Keywords: transboundary water resources, water agreements, risk management, water conflicts, shared rivers, transboundary agreements
Using risk management to increase the flexibility of transboundary water conflict resolutions
With the increase in world population and the diminishing water quality and quantity, water scarcity is increasing. As access to water is essential to the prosperity of communities, the threat of conflict over the use of transboundary water is increasing. Surface and groundwater that cross international boundaries present increased challenges to regional stability because hydrologic needs can often be overwhelmed by political considerations. The success of an agreement over water conflicts greatly depends on the flexibility of the agreement in the presence of new risks and challenges. This flexibility may be accomplished through the establishment of formal institutions and/or legislation set up for the purpose of problem solving. These institutions are essential for the maintenance of cooperative interactions over water. This work suggests the use of the risk management method most commonly utilised in the planning and developing of complex industrialised projects to increase the flexibility of transboundary agreements.