Research Projects 

Exploring the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN’s) National Program Development in Biodiversity Conservation: A Comparative Study of India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. 

This research explores on how the IUCN, as an international organization (IO) goes about building nature protection programs in states with different capacities. Further, it explores how conflicts around nature protection priorities and approaches are promoted or addressed by IUCN at various scales – local to international.

Data collection included 134 face to face interviews (India 15; Nepal 15; Pakistan 16; Bangladesh 17; IUCN HQ 42; IUCN ARO 12; Barcelona 17= 134), and 119 email or phone interviews. The transcription process has begun and preliminary result shows that the IUCN has been playing a key role in addressing the natural resource conflicts within nation and beyond (transboundary).  The IUCN case on conflict mitigation was presented in Delhi, Dhaka, Karachi and Kathmandu. Preliminary results will also be presented in Geneva at the International conference on the role of International organization and also in Gland, Switzerland (in IUCN) in January 2011.

Medani Bhandari and Steven R. Brechin

The Right to Water 

In recent years, struggles over the right to water have emerged as a focal point for political mobilization in a range of locations around the world. Although formalized in the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights General Comment No. 15 of 2002, political actions have now focused on realizing this possibility in specific contexts.

The Right to Water conference took place on 29‐30 March 2010 at Syracuse University. The conference generated significant new insights into how to understand, recognize, and apply a human right to water in differing geographical contexts – and bring increased geographical sensitivity to calls for a universal right to water. Regions covered in the presentations included North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe and Australia. A post‐conference publication, in the form of an edited collection, is being pursued at this time with the key contributions to take these exemplary debates and contributions forward as a critical resource for future research and action. Several publishers have been contacted, and the process of selecting/editing material is underway.

Farhana Sultana