서강대학교

초록/요약

The issue of water security has recently gained increasing attention as a new type of security concern with potential to cause significant harms to human security. With growing international concern over water security, this research examines the factors contributing to the peaceful resolution and management of trans-boundary river disputes and facilitating cooperation in water resource management between the states sharing the same water sources. In analyzing the outcome of river disputes, this research utilizes liberal institutionalism as a theoretical base. Focusing on international institution, the main objective of this research is to investigate the role of international institution on trans-boundary river disputes by utilizing the most similar systems approach and comparative case analysis. The India-Pakistan dispute in the Indus river basin and the Turkey-Syria dispute over the Euphrates river basin are chosen as the cases for comparative purpose. These two cases share a certain set of similar conditions, such as mutually shared historical animosity, and high water risk levels, which qualifies for applying the most similar systems approach. The role of international institution as the explanatory variable is operationalized to test for the variable outcomes in the two cases. Throughout the study, the intervention of international institution ? the role of World Bank in this case ? can serve as a fundamental and decisive factor in explaining the outcome of river basin disputes under the similar circumstances. The findings from the comparative analysis of the Indus river and the Euphrates river disputes suggest that the persistent intervention of international institution as a third party mediator can have the effects of containing and managing river disputes between two or more riparian countries sharing the same water sources.