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Routledge Handbook of Water Diplomacy - header text
Water can divide—but it can also unite. The new Routledge Handbook of Water Diplomacy brings together more than 80 contributors from 30 countries to show how shared waters can become pathways for cooperation. Edited by Dr Martina Klimes and partners, the open-access volume bridges science, policy, and practice at a time when global water challenges are intensifying.
2021 - 2023 · Now inactive
CONTACT
Martina Klimes, PhD
Senior Manager/Advisor - Climate, Water, and Peace
martina.klimes@siwi.org+46 (0) 8 121 360 94
Acess the Routledge Handbook of Water Diplomacy
Acess the Routledge Handbook of Water Diplomacy
Open Access available
A practical guide for cooperation
Water connects people, economies, and ecosystems—but it can also create tension where resources are scarce or unevenly shared. The Routledge Handbook of Water Diplomacy explores how cooperation over water can help build peace and resilience in a changing world.
Edited by Dr Martina Klimes (SIWI), Prof Shafiqul Islam (Tufts), Dr Aaron Salzberg (UNC), and Kevin Smith (Tufts), the Handbook combines research, case studies, and tools for diplomats, researchers, and practitioners who want to use water as a bridge rather than a barrier.
As Klimes explains in her Q&A , “It’s about how people cooperate under pressure and how institutions evolve to manage shared risks.”
“It’s about how people cooperate under pressure and how institutions evolve to manage shared risks.”
Designed for practice and learning
Unlike many academic volumes, the Handbook is meant to be used. It connects to the AquaPedia online platform, allowing new examples and lessons to be added over time. Supported by UNESCO, it is fully open access, ensuring that knowledge and tools reach those who need them most, from policymakers to students.
Global perspectives, shared lessons
The book presents a wide range of experiences, from community-led watershed management in India to international river cooperation in the Colorado and Mekong basins. These cases reveal that successful water diplomacy depends not on a single model, but on trust, inclusion, and adaptability.
Why this matters now
As climate change alters rainfall, river flows, and groundwater systems, the need for water cooperation grows more urgent. The Handbook offers a shared language and flexible framework to guide negotiation, dialogue, and joint management, helping societies move from reactive crisis response to proactive, long-term resilience.
Has More content
As climate change alters rainfall, river flows, and groundwater systems, the need for water cooperation grows more urgent. The Handbook offers a shared language and flexible framework to guide negotiation, dialogue, and joint management, helping societies move from reactive crisis response to proactive, long-term resilience.
