Designing Social Institutions in Transition: Promotion of Institutional Development for Common Pool Resources Management in Central Asia

This interdisciplinary project aims to support institutional learning and institutional development for common pool resources (CPR) – agricultural irrigation and pasture – in Central Asia. By means of innovative methods, particular local existing and functioning institutions shall be identified and their potential for the solution of existing challenges in resource use shall be assessed. The project therefore aims at (1) the identification of existing institutional framework for pasture and irrigation management in Central Asia, including an assessment of its success and failure for CPR management; (2) the study of long-term sustainability of institutional innovations in the field or CPR by means of field experiments, case studies and participatory action research; (3) the communication of research results and support for policy dialogue by means of establishment of a network of scientists, educational institutions, resource users and political decision makers.