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Transboundary water conflict resolution mechanisms Toward convergence between theory and practice Ahmed Tayia & Kaveh Madani Centre for Environmental Policy
Transboundary water conflict resolution mechanisms
Toward convergence between theory and practice
Ahmed Tayia & Kaveh Madani
Centre for Environmental Policy
Research Objectives
Mutual interdependence
• National Water Policies Riparian Countries.
• Transboundary Water Management Framework.
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Research Objectives
Transboundary Water
Management Framework
Riparian 1
Riparian 2
Riparian 3
Riparian 4
1. Transboundary water Management
framework distributing basin
benefits to the national water
policies of riparian countries.
2. Conflict resolution process shaping
transboundary water management
framework.
Conflict Resolution
Process
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Research Objectives
Transboundary Water
Management Framework
Riparian 1
Riparian 2
Riparian 3
Riparian 4
Conflict Resolution
ProcessBenefits
Transboundary Water
ManagementFramework
Transboundary Water
ManagementFramework
Transboundary Water
ManagementFramework
Transboundary Water
ManagementFramework
a situation in which parties perceive that
they have mutually incompatible goals
Conflict
A situation in which parties perceive that
they have mutually incompatible goals
Resources
Resources Conflicts
Sovereignty Survival Honour ideology
A multidimensional process that aim to
facilitate a constructive social change
among water-sharing countries
A situation in which parties perceive that
they have mutually incompatible goals
Transboundary Water Resources
Resources – Sovereignty – Survival
Transboundary Water Resources
Conflict Resolution
A scientific representation of a social process
that produces set of changes from initial
conditions to terminal conditions under
particular environmental constraints.
Mechanism
Mechanism
The process dynamics, operation and outcome are
determined by:
• Entities and activities involved
• Physical, economic, legal, social and psychological
constraints of this process.
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Analytical Framework
Analytical Framework
A
B
C
General Covering Law
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
A
B
C
2
Physical Constraints
Social Constraints
Economic Constraints
Legal Constraints
D
E
1
Physical Constraints
Social Constraints
Economic Constraints
Legal Constraints
Physical Constraints
Social Constraints Economic
Constraints Legal Constraints
Mechanism
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Analytical Framework
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Transboundary Water Conflict Resolution Mechanism
Conflict Resolution Macro-Process
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible Goals)
Party 2
Conflict Issues
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Conflict Issues
Party 1
Conflic
t E
nvironm
ent
Third Party
Micro-Process Micro-Process Micro-ProcessMicro-Process
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Transboundary Water Conflict Resolution Mechanisms
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Social Planner
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible Goals)
Party 2
Conflict Issues
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Conflict Issues
Party 1
Social Planner
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Social Planner
Conflict Resolution Macro-Process
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible Goals)
Party 2
Conflict Issues
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Conflict Issues
Party 1
Third Party
Micro-Process Micro-Process Micro-ProcessMicro-Process
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible Goals)
Party 2
Conflict Issues
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Conflict Issues
Party 1
Social Planner
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Water Market
Water Market
Party 2
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible Goals)
Conflict Issues
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Conflict Issues
Party 1
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Water Market
Conflict Resolution Macro-Process
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible Goals)
Party 2
Conflict Issues
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Conflict Issues
Party 1
Third Party
Micro-Process Micro-Process Micro-ProcessMicro-Process
Water Market
Party 2
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible Goals)
Conflict Issues
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Conflict Issues
Party 1
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Game Theory
Strategic Game
Party 2
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible Goals)
Conflict Issues
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Conflict Issues
Party 1
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Game Theory
Conflict Resolution Macro-Process
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible Goals)
Party 2
Conflict Issues
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Conflict Issues
Party 1
Third Party
Micro-Process Micro-Process Micro-ProcessMicro-Process
Strategic Game
Party 2
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible Goals)
Conflict Issues
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Conflict Issues
Party 1
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Institutional Analysis and Development Framework
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Strategic Game
Party 2
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible
Conflict issues Conflict Issues
Party 1
Conflic
t E
nvir
onm
ent
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Institutional Analysis and Development Framework
Conflict Resolution Macro-Process
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible Goals)
Party 2
Conflict Issues
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Conflict Issues
Party 1
Third Party
Micro-Process Micro-Process Micro-ProcessMicro-Process
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Strategic Game
Party 2
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible
Conflict issues Conflict Issues
Party 1
Conflic
t E
nvir
onm
ent
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Optimisation
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible Goals)
Party 2
Conflict Issues
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Conflict Issues
Party 1
Optimisation
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Optimisation
Conflict Resolution Macro-Process
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible Goals)
Party 2
Conflict Issues
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Conflict Issues
Party 1
Third Party
Micro-Process Micro-Process Micro-ProcessMicro-Process
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible Goals)
Party 2
Conflict Issues
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Conflict Issues
Party 1
Optimisation
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Micro
Process
Party 2
Conflict Substance
Initial Conditions
Conflict Substance
Terminal Conditions
Party 1
Conflic
t E
nvir
onm
ent
Micro
Process
Third Party
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Alternative Conflict Resolution
Conflict Resolution Macro-Process
Initial Conditions
(Incompatible Goals)
Party 2
Conflict Issues
Terminal Conditions
(Agreement)
Conflict Issues
Party 1
Third Party
Micro-Process Micro-Process Micro-ProcessMicro-ProcessMicro
Process
Party 2
Conflict Substance
Initial Conditions
Conflict Substance
Terminal Conditions
Party 1
Conflic
t E
nvir
onm
ent
Micro
Process
Third Party
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Transboundary Water Conflict Resolution Mechanisms
Field MechanismInitial
Conditions
Macro-Process
Dynamics
Micro-Processes
Dynamics
Conflicts
PartiesThird Party
Conflict
Environment
Constraints
Terminal
Conditions
Economics
Social Planner
Water Markets
Game Theory
Institution-Constrained
Game Theory
EngineeringStatic Models
Dynamic Models
NegotiationsAlternative Conflict
Resolution
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Conclusions
• None of the theoretical mechanisms has a comprehensive structure.
• The nature of the mechanistic approach as a “sometimes-true” theory.
• Complements not substitutes.
Centre for Environmental PolicyImperial College London
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Mechanism
• A mechanism is not absolutely true. It can be true in particular
instances while being untrue in others. Therefore, Mechanisms
cannot be confirmed as general theories, “but only confirmed or
disconfirmed in specific applications” (Coleman, 1968).
• Therefore, the problem in any particular situation is to determine
which mechanism has been followed, or can be applied, in this
case.
HEESA CEPHydro-Environmental & Energy Systems Analysis Research Group
Analytical Framework
