*The World Bank decides not to lend money for the dam unless there is "significant" collaboration with neighbors. Argue over what “significant” means, but then feed Deltaland people a little water, grudgingly.
*The dam has done so well that the headwater people have decided to share the water in a 5-year treaty. Pour out glasses for everyone in class.
Then add that the Headwaters People want more water in order to, say, run dishwashers, notorious consumers of water, or to water green lawns in front of houses. They announce they will build a second dam.
*It turns out that the Deltaland People have discovered oil. Now they will buy dishwashers. But the Headwaters people announce that now the Deltaland people can afford to pay for the water coming from the mountains of the North.
*Leaders of the local religion of the Deltaland Region have just found out about the changes and have protested: the river has been sacred to them for the last several thousand years; cleansing; monks lived by its banks etc. Divine Right asserts that they should have unrestricted access.
*A joint study reveals that upstream water evaporates more slowly. A Joint Commission has decided to store Deltaland’s water upstream, and save lots of additional water for downstream without costing much. Give everyone a drink.
*Impasse: an old agreement is not good for the upstream people, who were “undeveloped” and hence underrepresented at that meeting. Now they say this must be renegotiated, and won’t share their water data until this happens. Downstream people say this agreement was negotiated in good faith and they refuse. Go without water.