Figure 1
On-farm irrigation canal in Uzbekistan (Source: IWMI archive).
Figure 2
Policymakers and Uzbek and international experts exchange experiences and ideas on irrigation reforms at a roundtable discussion in Uzbekistan in 2015 (Source: InDeCA project archive).
Table 1
Water management reforms in Uzbekistan, as shaped by new shared beliefs and path dependence.
| Reforms | Institutions and organizations in water management at different levels | Change of governance | Shared beliefs of policymakers | Path dependence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Late Soviet period (1970–1990) |
| Administrative, territorially based management principles | Advantages of large-scale collective and state farms (technological advancements; public good provision and equitability in resource distribution) | State domination of land and water use remained |
| Early post-Soviet reforms (1991–1996) |
| Administrative, territorially based management principles, dissolving kolkhozes and sovkhozes, and creating shirkats | Small-scale family-oriented shirkats would make agriculture more efficient and profitable | State domination of land and water use remained |
| Latest reforms (since 1996) |
| Shift to river basin canal-based principles and some responsibilities to local level. Creation of MAWR, BISA, ISA, and WCA |
|
|