Abstract:
What role can non-diplomats play in managing and altering
power relations in transboundary river basins? We answer this by investigating
the lobbying eff orts of indigenous peoples to stop the construction
of the planned Orokawe (Baynes) dam on the Kunene River. The
Kunene River forms part of the border between Angola and Namibia
with several concluded treaties in place. These treaties set the context
of bilateral state diplomacy concerning the allocation and management
of a transboundary water resource. The theoretical foundation of our investigation
are ideational power conceptualizations and practice theory.
We discuss the employment of ideational power in transboundary rivers
with numerous practices, such as lobbying and transnational network
development. This article argues that actors consciously practice power
during transboundary water diplomacy.
