This document discusses hydropolitics and water conflicts between nations sharing transboundary rivers. It defines hydropolitics as dealing with issues of who gets access to water resources, when, where and how. It notes that while outright armed conflicts over water are rare, political and diplomatic conflicts are more common due to asymmetric power relations between riparian states. The Jordan River Basin is presented as an example where unequal water allocation and utilization has led to limited cooperation and several conflict events between the five riparian countries.

1. Ana Elisa Cascão - SIWI Presentation to TWM Global 2010 Maputo, Mozambique HYDROPOLITICS (I): Water and Power

3. Water everywhere? Freshwater

4. Water everywhere? Surface water

5. Groundwater + Surface Water Small water... HYDROPOLITICS big politics!

6. Hydropolitics: is there a definition? What can we see in this picture? Power Water Control Merowe Dam, Sudan

7. HYDROPOLITICS: ‘ who gets what water , when, where and how?’

8. Water: a complex resource... Natural resource Social resource Economic resource Cultural resource Political resource

9. Water: a complex resource...

10. Water: a transboundary political resource Enough water for You and Me?

12. Asymmetric Power Relations: explanatory factor Geography Material power Bargaining power Ideational power 4 PILLARS OF POWER Framework of Hydro-Hegemony Zeitoun and Warner 2006

14. MATERIAL POWER Economic development Military power Political stability and influence ‘ Water flows uphill towards money’ ‘ Who calls the shots?’

15. BARGAINING POWER: in interstate relations and negotiations WHO CONTROLS THE NEGOTIATIONS? WHO CONTROLS THE AGREEMENTS? WHO CONTROLS THE NUMBERS? WHO CONTROLS THE AGENDA? WHO CONTROLS THE LEGITIMACY? WHO PLAYS BETTER WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW? WHO HAS ACCESS TO INVESTMENT?

16. IDEATIONAL POWER: Power to influence perceptions Asymmetric Knowledge Sanctioned Discourse Incentives Playing with time Silent Diplomacy/ Cooperation

17. EXERCISE 1: Assessing power relations in transboundary river basins

20. HYDROPOLITICS (I) * What is Hydropolitics? * Water is a political resource * Transboundary ≠ Shared * Power in transboundary basins matters!

22. HYDROPOLITICS (II): Water and Conflict Lake Tiberias Jordan  Syria   Israel  West Bank

23. WATER and CONFLICT Armed Conflict Shiva, 2002 Political/Diplomatic conflict Social/Environmental Conflict

24. Where can we find hydropolitical conflicts? Mega-dams Privati-sation Pollution Over-exploitation Over-exploitation Mega-dams Privati-sation

27. Interstate water conflict is rare  More conflictive More cooperative  Wolf at al 2003 Diplomatic, strong or mild verbal official hostility

28. Riparian A Riparian B DON’T  Agree in positions and needs  Share data and information  Engage in negotiations  Politically commit  Collaborate / Cooperate  Have common projects DO  Securitise water issues  Use national-based arguments  Classify information  Refuse concessions  Delay negotitions  Use threats against neighbours Riparian A Riparian B Water Political/Diplomatic Conflict: most common situation Deadlock

30. For tomorrow: How to overcome the deadlock? Way forward? Riparian A Riparian B