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Water governance & international cooperation over trans-boundary water courses in Southern Africa: the case of the Okavango River Basin

Includes bibliographical references

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Bybee, Megan Claire
Other Authors: Akokpari, John
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Political Studies 2016
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access_status_str Open Access
author Bybee, Megan Claire
author2 Akokpari, John
author_browse Akokpari, John
Bybee, Megan Claire
author_facet Akokpari, John
Bybee, Megan Claire
author_sort Bybee, Megan Claire
collection Thesis
description Includes bibliographical references
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/17420
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:36:34.753Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2016
publishDateRange 2016
publishDateSort 2016
publisher Department of Political Studies
publisherStr Department of Political Studies
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/17420 Water governance & international cooperation over trans-boundary water courses in Southern Africa: the case of the Okavango River Basin Bybee, Megan Claire Akokpari, John International Relations trans-boundary water sources Includes bibliographical references This dissertation seeks to explore the core drivers of international cooperation over shared water courses particularly in Southern African, using the example of the Okavango River Basin as a case study. As a starting point it highlights the hydro-political context of Southern African, which is dominated by more than 21 shared water courses and faces significant challenges to its water sector namely through climate variability and population growth. In light of these pressing issues which could create a security complex for sovereign riparian states, international cooperation over trans-boundary water sources is imperative. Drawing on core theories of international relations, this dissertation suggests that cooperation between riparian states is a result of strong institutional frameworks, at a river-basin, regional and international level. Cooperation is further reinforced through development functionalism which plays an important role in facilitating cooperation through the advancement of regional development goals and initiatives. Finally, the dissertation explores the role of international norms of cooperation over trans-boundary water courses and the important role they play in fostering cooperation. Using the case of the Okavango River Basin, the dissertation suggests that in Southern Africa, the strongest driver of cooperation is strong legal and institutional frameworks, which once established, form the basis for sustainable cooperation for water diplomacy between riparian states. Cooperation over the Okavango River Basin and the twenty years of cooperation established between Angola, Namibia and Botswana through the Permanent Cubango-Okavango River Basin Commission (OKACOM) highlights an optimistic account for hydro-political cooperation over trans-boundary water systems between sovereign riparian states and provides a useful model for water basin agreements that are yet to be established. This thesis thus concludes that in light of the growing challenges facing the water sector in Southern Africa, strong institutions and legal frameworks are required to enhance cooperation among riparian states. 2016-03-02T14:14:13Z 2016-03-02T14:14:13Z 2015 Master Thesis Masters MA http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17420 eng application/pdf Department of Political Studies Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town
spellingShingle International Relations
trans-boundary water sources
Bybee, Megan Claire
Water governance & international cooperation over trans-boundary water courses in Southern Africa: the case of the Okavango River Basin
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Water governance & international cooperation over trans-boundary water courses in Southern Africa: the case of the Okavango River Basin
title_full Water governance & international cooperation over trans-boundary water courses in Southern Africa: the case of the Okavango River Basin
title_fullStr Water governance & international cooperation over trans-boundary water courses in Southern Africa: the case of the Okavango River Basin
title_full_unstemmed Water governance & international cooperation over trans-boundary water courses in Southern Africa: the case of the Okavango River Basin
title_short Water governance & international cooperation over trans-boundary water courses in Southern Africa: the case of the Okavango River Basin
title_sort water governance international cooperation over trans boundary water courses in southern africa the case of the okavango river basin
topic International Relations
trans-boundary water sources
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17420
work_keys_str_mv AT bybeemeganclaire watergovernanceinternationalcooperationovertransboundarywatercoursesinsouthernafricathecaseoftheokavangoriverbasin