Comparing the Politics of Water Institutional Reform - The Politics of Water Institutional Reform in Neopatrimonial States - page 168

Water Code, Law on Water or Water Policy Strategy. The second row for each country
presents the result of the analysis as an assessment of the effectiveness of the implementation
process.
Table 16: Comparison of water institutional reforms in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan

Reform policies

Policy decision Implementation Policy decision Implementation

Water policy strategy Draft 2003 not likely 2001; 2006* partly

New legal framework
(Water Code)

1994; 2005 -** 1993; 2000 partly

Regulation of trans-
boundary waters

2001 no -2000 -

Irrigation service fee
(ISF)

(1994) 1995 /
1999

partly 1996 partly

Hydrographic man-
agement principles

1997 no (2000; 2001) no

Inter-sectoral coor-
dination

2005 not likely - -

Irrigation manage-
ment transfer to
water user associa-
tions (WUAs)

1996 / 2002 ongoing 1999 / 2006 * ongoing

* approved after research period
** implementation efforts only started after research period
Source: own compilation
It can be seen that in Kyrgyzstan more concrete reforms were iniated. Distinct reform meas
ures were agreed on the issues of hydrographic management approaches, regulation of trans
boundary waters, and inter sectoral coordination. In Tajikistan, these issues are, if at all, in
cluded in the general Water Code without sub normative acts to specify them. Regarding inter
sectoral coordination, there is no perceived need for it and no reform at all. Another difference
worth noting is that in contrast to general reform activity Tajikistan succeeded sooner in
the development of a policy strategy and a new legal framework: in 2001 (plus a new one in
2006) and 2000, respectively. In Kyrgyzstan, the new Water Code was only approved in 2005
and a policy strategy does not yet exist at all. Thus, Kyrgyzstan lacked a coherent foundation
and framework for its reforms for the whole researched period, while in Tajikistan this was at
least partially in place. This is remarkable not only because Kyrgyzstan has more reforms going