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Center for Natural Resources and Sustainability DKU

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  • Marina Khusnitdinova

    Adapting Agricultural Water Use to Climate Change in a Post-Soviet Context: Challenges and Opportunities in Southeast Kazakhstan

    Year: 2017

    Collections:

    Topics: Water governance Climate, IWRM, Irrigation,

    Authors: Tristam Barrett, Giuseppe Feola, Marina Khusnitdinova, Viktoria Krylova

    Countries: Kazakhstan

    Source: Human Ecology

    The convergence of climate change and post-Soviet socio-economic and institutional transformations has been underexplored so far, as have the consequences of such convergence on crop agriculture in Central Asia. This paper provides a place-based analysis of constraints and opportunities for adaptation to climate change, with a specific focus on water use, in two districts in southeast Kazakhstan.



  • Marko Keskinen

    Exploring 100 Years of Finnish Transboundary Water Interactions With Russia: An Historical Analysis of Diplomacy and Cooperation

    Year: 2022

    Collections: Scientific Publications, Review article

    Topics: Water, Water governance Water diplomacy,

    Authors: Juho Haapala, Marko Keskinen

    Countries:

    Source: Water Alternatives, 15(1), 93-128

    This study combines the strengths of historical studies and analytical approaches on transboundary water interactions to establish an historical process perspective on transboundary waters. The study analytically separates transboundary water cooperation, water diplomacy, and their broader political setting, and analyses their interplay over a long period of time. The paper presents a detailed case study on the development and transformation of Finnish-Russian transboundary water interactions over the last 100 years, with an emphasis on Finland and its relationship with the Soviet Union/Russia after World War II.


    Trust in Transboundary Waters: Identifying Trust-Building in Water Diplomacy Literature

    Year: 2023

    Collections: Scientific Publications, Review article

    Topics: Water, Water diplomacy

    Authors: Juho Haapala, Marko Keskinen, Elina Häkkinen, Bota Sharipova

    Countries:

    Source: Water Alternatives 16(3): 949-977

    This paper examines trust and trust-building activities in literature related to water diplomacy, linking them to conceptualisations of trust in the fields of international relations and natural resource management. The reviewed publications and key informant interviews emphasise the importance of trust in water diplomacy processes. The literature and interviews also allow us to identify ten categories of potential trust-building activities in water diplomacy.


    Water diplomacy paths – An approach to recognise water diplomacy actions in shared waters

    Year: 2021

    Collections: Scientific Publications, Review article

    Topics: Water, Water diplomacy

    Authors: Juho Haapala, Marko Keskinen, Erik Salminen

    Countries:

    Source: Journal of Hydrology

    In this article, we seek to contribute to the practice of water diplomacy by introducing a step-wise Water Diplomacy Paths approach for analysing different water diplomacy contexts and related water diplomacy actions. To facilitate this, we recognise five key aspects for water diplomacy (Political; Preventive; Integrative; Cooperative; Technical) and propose a general definition for water diplomacy. We also discuss the possible distinctions between the related concepts of water diplomacy and transboundary water cooperation. The use of the Water Diplomacy Paths approach is demonstrated with brief case studies focusing on Central Asia, the Mekong Region, and the Finnish-Russian water cooperation. The work builds on an extensive literature review and comparative analysis of water diplomacy approaches as well as on a series of workshops and interviews among selected water diplomacy actors, including career diplomats.



  • Marko Keskinen


  • Marloes H.N. Bakker

    Future bottlenecks in international river basins: where transboundary institutions, population growth and hydrological variability intersect

    Year: 2017

    Collections: Research Paper

    Topics: Water, Transboundary cooperation

    Authors: Marloes H.N. Bakker, James A. Duncan

    Countries:

    Source: Water International

    Using global data, this article examines the nexus of transboundary flood events and future social vulnerability. Which international river basins are forecast to experience an increase in both hydrological variability and population in the future, but currently lack institutional provisions to deal with these shared events?



  • Martens Patrick

    The political economy of water insecurity in Central Asia given the Belt and Road initiative

    Year: 2018

    Collections: Scientific Publications

    Topics: Water, Sustainable Development

    Authors: Martens Patrick

    Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan

    Source: Central Asian Journal of Water Research



  • Martina Klimes

    Routledge Handbook of Water Diplomacy

    Year: 2025

    Collections: Books

    Topics: Water, Climate, Sustainable Development, Management, Water diplomacy, Water governance Gender, IWRM, Agriculture, Irrigation,

    Authors: Shafiqul Islam, Kevin Smith, Martina Klimes, Aaron Salzberg

    Countries: N/A

    Source: Routledge

    The Routledge Handbook of Water Diplomacy is a comprehensive guide to understanding and practicing water diplomacy – a framework for building relationships, negotiating shared interests, and managing complex water challenges across physical, political, and societal boundaries.



  • Martina Klimes

    Routledge Handbook of Water Diplomacy

    Year: 2025

    Collections: Books

    Topics: Water, IWRM, Water governance, Water diplomacy, Transboundary Water Resources, Transboundary cooperation

    Authors: Shafiqul Islam, Kevin Smith, Martina Klimes, Aaron Salzberg

    Countries:

    Source: Routledge Handbook of Water Diplomacy

    Full book available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V8lHqDiaqrMtHnU6JP9p9SBC2rsXY8gX/view?usp=sharing

    The Routledge Handbook of Water Diplomacy is a comprehensive guide to understanding and practicing water diplomacy – a framework for building relationships, negotiating shared interests, and managing complex water challenges across physical, political, and societal boundaries.

    In an era marked by rising scarcity, deepening uncertainty, and growing geopolitical tension, this timely volume offers actionable insights for negotiated problem-solving grounded in both scientific understanding and diplomatic skill. Moving beyond abstract theory and technical fixes, the Handbook introduces a dual-pathway structure designed to meet the diverse needs of its users. The “Working Together” pathway invites readers to engage with water diplomacy through the lens of their roles, whether as professionals, decision-makers, funders, researchers, or affected communities. The “What Matters and Why” pathway highlights key thematic dimensions, including process design, adaptive learning, trust-building, divergent worldviews, and the management of uncertainty.



  • Martina Klimes

    Water Diplomacy: The Intersect of Science, Policy and Practice

    Year: 2019

    Collections:

    Topics: Water diplomacy, Transboundary Water Resources, Water Security, Transboundary cooperation

    Authors: Martina Klimes, David Michel, Elizabeth Yaari, Phillia Restiani

    Countries:

    Source: Journal of Hydrology

    Why water diplomacy? What does diplomacy have to do with water? Is cooperation over transboundary surface and ground waters the exclusive domain of diplomats and foreign policy experts? Or mainly the purview of water professionals negotiating agreements on shared water resources? Why should non-governmental stakeholders be involved in transboundary water dialogues? These questions lie at the heart of debates and dialogues around the theory and practice of water diplomacy.



  • Martin-Luther


  • Martin Petrick

    Long- and short-term determinants of water user cooperation: Experimental evidence from Central Asia

    Year: 2018

    Collections: Research Paper

    Topics: Water governance, IWRM, Transboundary cooperation Irrigation,

    Authors: Iroda Amirova, Martin Petrick, Nodir Djanibekov

    Countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan

    Source: World Development

    This study contributes to the understanding of long- and short-term determinants of cooperation among water users. We experimentally investigate the potential of water users’ self-governance in enhancing their contributions to a common pool as opposed to external regulation. Our focus is on the irrigated areas of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.



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