ABSTRACT
Stakeholders obtain benefits in the context of negotiations over shared water resources when the agreements reached allow them to fulfill their currently existing interests. The array of available benefits therefore reflects the diversity in the stakeholders’ interests; interests can be political, economic, social, environmental, or, as in most cases, a combination of all four. As such, identifying and distributing stakeholders’ interests and benefits involves distinct challenges depending on the nature of the benefits themselves. We identify benefits as being either “direct” or “indirect,” and “tangible” or “intangible.” We argue that successfully distributing benefits involves overcoming challenges such as inherited limitations, zero-sum thinking, entanglement, and timing. In overcoming these challenges, we conclude that a successful negotiation process should look beyond each participant’s stated positions, demands, and rights in order to focus more on their interests and needs, stimulating a collaborative space for stakeholders to identify a maximal list of benefits. In addition, we recognize the importance of technology in creating, identifying, and distributing benefits, particularly regarding agriculture, information, and water treatment.
