New Security Beat - Water Diplomacy can Learn from Realist Ideas
19.07.2022
Shaping Law and Policy
A new piece published in New Security Beat by Sumit Vij, Mark Zeitoun and Christian Bréthaut from the Geneva Water Hub, arguing the return of realism in Diplomacy and its implications on Water Diplomacy.
As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues and nations are returning to behaviors best explained by realism, we are wrestling with these trends’ longer-term implications on water diplomacy. States are becoming inward-looking and prioritizing national sovereignty. Debates about water and climate are resurfacing, and we should better understand how hard power and inward-looking approaches can impact water diplomacy and cooperation. To inform policymakers about power sensitivities and power games played in diplomacy, water diplomats must rethink the future of water security and peace. They should reexamine leadership styles, cultural sensitivities, and knowledge exchange from the lens of realism.
Read the rest of the article here.