On the occasion of World Water Week, Researchgate talked Dr Farhad Mukhtarov about his research into the role of branding, networking, and soft-power leveraging in water governance.
In the interview, Mukhtarov describes his most recent research into global hydro-hubs - nations or cities that brand themselves as centres of excellence in water engineering, management, and governance. Such hydro-hubs compete with each other as the demand for water expertise and water technology grows. He seeks to understand the process of branding and competition and to ask whether this capitalistic thinking is compatible with resilience.
He also argues for the early involvement of local people in finding solutions. Systems that have been developed and practiced elsewhere cannot simply be implemented in a different context; it's also important to involve local people early on, and also listen to their definition of a problem before you sell your solution.
Involving local people will often lead to more low-tech, frugal innovations that are more appropriate to the actual situation they are dealing with. Examples of such frugal innovations are rainwater harvesting, communal water taps or community-based systems of adapting to floods instead of building a big dam.
Read the full interview online - Interview: Dr Farhad Mukhtarov on global hydro-hubs and water governance