ABSTRACT

This book presents a novel examination of transboundary water governance, drawing on global case studies and applying new theoretical approaches.

Excessive consumption and degradation of natural resources can either heighten the risks of conflicts or encourage cooperation within and among countries, and this is particularly pertinent to the governance of water. This book fills a lacuna by providing an interdisciplinary examination of transboundary water governance, presenting a range of novel and emerging theoretical approaches. Acknowledging that issues vary across different regions, the book provides a global view from South and Central America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, with the case studies offering civil society and public managers concrete situations that indicate difficulties and successes in water sharing between bordering countries. The volume highlights the links between natural resources, political geography, international politics, and development, with chapters delving into the role of paradiplomacy, the challenges of climate change adaptation, and the interconnections between aquifers and international development. With rising demand for water in the face of climate change, this book aims to stimulate further theoretical, conceptual, and methodological debate in the field of transboundary water governance to ensure peaceful and fair access to shared water resources.

This book will be of interest to students and scholars of water resource governance from a wide variety of disciplines, including geography, international relations, global development, and law. It will also be of interest to professionals and policymakers working on natural resource governance and international cooperation.

part 1|53 pages

Interdisciplinary approaches to transboundary waters

chapter 1|16 pages

Climate change, adaptation, and risk of conflict in international river basins

Beyond the conventional wisdom

chapter 2|16 pages

Exploring hydroparadiplomacy

chapter 3|19 pages

Framing the transboundary waters

Political scales, governance, and cooperation

part 2|69 pages

Global case studies on surface water

chapter 4|20 pages

Beyond conflict and cooperation in Central American transboundary river basins

Crossroads of actors and borders

chapter 5|18 pages

Southern African transboundary waters

Non-state actors in the Inkomati-Usuthu water management area and the Okavango river basin

part 3|68 pages

New perspectives on groundwater

chapter 8|27 pages

U.S.-Mexico border groundwater environmental conservation

Mexico's public policy analysis 1948–2022

chapter 9|22 pages

Saline water, peace, and security

Analyzing the impact of desalination on transboundary groundwater interactions in the Middle East

chapter 10|17 pages

Managing the Guarani Aquifer system

The border as a unit of transboundary management