Abstract
The chapter focuses on the role and behavior of small island developing states in issues concerning transboundary water management. Seas and oceans play a crucial role in the politics, economic survival, well-being, and identity of such entities, all of which constitute incentives for cooperation. Despite this generally positive narrative surrounding the collaborative nature of small island developing states, the empirical investigation of key sectors, including fishery, energy and climate, and trade and maritime connectivity, leads to the conclusion that cooperation between such resource-scarce entities is severely limited by several factors. The chapter identifies over-institutionalization, lacking implementation and coordination, as well as political and economic competition between small island developing states as key phenomena in this regard.
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Notes
- 1.
One reason is that seas and oceans are not usually considered transboundary waters, even if the most traditional definition set up by the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes conceptualises transboundary waters as “any surface or ground waters which mark, cross, or are located on boundaries between two or more states”, which can arguably be applicable to seas and oceans. While it is true that the Convention itself does not focus on national and international maritime territories, the argument can be made that the title of the convention does not refer to transboundary waters in general but transboundary watercourses and international lakes in particular. Moreover, the logic regarding the role of transboundary waters as described by Kinga Szálkai (2016) can easily be applied to the case of seas and oceans.
- 2.
According to the official UN framework, 38 out of its 193 member states are considered small island developing states, 19.6% of all members. The international organisation also recognises 20 additional non-UN member states as SIDS. Given that both the terms “small” and “developed” are debated in the literature, it is impossible to give a proper definition of SIDS, which is why international organisations and researchers tend to provide an exhaustive list of them instead.
- 3.
Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belize, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tomé and Principe, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.
- 4.
American Samoa, Anguilla, Aruba, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Commonwealth of Northern Marianas, Cook Islands, Curacao, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Guam, Martinique, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Niue, Puerto Rico, Sint Maarten, Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands.
- 5.
Haiti, Papua New Guinea, Dominican Republic, Timor-Leste, Cabo Verde, Solomon Islands, Cuba.
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Szalai, M. (2023). Transboundary Water Management Among Small Island Developing States: Dynamics of Conflict and Cooperation. In: Szálkai, K., Szalai, M. (eds) Theorizing Transboundary Waters in International Relations. Springer Water. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43376-4_13
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