High Politics and Low Politics in Water Business

Global relations theory has long grappled using the conflict between the unilateral sovereignty requirements of states, and also the requirement for cooperation for transboundary transactions.

Because the flow of water does not respect political boundaries, it has been clear that regional management, at the watershed egree at least, will be a significantly more effective approach, at least from a management perspective.

Nevertheless, drinking water has frequently been "securitized," primarily because of internal politics, but has frequently had international repercussions. The question has historically been posed repeatedly, regardless of whether issues of regional drinking water means, regarded a "low" political issue, can be addressed in advance of larger, "high," political issues of nationalism and diplomacy. Both sides happen to be argued in the past.

The "functionalist theory" of international politics, an alternative to the fairly self-explanatory "power politics," claims that states will willingly transfer sovereignty more than matters of public concern to a common authority. Cooperation more than means, then, might induce cooperation over other, a lot more contentious and emotional problems.

Social-Political Sustainability - The Human Element

It is commonly accepted that the project of sustainable development is conceptually composed of three constituent parts. These parts are (1) environmental sustainability, (2) economic sustainability, and (3) social-political sustainability. The United Nations 2005 World Summit refers to the "interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars" of sustainable development as environmental protection, economic development and social development. The interdependency of the first two is evident; it is perhaps the greatest challenge of our time to satisfy the needs and wants of burgeoning populations within the binding constraints imposed by our physical environment. But what is this great hoopla about social development and sustainability of politics, and what exactly is its place?

If environmental protection is concerned with the preservation of our natural environment and resources, and economic sustainability is concerned with seeking durable growth solutions therein, then the social-political sphere can be thought of as representative of the more purely human element in the equation. Social development and social-political sustainability are intimately related concepts but they are not in fact entirely interchangeable. It is important that we understand their symbiotic relationship and its implications for the broader sustainability project.