Water Diplomacy in Action: Contingent Approaches to Managing Complex Water Problems

Complex water problems cannot be resolved by numbers or narratives. Contingent and negotiated approaches are necessary for actionable outcome. In the face of a constantly changing array of interconnected water issues that cross multiple boundaries, the challenge is how to translate solutions that emerge from science and technology into the context of real-world policy and politics. Water Diplomacy in Action addresses this task by synthesizing two emerging ideas––complexity science and negotiation theory––to understand and manage risks and opportunities for an uncertain water future. Rooted in the ideas of complexity science and mutual gains negotiation, this edited volume shows why traditional systems engineering approaches may not work for complex problems, what emerging tools and techniques are needed and how these are used to resolve complex water problems. 

Shafiqul Islam is a professor of civil and environmental engineering and professor of water diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. He is the director of the Water Diplomacy Program and the 2016 recipient of the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Water Prize for Creativity.

Kaveh Madani is a reader in systems analysis and policy at the Centre for Environmental Policy of the Imperial College London. He is one of the four recipients of the Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Young Scientists in 2016 for his fundamental contributions to integrating game-theory and decision-analysis into water management models.