The CoSMoS method applied in a workshop setting was used for the Indus River Basin and was part of the Integrated Solutions for Water, Energy, and Land (ISWEL) project led by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The overall aim of the workshop was to invite both Indian and Pakistani stakeholders, as well as stakeholders from China and Afghanistan, to identify challenges and opportunities for cross-sectoral and transboundary cooperation in the areas of water, energy, and land in the transboundary Indus Basin (which spans Afghanistan, China, India, and Pakistan).
The workshop was carried out face-to-face. First, stakeholders characterized the current situation of the basin, represented in a simplified visual format. They used a predefined set of materials, such as maps and cards with descriptions of infrastructure, economic activities, and resources. This initial exercise was the basis of their joint assessment of a “business-as-usual” pathway.
CoSMoS workshop on the Indus River Basin for the ISWEL Project
In the next step, participants were divided into mixed groups, including a person from each riparian country as well as a person representing each of the nexus elements. They developed three visions of desired futures together with their corresponding pathways. The pathways were then added to the indicated timeline of specific initiatives and investments.
Visions and pathways discussion
The visions and pathways developed by each group were presented to other groups to exchange and reflect on them. Participants then resumed their work in smaller, mixed groups to further improve their visions and pathways to make them more realistic and robust.