Abstract
This paper presents an ontological framework that concisely captures the combinatorial complexity of river water sharing and visualizes the problem in its entirety. The framework's dimensions, the dimensions' taxonomies, and the resultant pathways are a complete, closed representation of the river water sharing problem. The framework is transdisciplinary; it is grounded in the research, the legal, and the practice literature on river water sharing. The authors illustrate the method and the application of the framework with the case study of Cauvery River water dispute between the Indian states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The approach can help develop innovative pathways to resolve such problems.
