'Trust comes on foot and leaves on horseback'

Dr Farhad Mukhtarov was an adviser to the Flagship Report 'Water in a heated world' published by the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU).

Advising the WBGU team on the design of the study and the formulation of policy recommendations, Mukhtarov highlighted the importance of creating trusting relationships in Global North-Global South partnerships.

'...the importance of trusting partnerships and ensuring Germany’s credibility in its own political actions is increasingly becoming the focus of political considerations.'

Flagship Report, page 17.

The focus on building long-term trust in partnerships between European and Global South partners originates from Mukhtarov's research into the global hydro-hubs and development cooperation of the Netherlands with other countries around the world in water diplomacy.

In earlier publications, Mukhtarov and colleagues explain how investment in 'soft' infrastructure of trust between riverine states and between development cooperation partners is as important as investment in 'hard' infrastructure. This finding is now an official recommendation of WBGU to the German government and its European partners.

Other recommendations inspired by Mukhtarov's work underline the importance of long-term involvement in development cooperation between Global North and South partners, building and maintaining trust relationships and being aware of reputational risks involved in pursuing too aggressive and short-sighted 'aid-for-trade' policies or withdrawing development aid altogether.

Trust, as the Dutch saying goes, comes on foot but leaves on horseback, and hence should be prioritized in development cooperation projects in the water sector.