Water Diplomacy and Hypotheses of Conflict and Peace

Abstract

          Historically, violent conflict has been a common strategy for politicians to resolve disputes, often perpetuating a culture of war and reinforcing a logic of conflict and violence. However, in modern political history, there has been a striking lack of wars over water resources. Instead, nations sharing the same water sources have shown a strong tendency toward cooperation rather than confrontation. Aaron Wolf from the University of Oregon has significantly advanced this discussion through his database on transboundary freshwater conflicts. His research challenges the “water wars” narrative, revealing that over two-thirds of transboundary water interactions display cooperative characteristics. Even incidents categorized as conflicts rarely escalate to violent clashes or war. This evidence underscores a broader trend where shared water resources foster collaboration, marking a departure from the historical reliance on violence to resolve disputes.