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To avoid negative societal implications from water management actions, the complex interrelations between water and conflict need to be understood. Assessment of such links in complex adaptive systems, characterized by various factors which mutually influence each other, is challenging. This paper explores how the use of participatory methods can support the identification of water-related conflict risks in one such complex adaptive system: the Inner Niger Delta in Mali. We find that participatory analysis not only facilitated the identification of systemic risks in a complex adaptive system, but also shapes the perceptions of these interlinkages.

This volume assesses the nexus of gender and transboundary water governance, containing empirical case studies, discourse analyses, practitioners’ accounts, and theoretical reflections. Transboundary water governance exists at the intersection of two highly masculinised fields: diplomacy and water resources management. In both fields, positions are mainly held by men, and core ideas, norms, and guiding principles that are presented as neutral, are both shaped by men and based on male experiences. This book sheds light on the often hidden gender dynamics of water conflict and cooperation at the transboundary level and on the implicit assumptions that guide research and policies. The individual chapters of the book, based on case studies from around the world, reveal the gendered nature of water diplomacy, take stock of the number of women involved in organisations that govern shared waters, and analyse programmes that have been set up to promote women in water diplomacy and the obstacles that they face. They explore and contest leading narratives and knowledge that have been shaped mainly by privileged men, and assess how the participation of women concretely impacts the practices, routines, and processes of water negotiations. This volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of water governance, water diplomacy, gender, international relations and environmental politics. It will also be of interest to professionals and policymakers involved in supporting gender mainstreaming in water cooperation. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

The concluding chapter discusses how the different chapters of this volume have made visible the often hidden and highly contextual gender dynamics in different empirical case studies on transboundary water governance. By doing so, it reflects on how a feminist perspective can broaden our analytical space to gain a deeper understanding of practices, structures, and outcomes of transboundary water governance. It concludes with identifying three sub-projects to advance feminist engagement with transboundary governance, namely identifying and exposing gendered norms and knowledges, learning from experiences in mainstreaming gender, and finding new ways of framing transboundary water governance.

Based on interviews, this chapter shares the stories of five female water professionals from Southern and Northern Africa, Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia, who reflect on their education, work history and discipline, interactions with (mainly male) colleagues, and challenges and opportunities related to being a woman working in transboundary waters. Through sharing their personal stories, in all their diversity, this chapter draws attention to how experiences of women have been generally underrepresented in scientific studies on transboundary waters. The accounts highlight how relations between countries are managed by the people who, with their own experiences, wishes, values, and ideas, work in gendered social systems that affect men and women differently.

The introduction starts with a short review of the existing literature on gender and transboundary waters. It discusses and defines the main terms and concepts used throughout the book, such as transboundary water governance, water diplomacy, gender, and masculinities. In order to substantiate the claim that transboundary water governance is not gender neutral, but a highly masculinised field, it analyses the fields of diplomacy and water resources management. This analysis shows that not only are the positions in this field mainly held by men, but also that the core ideas, values, and guiding principles of these fields, as well as the norms of professionalism that are presented as neutral, are shaped by men and are based on male experiences. The chapter further reflects on what a feminist perspective on transboundary water governance means and provides an overview of the different parts of this book and the individual chapters.

The International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) as a River Basin Organisation stands out with a majority of women in leading positions. However, gender has not been addressed in the many studies done on water governance and water cooperation in the Rhine basin. Organisational structures are not gender neutral, although they are often presented as such. Gendered organisations create barriers and opportunities for those who participate. The aim of this descriptive single-case study is to therefore identify how transboundary water governance in the Strategy Group of the ICPR is socially constructed with a specific focus on gender. This chapter applies the four substructures of Acker’s (1992; 2012) theory of organisations to interviews and literature review. Using these substructures, namely how they produce and perpetuate gendered assumptions, behaviours, and power relations, the chapter aims to gain a better understanding of the influence of often invisible gendered processes on the people working in the Strategy Group of the ICPR.

The term "water diplomacy"has gained currency among policy makers and academics. It reflects an awareness that the use, management, and protection of transboundary water resources is intrinsically political and often embedded in complex political settings. Based on a review of academic and policy documents, we analyze the variety of understandings and common patterns in the definition of water diplomacy. We also analyze tools, tracks, and levels through which and at which water diplomacy is conducted or analyzed. With our own definition of water diplomacy as deliberative political processes and practices of preventing, mitigating, and resolving disputes over transboundary water resources and developing joint water governance arrangements by applying foreign policy means which are embedded in bi- and/or multilateral relations beyond the water sector and taking place at different tracks and scales, we aim to advance the discourse on water diplomacy both in the academic and policy realms. Keywords

Most people on this planet are under the age of 35. They have been raising their voices in discussions on climate change in recent years, while this is well documented, their roles in water cooperation are not. Drawing on examples from desk research, an online survey, and action research alongside young water leaders, this article seeks to map out various ways young people engage in water conflict and cooperation. This paper contributes to literature on water leadership by recognizing the fluid and adaptive roles of young people in water conflict and cooperation.