860-0012-00L  Cooperation and Conflict Over International Water Resources

SemesterAutumn Semester 2022
LecturersT. Bernauer, T. U. Siegfried
Periodicityyearly recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish
CommentNumber of participants limited to 40.
Priority for Science, Technology, and Policy MSc.

This is a research seminar at the Master level. PhD students are also welcome. PhD students please register via the study administration.


AbstractThis course focuses on the technical, economic, and political challenges of dealing with water allocation and pollution problems in large international river systems. It examines ways and means through which such challenges are or can be addressed, and when and why international efforts in this respect succeed or fail.
Learning objectiveAbility to (1) understand the causes and consequences of water scarcity and water pollution problems in large international river systems; (2) understand ways and means of addressing such water challenges; and (3) analyse when and why international efforts in this respect succeed or fail.
ContentThe first six meetings serve to acquire basic knowledge on the science and politics of international water management. This will be followed by five meetings that focus on specific cases (international river systems) and a meeting where we discuss what can be learned from the five cases. For this part of the class we have invited several colleagues with long-standing expertise on the respective international river basin.

20.Sep Global water challenges
27.Sep Nuts and bolts of hydrological modeling and what such models can tell us
04.Oct Nuts and bolts of hydrological modeling and what such models can tell us
11.Oct Water pollution and its mitigation
18.Oct Key challenges in international river systems
25.Oct Key challenges in international river systems
01.Nov Case study 1: Yarmuk
08.Nov Case study 2: Mekong
15.Nov Case study 3: Colorado
22.Nov Case study 4: Nile
29.Nov Case study 5: Central Asia
06.Dec Wrap up: what we can learn from these case studies
13.Dec Exam
20.Dec No class

Exam: 3 ECTS, based on grade ≥ 4.0 in written test at the end of the semester. 90 minutes; 13 December 2022, 12:15 – 13:45; same room as the course. The exam covers the mandatory reading assignments as well as lectures and discussion parts in class. The exam will consist of around ten questions that require answers in a few sentences each. Permitted supporting material: dictionary, ink-based pen, no laptops, no mobile phones, no calculators, no printed or hand-written material.
Lecture notesSlides and reading materials will be made available via Moodle.
LiteratureSlides and reading materials will be made available via Moodle.
Prerequisites / NoticeThe course is open to Master and doctoral students from any area of ETH.

Limited to 40 students.

Most meetings will take place on campus, with no recording of meetings. Participation in this course only makes sense if you can attend classes regularly in person.