The Relationship Between Hydropolitics and Technopolitics in Transboundary Water Management
While hydropolitics determines ‘water policy,’ technopolitics determines ‘which technological forces and infrastructure are used in the implementation of water policies.’ These two areas constitute a strategic framework that must be analysed together, especially in the 21st century.
The concepts of hydropolitics and technopolitics are closely intertwined, especially when it comes to issues such as water resource management, transboundary waters, climate change, dams, and infrastructure technologies.
Today, infrastructure such as dams, irrigation facilities, transmission lines, hydroelectric power plants, and advanced water treatment systems are no longer merely technical but also political power tools. Therefore, hydropolitical analyses have begun to increasingly incorporate technopolitical approaches. The concepts of hydro-technopolitics and hydro-technopolitical policies will increasingly come to the fore.
Both hydropolitics and technopolitics are based on an interdisciplinary approach. Water issues are no longer just about natural resource management but are also intertwined with high-tech investments and geopolitical strategies. Therefore, hydropolitical analysis is incomplete without technopolitical elements.
Water is not only a vital resource but also a strategic element in terms of national security, economic development, and international relations. In this context, ‘hydropolitics’ examines the political, economic, and geostrategic dimensions of water, while ‘technopolitics’ analyses the role of technology in these processes and its connection to power relations. In summary, hydropolitics determines ‘water policy,’ while technopolitics determines ‘which technological powers and infrastructure are used in the implementation of water policies.’ These two fields constitute a strategic framework that must be analysed together, especially in the 21st century.
This study reveals the connection between hydropolitics and technopolitics, examining how technological infrastructure in water management functions not only as engineering but also as a political power tool.
Introduction
In the 21st century, the strategic value of water has increased due to factors such as global water crises, climate change, population growth, and the management of transboundary waters. These developments have made it necessary to evaluate water management policies not only from a technical perspective but also from political, economic, and security dimensions. Therefore, an interdisciplinary approach is required in the analysis of water policies. For example, Turkey's Southeast Anatolia Project is based on both a hydropolitical and technopolitical strategy in its Euphrates-Tigris policies. The water supply project from Turkey to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was also implemented as a result of the joint consideration of hydropolitical and technopolitical strategies. Water management institutions today are technopolitical and strategic actors with technology and engineering infrastructure.
Hydropolitics: The Struggle for Power Based on Water
Hydropolitics deals with disputes and cooperation arising from the management of transboundary waters. States claiming rights over transboundary rivers, lakes and groundwater resources develop political strategies for the use of these resources. Turkey's policies on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, the Ethiopia-Egypt tension in the Nile Basin, the India-Pakistan dispute over the Indus River, and the water sharing around the Aral Sea in Central Asia are examples at the centre of hydropolitical debates.
Technopolitics: The Political Role of Technology
Technopolitics argues that technology is not merely instrumental but directly linked to power relations. A country's water technologies—dams, irrigation systems, hydroelectric power plants, water treatment facilities—are integral to both economic development and regional power projection. The capacity to produce, implement, and export this technology directly enhances a country's political influence.
The Relationship Between Hydropolitics and Technopolitics
Although dams, irrigation projects, and long-distance water transfer projects appear to be technical solutions, they are in fact instruments of political power and foreign policy. The GAP is not only an integrated regional development initiative, but also a technopolitical tool that increases Turkey's control over its water resources.
In today's world, where the effects of climate change are increasing and nearly half of the world's population lives in transboundary water basins, owning water resources and technologies such as smart water management systems not only increase countries' water supply security but also provide strategic superiority over neighbouring countries. This creates opportunities to build geopolitical power through water technologies.
Information and Data Sovereignty in Transboundary Water Basins
Transboundary river basins cover approximately 50% of the world's land surface. Approximately 45% of the world's population lives in these basins. Some countries (e.g., Hungary, the Netherlands, Egypt, Iraq) obtain more than 90% of their freshwater resources from rivers outside their borders.
Climate change, rapid population growth, pollution, and historical issues are putting significant pressure on transboundary water management. In particular, the 153 countries located in transboundary water basins must manage their water resources in the most efficient manner possible. For these countries, technologies such as remote sensing, water sensors, and satellite monitoring systems that enable the collection of data on water resources are also a source of power. This data sovereignty is decisive in shaping water policies.
Turkey: An Actor at the Intersection of Hydropolitics and Technopolitics
Turkey is an important hydropolitical actor, particularly due to its location at the source of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which flow into the Middle East. At the same time, it has a strong technopolitical infrastructure with dam technologies, hydroelectric capacity and irrigation systems. Turkey's strategic integration of these two dimensions provides it with a significant advantage in regional water policy.
Conclusion
Hydropolitics analyses the strategic importance of water and the policies within this framework, while technopolitics evaluates the political impact of the technological infrastructure used to implement these strategies. Today, these two approaches have become complementary concepts in the context of water management and water security. In summary, hydropolitics determines the ‘politics of water,’ while technopolitics determines ‘which technological forces and infrastructure are used in the implementation of water policies.’ These two areas are a strategic framework that must be analysed together, especially in the 21st century.
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