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Information - HS4.2 Water science: source of conflict or cooperation?
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Event Information |
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Water conflict is a popular conference topic, and much has been written and said about it. A world of increasing population, increasing pressure on economic production and scarce water resources is prone to conflict. While it is true that serious tensions do exist in river basins where not all interests and needs of all stakeholders can be satisfied, open conflict over water seems to occur less frequently than one might expect. Conflicts may erupt between proximate users or user groups in local arenas, but conflicts at larger spatial scales are relatively scarce, and as some experts maintain, there has not been any war over water between nation states during the last 4,000 years! Yet the water war hypothesis sticks in the mind and many believe that such wars may become inevitable given the trends in global change processes.
A question not often posed is: Can science play a role in preventing conflicts to emerge around water, and if so which? And what role could water professionals play to foster cooperation over water? This session invites papers that address both questions. The submission of case studies as well as conceptual papers is encouraged. Papers addressing the following topics are particularly welcome:
- The possibilities and limitations of the scientific paradigm in settling disputes;
- The fact that competition over water has frequently led to stronger cooperation rather than conflict may be explored from a water science perspective;
- The role of modeling tools and new information technologies for trust building and the development of cooperative agreements;
- Experiences of scientists who have acted as expert witnesses in disputes over water;
- Capacity building and training in the field of water conflict prevention merits attention, as well as the challenge of developing multidisciplinary curricula combining science and engineering with political science, international relations and diplomacy.
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Preliminary List of Solicited Speakers |
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