ABSTRACT
As the book approaches water diplomacy within the broader context of transboundary water resources management and water cooperation, it is per se critical and beneficial for riparian states to strengthen their RBOs’ water diplomacy capacity and effectiveness. At the same time, states should not only approach water as a cause of tension to be managed but as a catalyst for cooperation to achieve a sustainable and secure future. In this way, water diplomacy is thus necessary but not sufficient to ensure positive water resources management and cooperation outcomes. RBOs should thus do more than conflict management and direct their water diplomacy to ensure all types of benefits in international rivers. They need not choose whether to manage tensions or create shared benefits – they need to do both, and very often at the same time.
