ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces a paradigm case of conflicts that result from multiple use of a limited water resource. It discusses the interpretation of severe water conflicts as the 'tragedy of the commons' – which is a familiar interpretation of water conflicts. The chapter develops a normative framework for water cooperation. It profits from normative insights that have been reasoned in environmental ethics: the values of environmental conservation, environmental justice in terms of distributive fairness and guidelines of mutual and intercultural respect. The chapter argues that an interpretation of cooperation as 'joint agency' is particularly helpful in introducing a concept of cooperation that can be applied to multiple use of a shared natural resource. This approach resonates with a concern of authors in the field of water management. The chapter also argues that some proposals from water ethics are particularly helpful in transcending water conflicts and in arguing water cooperation as a reliable alternative.
