Conflictual Cooperation in Transboundary Waters: Insights from the Euphrates–Tigris Basin
Publisher: Water International
Author(s): Amir Safaee, Arda Bilgen, and Saeed Morid
Date: 2026
Topics: Conflict Causes, Cooperation, Governance, Renewable Resources
Countries: Iran, Iraq, Syrian Arab Republic, Türkiye
Transboundary water systems are often characterized by the coexistence of conflict and cooperation. Drawing on critical hydropolitics, this article promotes the concept of ‘conflictual cooperation’ to capture the cyclical and fluid nature of both processes inherent in transboundary water interactions. Using the International Water Events Database (IWED), the article analyses key water events, actors, third-party engagement, and interaction types in the Euphrates–Tigris Basin from 1946 to 2020, demonstrating how conflict and cooperation coexist and coevolve over time. In doing so, it provides a holistic, data-driven approach to analysing hydropolitical tensions, with implications for transboundary water governance scholarship and policy.