Building Trust: Water Cooperation in the Middle East and North African Region and the Practice of Science Diplomacy

Palmer, L. (2026). Building Trust: Water Cooperation in the Middle East and North African Region and the Practice of Science Diplomacy. AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy 10.1126/scidip.aei4050.

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Abstract

Amidst the acute water scarcity and political fault lines of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), scientific data alone is insufficient to foster regional cooperation. Drawing on firsthand observations from the “Together for Water” workshop at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) this field article examines how trust is actually built in practice. The most consequential science diplomacy is not the high-level agreement but the unglamorous, sustained technical work of shared data interpretation, scenario testing, and institutional capacity building. Ultimately, closing the trust gap in the MENA region requires long-term investments in repeat interactions and the slow, deliberate construction of relationships that allow adversaries to act together.

Item Type:	Other
Uncontrolled Keywords:	IIASA; transboundary water resources; MENA
Research Programs:	Communications and External Relations (CER)
Depositing User:	Michaela Rossini
Date Deposited:	05 May 2026 08:04
Last Modified:	05 May 2026 08:24
URI:	https://pure.iiasa.ac.at/21543

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