The benefit-sharing principle: Implementing sovereignty bargains on water

摘要: A global water crisis is emerging that may challenge states’ existing and future availability. With countries already heavily reliant on international rivers, the issue of managing scarcity in these basins mounting. An complex due to climatic change politics access, the management resources complicated further by sovereignty. In a context shaped political boundaries concomitant territorial exclusivity, nation-states seek guarantee their societies’ water exerting control through physical institutional infrastructure. Yet, basin’s hydrological interdependency implies co-riparian countries remain vulnerable each other’s use shared river, suggesting ecological rather than just political limits The continued vulnerability, as envisaged within greening sovereignty, suggests cooperation necessary. Explained as sovereignty bargains, which states trade reduced autonomy for benefits, international cooperation is, we suggest, bi-directional can stem from or create institutions. We examine an instance exemplifies alternative approach international river management. benefit-sharing principle focuses allocating outputs use, rather itself; was used Senegal basin riparians access key services such as electricity despite poverty, intra-basin politics. What emerges strong narrative sustained, over decades, willingness engage sovereignty bargains.