**4. Conclusions**

After armed conflict, rebuilding and recovery initiatives should use a constant strategy of utilizing water resources, which will not just be sensitive to national needs and the environment, but will also require the assistance of local communities to encourage collaboration and peace in the long term and reduce the chance of the relapse of conflict between parties. Collaboration among many parties regarding critical survival concerns such as water governance can have a good spillover impact on other, more controversial areas during climate change in post-conflict periods. Establishing a commitment to developing and sharing critical natural resources such as water in a sustainable and equitable manner can support overcoming existing insecurity or distrust between states and create a climate of mutual benefits and the assessment of long-term common interests. Regional water quality managemen<sup>t</sup> and monitoring in the South Caucasus may help both the economy and the ecology throughout the Kura-Aras basin. The protection of riverine aquatic ecosystems will necessitate collaboration, with the result being improved water quality for all users. According to the interviews, water is already scarce in Armenia and Azerbaijan, and cooperation between parties can support the effective managemen<sup>t</sup> of water resources and water access, particularly during climate change. The interview participants agree that climate change mainly makes a negative impact on water resources and creates more challenges for its management. The coordination of water resource management, with proper regard for riparian rights and a specific country's needs, has the potential

to considerably lessen the consequences of climate change on water supplies, and hence, improve the shared benefits. Future regional water managemen<sup>t</sup> must take into account non-agricultural water consumers, such as those using local water for hydropower and industrial consumers, as well as the preservation of natural systems. Parties need to build trust between each other via the mediation of neutral actors and repair communication, at least for collaboration in water managemen<sup>t</sup> to respond to the negative impact of climate change in the South Caucasus.

**Funding:** This research received no external funding.

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable.

**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.

**Data Availability Statement:** Not applicable.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
