Ways Forward to Employ Decision Support Models in International Water Negotiations

Abstract This concluding chapter examines four critical contexts shaping the evolution of decision support models (DSMs): river basin organizations (RBOs) as institutional frameworks, multi-track water diplomacy approaches, international water law conventions, and emerging digital technologies. Building on previous chapters’ case studies and methodological innovations, the analysis demonstrates how DSMs have transformed from simple communication tools to sophisticated analytical frameworks that integrate hydrological, economic, and political dimensions. The chapter explores how RBOs provide essential institutional foundations for DSM development while benefiting from the enhanced credibility of these tools. It analyzes how multi-track diplomacy requires DSMs to accommodate diverse stakeholders and knowledge systems and examines how international water conventions provide both normative guidance and procedural obligations that shape DSM design. Additionally, it investigates how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and blockchain are expanding DSM capabilities. As this volume has demonstrated through both methodological advancements and case studies from diverse river basins, DSMs can address the full complexity of transboundary water challenges.