Transboundary water management

Water is an essential natural resource for human survival as well as the health of the entire ecosystem, including agriculture. It is fundamental for long-term sustainable growth of economies and societies globally and locally. Water resources, which cross political boundaries, are vital for both the environment and human populations. Transboundary water management refers to the cooperative process of managing shared water bodies across political boundaries, ensuring the equitable and sustainable use of water resources by riparian states (Bernauer & Böhmelt, 2020).

On a sweltering summer day along the banks of the Mekong River, villagers in Laos watched nervously as water levels fell dramatically. Upstream, hydropower dams in China had altered the river’s flow, leaving communities downstream scrambling for water to irrigate crops, sustain fisheries, and meet drinking needs. This scene is far from unique. Across the world, transboundary rivers are flashpoints of tension, where one country’s energy or agricultural ambitions can ripple downstream, affecting millions of people (UNESCO 2023). Global water stress is escalating at an unprecedented pace.