Between Multiple Transformations and Systemic Path Dependencies

Abstract

This introductory section on water management in the Fergana Valley makes the case for viewing this major water engineering project (MWEP) in terms of two core positions: the interdependency of complex factors at play and the coexistence of forces for change and obduracy. We argue, firstly, that water management in the Fergana Valley is inextricably tied up with agriculture policy and practice, outlining how the region’s irrigation system is predicated upon post-Soviet agriculture. We illustrate, secondly, how this relationship is shaped not only by powerful path dependencies – in the shape of physical structures, sunk costs and institutional arrangements – but also by changes, both radical and incremental, in response to system failure, shifting political preferences or the emergence of viable alternatives. We conclude by setting the stage for the subsequent detailed analyses of selected arenas critical to the development of Fergana Valley’s irrigation system.