BAP
Evaluating the Efficacy and Inclusivity of Water Diplomacy Frameworks in the Middle East: The Euphrates-Tigris Basin as a Case Study
Principal Investigator of the Project: Prof. Dr. Ayşegül Kibaroğlu
Project Team Members
Prof. Dr. Ayşegül Kibaroğlu: Principle Investigator
Prof. Dr. Aysegül Kibaroglu is the Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at MEF University in Istanbul. She was a Visiting Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, LBJ School of Public Affairs in 2016. Previously, she was a Faculty Member and Vice Chair of the Department of International Relations at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara (2003-2011). Prof. Kibaroglu was a post-Doctoral Fellow at the International Water Law Research Institute at the University of Dundee, Scotland in 2002. She worked as Advisor to the President of the Southeastern Anatolia Project Regional Development Administration from 2001 to 2003. Her areas of research include: Middle East transboundary water politics, international water law, Turkey’s water policy, political geography, and environmental security. Prof. Kibaroglu has published extensively on the politics of water resources with an emphasis on the Euphrates Tigris river basin, including a book volume, Building a Regime for the Waters of the Euphrates-Tigris River Basin (Kluwer Law International, 2002), and co-edited volumes, Water Development and Poverty Reduction (Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2003), Turkey’s Water Policy (Springer, 2011), and Water Law and Cooperation in the Euphrates-Tigris Region (Brill, 2013). Her most recent book (monograph), Turkey’s Water Diplomacy: Analysis of its Foundations, Challenges and Prospects is published by the Anthem Press (Cambridge Core) in February 2021. Her recent co-edited volume, Sustainability of Engineered Rivers in Arid Lands: Challenge and Response is published by Cambridge University Press in August 2021. She has also published articles in prestigious journals such as International Negotiation, Water International, Water Policy, Journal of International Affairs, International Journal of Water Resources Development, Global Governance, and International Affairs.
Dr. Cansu Güleç: Research Assistant
Dr Cansu Güleç received her BA degree at Political Science and International Relations Department at Marmara University in 2010; and she completed her MA degree in 2012 with her thesis on Cultural Diplomacy in Turkey’s Relations with the Middle East (2002-2011). She obtained her PhD at Marmara University at the Department of International Relations with her thesis, titled, “Turkish Foreign Policy Analysis of JDP Period: Discourse of Foreign Policy in Regional Conflicts” in May 2018. Before joing to MEF University, she worked as a Research Assistant at İstanbul Yeni Yüzyıl University at the Department of International Relations between 2012-20014 She is currently working as a Research Assistant at MEF University. Her research interests mainly include IR Theories, Foreign Policy Analysis, Turkish Foreign Policy, Public Diplomacy, Discourse Analysis.
Berra Kaya: Student Assistant
Berra Kaya began her undergraduate studies in 2022 at MEF University as a student of Political Science and International Relations. In order to broaden her academic interests, she is also pursuing a double major in Economics at the same university.
About the Project
This project aims to examine the effectiveness of transboundary water resources management and diplomacy in the Middle East. Using the Euphrates-Tigris Basin as a case study, this research assesses how water diplomacy operates within formal and informal institutional structures, which stakeholders it involves and how it can be improved.
Most of the water resources in the Middle East are transboundary in nature, which leads to conflicts and diplomatic initiatives among the countries in the region over water management. Instead of possible scenarios such as “water wars”, diplomacy and cooperation mechanisms seem to play a more effective role in water management. At this point, the project questions the effectiveness and inclusiveness of water diplomacy institutions.
The research methodology adopts a qualitative approach to understand the functioning of diplomacy mechanisms. Fieldwork will be conducted in Turkey, Jordan and Switzerland and 20-30 semi-structured interviews will be conducted. Interviews will be conducted with diplomats, technocrats, academics, NGO representatives, municipal officials and private sector actors who play an active role in diplomacy processes. In addition, official and unofficial documents will be analyzed to reveal the current state of water diplomacy.
Research Question: The research question focuses on the effectiveness and inclusivity of water diplomacy institutions in the ET basin.
"How effective and inclusive are the formal and informal water diplomacy institutions in the ET basin, considering the adoption of informal water diplomacy initiatives by official riparian states and the interests involved in endorsing and participating in these initiatives? Additionally, what are the dynamics of stakeholder participation, including the motivations and interests of funding/donor agencies in initiating and supporting such water diplomacy initiatives?"
Hypothesis of the Research:
"Water diplomacy institutions in the ET basin are often technocratic and state-centric, lacking meaningful participation from a broad range of stakeholders such as civil society organizations, farmers, water user associations, municipalities, and industries. This lack of inclusivity, coupled with the varying interests of official riparian states and funding/donor agencies in endorsing and supporting informal water diplomacy initiatives, hinders the effectiveness of these institutions in addressing complex water challenges."
The Project Framework Focuses on Three Main Phases:
Determining the conceptual and methodological framework: The fundamental framework of the research will be established, and data collection methods will be determined.
Field research and data collection: Interviews will be conducted with diplomatic actors, and official documents will be analyzed.
Stakeholder analysis and engagement assessment: The inclusivity of the existing system will be examined, and power dynamics and deficiencies will be evaluated.
Expected Results and Impact
As a result of this study, the effects of water diplomacy on the management of transboundary waters in the Middle East will be better understood. The strengths and weaknesses of official and unofficial diplomacy mechanisms will be determined, and suggestions will be presented to increase the effectiveness of water diplomacy.
In particular, areas where stakeholder participation is limited will be identified and a more inclusive water diplomacy framework will be proposed. In this context, it will be evaluated how actors such as NGOs, academics, local governments and the private sector can be more effectively included in water diplomacy processes in addition to state institutions. Thus, water management will cease to be a state-centered process and will be carried out with a broader cooperation mechanism.
Another important output of the research is to provide scientific and applied information that will guide policy makers and decision makers. In this direction, the project findings will be shared with national and international policy makers and will contribute to the scientific world through academic publications.