I have created these questions in order to help focus my 499 study and sort out the most important aspects of the watersheds I will research.
GENERAL
How do land and water management agencies coordinate effectively? Do they? How are public lands managed in comparison to private?
How has population and agricultural expansion impacted the watersheds? How has damming been developed to support such expansions? What role do hydropower companies play in policymaking?
What are the historical patterns of dam building on the Brahmaputra and Colorado? What are the current statuses of new construction projects? How have policies changed over time in terms of allowing for or regulating their development?
How has climate change determined drought impacts within and outside of the watersheds? What are the long-term implications?
What are possible solutions to over allocation? Are ecological or preservation uses allocated for, and if so how?
Who is directly reliant on the health of the watershed? What are the ecological concerns of increased development? Do indigenous peoples play a role in the health of the watershed?
How has domestic watershed use impacted transboundary relationships?
BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER WATERSHED
How has increased glacier melt impacted the flow of the Brahmaputra? What are the long-term impacts on nations downstream?
Has ‘The Green Wall’ been an effective solution to the growing encroachment of the Gobi desert, largely due to overuse of water resources?
What organizations and individuals where historically involved in the development or conservation of the Brahmaputra watershed?
What authority does the Yunnan province have over the allocation of the Brahmaputra flow?
How specifically has India reacted to China’s “Great Bend” diversion project? What are the short and long term effects of the completion of this south to north water transfer?
COLORADO RIVER WATERSHED
How did the creation of the Prior Appropriation Doctrine historically affect the management of the Colorado River watershed? Has it adapted accordingly?
How did the Colorado River Storage Project impact dam building?
What role does the Environmental Protection Agency play? What other organizations and individuals where historically involved in the development or conservation of the Colorado watershed?
How do the seven states the Colorado runs through negotiate water allocation?
What have been Mexico’s reactions to the lack of flow across the boarder? How have the USA and Mexico been working to restore the watershed south of the boarder?