Description
The purpose of this paper is to understand the relationship between securitisation and desecuritisation of water. In particular, the paper examines cases of transboundary water security of large rivers in which two or more states are involved. Much of the literature on water conflict have identified instances of securitisation of water, pointing to the problems of institutions and their effectiveness to regulated and facilitate joint water management. Recent studies on water diplomacy point to the processes of desecuritisation as a way to promote peaceful outcomes over water, as well as a way to alter the status quo of water allocation arrangements. The paper advances conceptual work by analysing how and when securitisation and desecuritisation occur and considers its temporal characteristic. Examining cases from South Asian and South-east Asian rivers of the Brahmaputra and Mekong basins, the paper argues that water diplomacy initiatives need to better account for the effects of desecuritisation, which are independent to cooperative action.
