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Introduction to ‘Transboundary River Cooperation: Actors, Strategies and Impact’

Introduction to ‘Transboundary River Cooperation: Actors, Strategies and Impact’

Selina Ho

To cite this article: Selina Ho (2017) Introduction to ‘Transboundary River Cooperation: Actors, Strategies and Impact’, Water International, 42:2, 97-104,

DOI: 10.1080/02508060.2017.1279042

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2017.1279042

INTRODUCTION

Introduction to ‘Transboundary River Cooperation: Actors, Strategies and Impact’ Selina Ho Centre on Asia and Globalisation, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore This special issue is a collection of analytical and empirical articles that seeks to answer two related questions: Under what conditions do riparian countries cooperate over transboundary waters, and how do various actors/stakeholders facilitate or hinder cooperation? It is widely acknowledged that both cooperation and conflict exist on a spectrum in relations among riparian states. Conflict among riparians, however, tends to grab the attention of policy makers, academics and the media more than cooperation. The aim of this special issue is to refocus the discussion on riparian cooperation, by using a range of international relations theories to explain the conditions that promote cooperation, including rationalist, institutionalist, constructivist, realist and international political economy perspectives. They were carefully selected from papers written and presented by a team of leading scholars at a workshop organized by the Centre on Asia and Globalisation, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, 21–23 May 2015. Specifically, this special issue looks at the roles of various stakeholders or actors in promoting or hindering cooperation in transboundary river basins around the world. These stakeholders include states, at both the national and subnational levels, and non-state actors, such as international organizations, non-governmental organizations, civil society, private and state-owned enterprises, and even individuals.

By focusing on the various actors involved in international river basins, we seek to understand the motivations of different actors and groups, the strategies they use to promote cooperation, and the extent of their impact on the management of international rivers. The special issue also facilitates cross-regional comparisons of transboundary rivers by drawing cases from Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the United States. The problems of cooperation vary across regions, due to differences in geography, climate, resource endowment and economic, political and societal systems. Not only are the findings important theoretically and empirically, they also have significant policy implications: by identifying the conditions that facilitate cooperation among riparian stakeholders, the articles will help policy makers formulate policies that encourage cooperation, reduce conflict, and thus promote peace and stability among countries that share rivers.

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