The complex and fluid molecule H2O water addresses multiple societal needs. A plethora of water resources, however, are not situated within one single country, which reveals that water crosses...Show moreThe complex and fluid molecule H2O water addresses multiple societal needs. A plethora of water resources, however, are not situated within one single country, which reveals that water crosses static political boundaries and does not respect state sovereignty. Thus, there are water-related scholarly studies, which contain various hydro-political frameworks, which describe and evaluate international hydro-relations within transboundary river basins. The aim of this thesis is to explore the asymmetric power relationships in the Congo River Basin by using the Framework of Hydro-Hegemony, which brings forward a new proposal for the analysis of international transboundary water relations. In order to do so, this thesis operationalises the conceptual framework to put it into practice. The results of the application of the Framework of Hydro-Hegemony to the Congo River Basin show that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the Hydro-Hegemon in this international river basin, which exercises power over the transboundary water resources in the region. More specifically, it has clear geographical, bargaining, and ideational power advantages due to its predominant geographical position in the Congo River Basin and its role in the regional river basin organisation CICOS. The material power dimension, however, delivered ambiguous results.Show less
