LINK UP AND DRINK: EXAMINING THE ROLE OF ISSUE-LINKAGE IN INTERNATIONAL WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Abstract

How can states overcome collective action problems to secure broad, deep, durable cooperation vis-à-vis freshwater? This thesis contributes to the literature by presenting a theory of integrated water resources management (IWRM), emphasizing the configuration of state preferences and information as key variables influencing state behavior. I argue that the interdependent issue scope of interstate relations, or “mix of issue salience”, incentivizes cooperation, while the logic of issue-linkage is a means of resolving the problem of credible commitment. Statistical analyses reveal that while issue scope and linkage does not always make water cooperation more successful, the linkage of water issues embedded within a larger non-water context does. This thesis contributes to the scholarly debate on the effectiveness of the ‘integrated’ versus ‘functional’ models of freshwater resource management and provides additional practical information for policymakers in their respective institutional design choices. The strengths and shortcomings of each model has significant implications for global water cooperation as the scale and complexity of environmental challenges confront governments around the world.