Achieving Transboundary Water Security Through Water Innovations: A Framework and Cases

ABSTRACT Alternative sources of freshwater, provided by various innovations, have long been available to countries facing acute water stress. We hypothesize that avoiding and/or resolving conflict with neighbors—caused by the uncertainty of continued access to shared surface water and groundwater sources—is another driver of innovation adoption. Furthermore, adoption of alternative freshwater sources may help alleviate transboundary disputes and, thus, hasten water supply independence among neighboring countries. We explore this thesis by examining the experience of Israel and Singapore, two countries that have pursued several innovations including desalination, wastewater reuse, and rainwater harvesting. They have also experienced conflicts with neighbors over water. After examining these nations' motives for adopting innovations, as well as the structure and operation of water innovation governance in each country, we examine the role these supply innovations have played in transboundary disputes. We find that the introduction of these innovations has had an important, but not decisive role in helping to alleviate larger conflicts with thirsty neighbors, even when they are explicitly part of negotiations aimed at long‐term transboundary dispute resolution. The extent to which innovations can actually help resolve transboundary conflicts depends on parties' confidence in larger transboundary water agreements, an inclination to share water data and information, and a willingness to collaborate on water projects of mutual benefit. The availability of water innovations alone does not serve to alleviate transboundary conflicts.