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IWRM Case study: Reservoir construction and

management
Consider the following situation, shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Situation before the war

Country B plans a low impact hydropower plant which would increase the size of the natural
lake and only marginally affect the small village. The project is not implemented since a war
occurs between country B and C. Country A is not involved in the war at all. Then the war ends
leading to the situation shown in Figure 2. Notice that in the small village we still have people
belonging to country B.

Figure 2 Situation after the war

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Country A urgently needs energy to enhance its economic growth, however the population
voted against the construction of a new hydropower plant. So, country A proposes to the
company in charge of constructing and managing the hydropower plant to pay for a much
larger project which would lead to a huge reservoir for hydropower production, but it would
lead to the flooding of the small village. Country C also needs energy to enhance its economic
growth after the war and the project would lead to an increase in the number of employed
people (after the war the unemployment rate is large). Notice that due to an international
treaty, country B and C are committed to protect the minority living in the new territories of
country C. The proposed project is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3 Project

If you are part of group 1, you are a representative of Country A and your goal is to participate
to the discussion supporting the needs of your country.

If you are part of group 2, you are a representative of Country B and your goal is to act as a
mediator between the local population and country C.

If you are part of group 3, you are a representative of the Small Village and your goal is to
participate to the discussion supporting the needs of your small village.

If you are part of group 4, you are a representative of Country C and your goal is to participate
to the discussion supporting the needs of the entire country.

If you are part of group 5, you are a representative of the company in charge of constructing
and later on managing the reservoir and your goal is to participate to the discussion supporting
the needs of your company.
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Task 1: Find the members of your group (5 min).

Task 2: Discuss the case study among your group members (15 min).

Task 3: The information provided is (on purpose) limited. You have the chance of asking 3
questions relevant to support the position of your stakeholder (15 min).

Task 4: You can decide if you want to find an agreement with one or more of the other parties.
To accomplish this task, elect one single representative of your group to discuss with one single
representative of another group. It is allowed to refuse any discussion with another party (15
min).

Task 5: Discuss the outcomes of Task 4 and elect a speaker for the entire group who will be in
charge of discussing the position of your stakeholders in a round table discussion (15 min).

Task 6: Round table discussion (15 min).