7 February 2023 – There is historically more cooperation than conflict over international waters. But given changes brought on by climate change and growing human demands for water, disputes will rise unless shared water resources are managed through science-based water diplomacy.

That was one of the main messages from a discussion today on “Conflict, Climate and Cooperation” led by eminent scientists and academics briefing the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

There are 313 international water basins which comprise roughly half the earth, in addition to 600 transboundary aquifers, informed Aaron Wolf, Professor of Geography in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University.

These have accounted for some 1,800 international water-related events between Member States over the past 60 years, and “actually two-thirds of what nations do over water is cooperate.”

“In terms of actual violence, specifically over water, specifically internationally, there’s very little. Minor disputes that have broken out, and you have to go back 4,500 years to the last and only documented war over water between two countries. That’s the evidence,” said Mr. Wolf.

That conflict was between two Mesopotamian city-states, Lagash and Umma, in what is now called Iraq.

But as freshwater becomes increasingly scarce, tensions are on the rise.

Even in the past 50 years, one-fourth of water-related interactions have been hostile, ranging from name calling to military action.

“Disputes seem to be increasing; and not all cooperation is good,” said Mr. Wolf, adding that water is “emotional,” tied to sovereignty, history, power and spiritual life.

“It helps us elevate the conversation to talk about these fundamental values that we share, and it allows us to have these difficult conversations, recognizing that this is not just an economic resource, but one that touches on all our ways of being.”

He recommended a monitoring and early warning system, and preventive actions, such as poverty alleviation and improved environmental and water management.

Water and Law

One of the ways that countries have managed water issues is through commissions and conventions.

According to Dinara Ziganshina, Director of the Scientific Information Center of Interstate Commission for Water Coordination in Central Asia, there are more than 120 river basin commissions around the world. These include the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Implementation Committee under the Water Convention. They provide technical expertise and can help with requests such as assessing a need or developing a strategy, despite typically lacking funds and following a narrow mandate of work.

Ms. Ziganshina noted that international law provides tools for Member States, but tend to be based on custom or practices of the past. She encourages science, policy-makers, lawyers, diplomats to work together to transform state practices in a way that will be forward looking.

“Best practices from the past will help transform how we think about future challenges. We need to enhance legal consciousness and public conscience. We need to be more aware about water challenges,” she said. “We need to be more water-biased at the UN to change our future for the better.”

Water Infrastructure

One of the ways of looking forward might be to consider the sort of infrastructure that is being built and its integration with ecosystems.

Charles J. Vörösmarty, Founding Director of the Environmental Sciences Initiative at the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, noted that “precisely at the point at which we are trying to expand the productive use of traditional engineering, the environment is being degraded.”

For example, a dam could create hydroelectricity but forgetting to control the deforestation upstream could result in rampant soil erosion that gets deposited in the water.

He called on the General Assembly to potentially recommend the establishment of a global mechanism for water science and diplomacy to share ideas, and unite the UN family, water agencies, policy makers, engineers and educators.

“Integration and harmonization of perspectives is needed, or we are going to be fragmenting our efforts and we won’t come up with a sound strategy to avoid conflict,” said Mr. Vörösmarty.

Water Gamechangers

Today’s panel comes about six weeks before the UN Water Conference, the first UN-organized water conference since 1977.

Ahead of the Conference, the President of the General Assembly Csaba Kőrösi convened 1,200 scientists, representatives of the private sector and civil society at the UN Headquarters to discuss potentially game-changing ideas related to water and sustainability.

The results were 10 gamechangers that include the creation of a science-based validation mechanism, the organization of a global water information system, and education and capacity development to bring science and data to water policy issues.

Science, Water and Law

The need for more inclusion of science in the work was highlighted by Makane Moïse Mbengue, Professor of International Law and Director of the Department of Public International Law and International Organization at the University of Geneva and Sciences Po Paris.

He noted that most environmental agreements do not give enough weight to science and lack reference to validated scientific data.

“These water agreements are the pillar for water cooperation, but if science is not reflected, then science is not seen as a key tool for water governance.

We need to create a new generation of water agreements that see science as an intrinsic part of the pact. Making sure that water diplomacy is really based on scientific evidence,” he stressed, citing an example of the United States and Canada, whose border runs through the Great Lakes of Erie, Huron, Ontario and part of Lake Superior.

He echoed Ms. Ziganshina in calling for the integration of experts in water diplomacy. He noted that dealing with science can be costly and expensive, but that “training water experts, water diplomats, especially in developing world is important.”

Academia and Water

Also participating on the panel was Susanne Schmeier, Head of Water Governance Department/ Associate Professor of Water Law and Diplomacy at IHE Delft.

She reflected on what cooperation means for water.

“To harvest the benefits of water cooperation, we have to go beyond the absence of conflict and jointly do things,” Ms. Schmeier said.

Among her recommendations was greater involvement of academics in policy-making, and better communications on water issues.

“Coming together and creating a platform is a step to move away from crisis management mode to true resilience.”