Abstract
Trust-building, one of the key tools in diplomatic negotiations and peace processes, is an essential way to promote cooperation over transboundary waters shared by several countries. Combining water-related know-how with diplomatic mechanisms and foreign policy, water diplomacy provides a particularly relevant context in which to approach trust over transboundary waters. This paper examines trust and trust-building activities in literature related to water diplomacy, linking them to conceptualisations of trust in the fields of international relations and natural resource management. The reviewed publications and key-informant interviews emphasise the importance of trust in water diplomacy processes. The literature and interviews also allow us to identify ten categories of potential trust-building activities in water diplomacy. Based on this, we propose a basic conceptualisation for approaching trust and trust-building in water diplomacy. The findings indicate that, while trust is considered an important element in water diplomacy processes, the discussion would benefit from a more systematic approach. At the same time, water diplomacy processes provide a unique context for studying the role of trust and trust-building in international relations.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 949-977 |
Number of pages | 29 |
Journal | Water Alternatives |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 3 |
Publication status | Published - Oct 2023 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- Water diplomacy
- International relations
- Natural resource management
- Shared waters
- Transboundary waters
- Trust
- Trust-building
- Water cooperation