Almost all human and ecosystem activity relies on a safe, stable supply of water resources, meaning that it needs to be allocated to its myriad uses, from drinking to agriculture to instream flows to transportation, industry, and spiritual transformation. Therefore, it is inevitable that water management is conflict management. Moreover, when river basins, aquifer systems, and wetlands cross international boundaries, the unifying principles of integrated watershed management and all the attendant centripetal forces within a basin directly contradict the centrifugal needs of state separation and sovereignty.There are 313 river basins, around 600 aquifers, and over 300 wetlands crossed by the political boundaries of two or more countries. International basins cover almost 50% of the earth's land surface, affect about 50% of the world's population, and account for approximately 60% of global river flow. While the potential for paralyzing disputes is high in these basins, history shows that water can catalyze dialog and cooperation, even between contentious riparians; moreover, as we move from thinking about rights to thinking in terms of equitably sharing “baskets” of benefits, the opportunities for cooperation increase.