ABSTRACT
Ensuring consistent and safe access to drinking water in isolated areas of the Navajo Nation is a pressing and challenging issue. In the first half of the chapter, the Water Diplomacy Framework is used to understand water provisioning in rural, isolated areas of the Navajo Nation as a complex problem. Specifically, the challenges posed by legacy effects (including water rights, power asymmetries, and lack of trust among stakeholders due to the history of uranium mining), scientific sources of uncertainty, transboundary and multilevel political responsibilities, and interdependencies among stakeholders are addressed. After exploring the factors contributing to the complexity of the problem, the second half of the chapter focuses on how to move forward. In particular, the Water Diplomacy Framework suggests approaching the problem with principled pragmatism and emphasizing meaningful stakeholder engagement to promote equity and sustainability. In this way, it is possible to identify creative and contingent non-zero-sum solutions. Real-world examples of ways stakeholders have tried to ensure consistent, safe water access on the Navajo Nation are considered within the context of the Water Diplomacy Framework.
