Water diplomacy and its Role in Resolving Transboundary Water Resources Conflicts

Hosseini, Seiyed Mossa

Water diplomacy and its Role in Resolving Transboundary Water Resources Conflicts

Document Type : Promotion Article

Author

Seiyed Mossa Hosseini

Physical Geography Department, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Globally, there are 310 international basins and 600 shared transboundary aquifers which are shared between two or more countries. While 153 countries share fresh water resources, the life of about 22% of people on earth depends on these resources. The upstream countries of shared water resources tend to use water to get more power, while the downstream countries use power to get more water. In this manuscript, after defining the concept of water diplomacy, it presents the key aspects and stages and paths of water diplomacy. Then, it explains the role of various factors in water diplomacy (such as power, gender balance, emotions, trust, spirituality and principles of international law) along with presenting case studies around the world. Studies show that effective water diplomacy with the aim of preventing, reducing and resolving conflicts and analyzing the hydropolitical dynamics of transboundary water resources can change competing interests over shared water resources from zero-sum to positive-sum approaches. Therefore, water diplomacy has the potential to solve all kinds of transboundary water conflicts and is considered a tool for sustainable management of shared water resources. Since water diplomacy shows a picture of the future of the foreign policy of the countries with shared water resources, its progress can affect all political, economic and cultural relations between the parties.

Keywords

Water Diplomacy

Transboundary Waters

Power Asymmetry

Diplomacy Paths

Water Conflicts

Water Negotiations

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