Innovative Water Diplomacy, A Solution for Sustainable Management of Transboundary Resources

Water plays an important role in changing the policies and economy of the 21st century. One of the causes of tensions and conflicts in West Asia is expected to be related to the water shortage crisis; But water shortages alone do not cause these tensions; because the wrong policies and governance also cause these conflicts. Fair use of common water resources is one of the priorities of stakeholders, which with a fair attitude will reduce conflicts and increase their cooperation and participation. This paper examines international law, the structure of negotiations, discourses, and types of diplomacy to resolve tensions over water issues. It also provides an overview of the challenges posed by the water crisis. The results of these studies indicate that despite the existing laws on transboundary water resources, the lack of a universally agreed definition of "international water law" is still one of the reasons for the failure of negotiations and water treaties. Also, some ambiguities in the article of international water laws are other problems in resolving water disputes. In this regard, the guidelines for implementing innovative water diplomacy in each region may be a good solution for the sustainable management of transboundary water resources. In this way, the current water crisis can be managed through appropriate management structures in the joint use of available resources and the implementation of macro-planning based on international interactions and using all capacities. This management requires the creation of an integrated database and accurate knowledge of resources.