Lost in the waters: contemporary dilemmas in examining transboundary water interaction

The presented paper examines current dilemmas in transboundary water interaction and debates about the reconceptualization of the Transboundary Water Interaction Nexus (TWINS). The new TWINS framework provides a theoretical alternative how to (1) evaluate the interstate relations between two or more actors regardless their legal status; (2) calculate the transboundary water interaction based on process tracing analysis rather than milestone analysis; (3) distinguish more intensities of cooperation and conflict, (4) clarify broader hydropolitical context in transboundary water interaction, and (5) debate about dual water event phenomenon where one event may possess both cooperation and conflict features. Currently, the new TWINS model serves as an indicator for evaluating cooperation and conflict intensity of water-related events in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin. The data are then recorded in the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and Conflict Database (LMCCD) designed by authors which already comprise more than 1600 water-related events in the last 30 years (1990-2020). To proof the viability of the presented concept, we will illustrate the new TWINS model on a case study related to the Xayaburi hydropower dam. Although there are still several methodological limitations, the new TWINS model can be adapted to any interstate water-related issue and be able to fill the information gaps about the interdisciplinary understanding of the transboundary water interaction.