to increase accountability and confidence in decision-making Governance and research Lack of consensus in negotiating the protocols on environmental impact assessment, oil incidents, water pollution, and biodiversity conservation
Encourage stakeholder participation to make educated and outcome-oriented contributions to water policy creation and implementation Society Due to political issues on the boundary conditions of the sea, citizen science projects are stagnated
Encourage the development of water governance frameworks that aid in the management of trade-offs between water users Governance and economy Lack of coastal authority that defines the water share amongst the states in bilateral and multilateral agreements
Encourage regular monitoring and evaluation of water policy and governance and display the results in public domain Research
and society		 Requirement of a stand-alone body to monitor the impact of paradigm shift in the water governance in the Caspian Sea region and disseminate transparent analysis in public domain
Table 2 Interlinkage of the OECD principles with water governance of the Caspian Sea
Fig. 2 Conditions for effective science-policy interface in the Caspian Sea
Fig. 3 Inclusion of nature-based solutions in water governance of the Caspian Sea
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