Transboundary rivers form a complex socio-hydrological system in which hydrological (e.g. runoff), political (e.g. national power), and socio-economic (e.g. potential economic gains from a river) factors interact over multiple timescales and space scales and are further complicated by multiple governance sovereignty. This feedback mechanism has led to conflict and cooperation dynamics as emergent phenomena. Taking a socio-hydrological approach to tackle transboundary river issues can provide informative insights into the resilient mechanisms underpinning sustainable water management by explaining the emergent cooperation and conflict dynamics.

This special issue calls for a wide range of submissions on diverse, innovative, and cross-cutting studies of the dynamics of human–water systems in transboundary rivers, with a focus on exploring feedback mechanisms that underpin the coevolution of these coupled human–water systems and on improving our understanding of conflict and cooperation dynamics that manifest differently in different climatic and socio-economic contexts. Potential submissions can be in but are not limited to the following areas.

1. Conceptual, empirical socio-hydrological models that investigate the emergent conflict/cooperation dynamics in transboundary rivers
2. Statistical analysis for determining the important hydrological and societal factors that play significant roles in the conflict and cooperation dynamics
3. Developing new narrative methods for a better understanding of the conflict or cooperation dynamics in transboundary rivers
4. Comparative studies across multiple transboundary river basins with different hydrological and societal settings
5. Innovative assessment of episodes of conflict and cooperation over global international river basins
6. General understanding of coevolution patterns of coupled transboundary human–water systems caused by water quantity and/or quality issues.