What is hydropolitics?

Water is a natural resource of the first order and depending on the situation in which it is found, it can be a guarantor for life to develop or the opposite. Hunger is not the only weapon used in conflicts to decimate the civilian population. Control of water resources is another of the scenarios where this struggle takes place, and it can also have potentially more destructive effects. Water geopolitics or hydropolitics is the analysis of the geographical factors related to access to water that explains the behavior of states, non-state actors or other stakeholders struggling to manage this strategic resource.

The construction of dams, the diversion of river flow or the control of reservoirs/aquifers are some of the cases where conflicts between countries and/or regions are generated. Today, two out of every five people on a global scale share river basins with one or more countries other than their own. This situation of water interdependence is not always based on the principle of good neighborliness and in fact there are more cases where the opposite is true. In most cases, power relations between countries are more important. It is on the Asian continent where this situation of water conflict can be seen most clearly. It is no coincidence that China has historically shown interest in the Tibet region and specifically in the Himalayas. This area is where most of the sources of the most important rivers in Asia and the Indian subcontinent are concentrated. China's effective control of these rivers would give it a very powerful advantage over the countries of Southeast Asia and especially over its regional rival, India.

Map of the Himalayan water system

It is important to emphasize that hydropolitics is not usually marked by armed conflict, although it is not exempt. The most common way of gaining control over these resources is the silent and considered advance to gain control. By means of the strategy of fait accompli, the power with the greatest capabilities gradually imposes itself on the others by increasing its presence over that resource. Examples of this can be found in previous articles published on the subject, such as How China wants to control the South Sea and The geopolitics of the Nile: the conflict between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. The ultimate aim of the power is to achieve hegemony, or failing that, domination, over the water resource, thus establishing a favorable status quo and gaining an advantage that will allow it to put pressure on the other actors affected by those waters.