Defining water diplomacy: not so easy and still open for discussion
Olivier Cogels, draft updated on 22 March 2024
Water diplomacy is a concept that has gained increasing attention in recent years. However, its definition and scope are still under discussion. One of the key questions is whether it should encompass both local and international perspectives. While some argue that water diplomacy should solely focus on inter-state relations, others argue that local perspectives and community involvement are also essential. While we could simply define water diplomacy as "the application of diplomatic tools and strategies to address water-related issues between state or non-state actors", this definition requires first understanding the meaning of the term 'diplomacy', which is not that obvious.
Diplomacy: definition and scope
Diplomacy can be considered as a tool, an art, and a domain, depending on how it is used and the context in which it is employed.
As a tool, diplomacy refers to the use of strategic communication and negotiation techniques to achieve specific goals, such as defending national interests or resolving conflicts. As an art, diplomacy involves the ability to navigate complex political, social, and cultural landscapes and to communicate effectively with people from different backgrounds and perspectives. This requires a deep understanding of the nuances of human behavior and the ability to read between the lines in human interactions. As a domain, diplomacy refers most oftenly to the professional practice of conducting international relations and negotiating agreements between countries. This encompasses a range of activities, including the development of foreign policy, the management of international crises, and the representation of a country's interests abroad.
A well-known definition of diplomacy is the definition provided by Sir Harold Nicolson, a British diplomat (1886-1968). He simply defined diplomacy as "the management of relations between independent states by the process of negotiations". This definition has been taken over by the Oxford English Dictionary as follows: "the management of international relations by negotiation; the method by which these relations are adjusted and managed by ambassadors and envoys; the business or art of the diplomatist".
While this is probably how most people understand the term "diplomacy", this definition may be considered too reductive. Furthermore, it probably makes no sense to stick to one officially accepted definition, as the concept can have different meanings and interpretations depending on the context and perspective. A said above, the concept of diplomacy can be complex and multifaceted.
Sir Harold Nicolson, inspired by the writings of Aristotle and Thucydides and Grotian conceptions of international relations, defined diplomacy as "The art of securing the maximum advantage, at the least expense, and to the least disadvantage of either party, from any transaction or agreement with another party". This definition seems to imply that diplomacy is not limited to the international sphere, as it applies to any transaction or agreement between parties.
Another exemple of definition is the one proposed by Ernest Satow: "The use of tact, persuasion, communication, and negotiation to resolve issues between two or more parties in a peaceful manner". While Herbert Butterfield proposes: "The conduct of international relations by negotiation rather than by application of force, propaganda, or recourse to law".
In his paper published in 2017, Tethloach Ruey presents fifteen different definitions of diplomacy that are state-centric and partially consistent with the conduct of diplomacy. Almost all of them contend that the state is the actor in diplomacy and that diplomacy is about negotiation. However, Ruey considers these are flawed notions as diplomacy not only involves negotiations, but also includes ceremonial functions, information gathering, and image management. And in his opinion, describing diplomacy as a state phenomenon ignores the role of non-state actors in transnational diplomacy. He therefore proposes his own definition as follows: "Diplomacy is an instrument of statecraft for the implementation of a state or non-state actor’s interest by official or unofficial agents through communication according to a recognized system."
Overall, diplomacy is thus a multifaceted concept that involves a range of skills and techniques, as well as a deep understanding of political, social, and cultural dynamics. It involves communication, negotiation, the pursuit of peaceful solutions to disputes between parties, avoiding the use of force. These key elements help to distinguish diplomacy from other forms of interaction between nations or groups.
The challenge of defining water diplomacy
The term "water diplomacy" was introduced in 1990 by Aaron Wolf, a professor of Geography at Oregon State University, to describe the diplomatic approach aimed at resolving international water-related conflicts. An interesting insight into the concept of water diplomacy has been provided in 2018 by Susanne Schmeier from the Institute for Water Education (IHE) in Delft, The Netherlands. She clearly explained the differences between the three concepts of transboundary water management, water cooperation, and water diplomacy, which, although different, are yet interconnected. Useful insights about water diplomacy are also provided by several scholars such as Shafiqul Islam, Lauwrence Sussking, and Amanda Repella.
It may sometimes be helpful to distinguish explicitly 'local water diplomacy' and 'international water diplomacy' depending on the scope of conflicts being addressed. While local water diplomacy typically deals with water-related issues within a region or community, international water diplomacy involves conflicts or cooperation between countries over transboundary water resources, such as rivers, lakes, or aquifers. Distinguishing between 'local water diplomacy' and 'international water diplomacy' can sometimes help to provide a more nuanced understanding of the specific challenges and solutions that are involved in each context.
International, national and local water diplomacy involve using specific tools and strategies to identify common interests, build trust, enhance local capacity, collaborate among relevant actors, engage stakeholders, share information, and foster dialogue and cooperation to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. The tools and strategies used in local water diplomacy may differ from those used in nationale and international water diplomacy, as the scale and nature of the conflicts and the actors involved may vary significantly.
We propose to define water diplomacy as follows:
“Water diplomacy is the art of using a set of strategies and means to express interests and grievances, exert influence, prevent and resolve conflicts, and develop effective governance systems for sustainable management of shared water resources.”
Concerning the international our transboundary basin scale, the World Bank recently published a report titled 'Promoting Development in Shared River Basins: Tools for Enhancing Transboundary Basin Management' (Leb et al., 2018). In our view, the purpose of international water diplomacy is mainly to implement and utilize such tools. It would be useful to produce a similar document relating to the local scale.
In conclusion, defining water diplomacy appears to be a rather complex and challenging task. The discusssion on this issue remains open. Anyhow, we believe it is important that both local, national and international perspectives would be encompassed in the overall definition of water diplomacy. However, distinguishing more explicitly between local, national and international water diplomacy may sometimes be needed for developing well adapted strategies and tools to address the specific nature and scale of the conflicts being addressed. Ultimately, the most important is to recognize that the aim of water diplomacy is to prevent and resolve water-related conflicts and develop peaceful cooperation, enhance water security, and promote sustainable development.