Water, Security, Conflict, and Cooperation

Abstract: Hydropolitics, the politics of water, has increasing relevance to national and international security in general and to the field of security studies in particular. The relationship between environmental threats and security poses unforeseen challenges for academics and practitioners. Understanding how nations engage in conflict and cooperation over water is related to understanding the relationship between hydropolitics and security. Therefore, hydropolitics should be considered within the definition of security and within the field of security studies. The manner in which states conduct their hydropolitics with one another can be analyzed through particular theoretical frameworks associated with the field of international relations.