Water Diplomacy – what is it?
‘Water diplomacy’, or ‘hydro diplomacy’, has become a popular buzzword, used by foreign ministries, think tanks, and journalists alike. Its usage has been accompanied by the growing prominence of water-related risks. Since 2011, when flooding was placed on the World Economic Forum’s top 5 risks in terms of likelihood or impact, water-related crises have been on the list each year. Although most uses of the phrase water diplomacy are ambiguous, so what is it exactly?