On 23.04 ZOiS Caucasus Network held a workshop titled “‘Engaging with Each Other’: Water Diplomacy in Azerbaijan and Armenia”, organised by Tsypylma Darieva and Nadja Douglas to bring together academic, donor and practitioner perspectives on the prospects for transboundary water cooperation in the South Caucasus. The speakers:
- Alen Gasparian Amikhanyan, Director of the Acopian Center for the Environment, American University of Armenia (AUA).
- Jeanene Mitchell, International development and water expert on the South Caucasus
- Frank Garrison, Deputy Head of Operations and Programmes and Manager in Executive Education at the Hertie School Berlin.
In the context of Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process discussions, water diplomacy was discussed as a possible entry point for rebuilding contacts between the regions. The transboundary Kura-Aras river basin served as the central geographical and political reference point for the discussion. Participants reflected on how shared water resources, climate change and increasing pressure on water governance could create opportunities for future cooperation.
Alen Gasparian Amirkhanian opened the workshop with an input on water resources and water stress in the South Caucasus. He emphasised that Armenia and Azerbaijan are water stressed countries and the water use is often inefficient. He highlighted the additional pressure created by climate change, changing precipitation patterns and upstream infrastructure development. He also stressed that technical exchanges on data, monitoring, water efficiency and joint protocols could help create trust before politically more sensitive forms of cooperation become possible.
Jeanene Mitchell then situated water diplomacy within a broader conceptual and practical framework. She described water diplomacy as a field that combines water management, political dialogue, trust-building, scientific cooperation and social narratives. Water is simultaneously a technical and a social and political issue, shaped by human relationships, conflict memories, gendered practices and institutional settings. She noted that past and ongoing initiatives in the South Caucasus often excluded Turkey and Iran, despite hydrological impacts that extend beyond the region.
Frank Garrison introduced the Economic Connectivity | Armenia-Azerbaijan Dialogue Series, highlighting the importance of concentrating on technical rather than political issues, collaboration on data methodologies, and the creation of smaller bilateral dialogue opportunities.
The interactive discussion focused on the practical conditions for water diplomacy between Armenia and Azerbaijan. A key point was that there are currently no established bilateral mechanisms on water issues: no regulation, no contact points and no working relationship. Cooperation would therefore have to be built from scratch.
Participants repeatedly stressed the value of starting with technical and practical questions. Shared work on data methodologies, water monitoring, water quality, water quantity and assessment standards could create a foundation for future cooperation.
The discussion also underlined that Track II initiatives and expert dialogues are useful, but cannot replace formal Track I cooperation. Donor projects can bring experts to the same table, but they do not substitute for governmental responsibility, especially on infrastructure, border regions, emergency communication and long-term regulation.
Water was described as a possible multiplier of insecurity, especially under climate change and in upstream-downstream relations. Technical cooperation could help reduce politicised narratives and “take off the heat” from sensitive discussions.
The role of third parties was discussed with caution. External actors can provide resources and help start conversations, but the agenda should not become donor-driven. The two sides need to define their own issues and priorities, and the real bilateral work has to continue beyond project cycles.
Overall, the discussion suggested that water diplomacy should begin with modest, concrete steps: technical exchanges, shared methodologies, joint monitoring practices, carefully composed bilateral formats and communication channels that can survive beyond externally funded projects.