Much has been written on hydropolitics, or on the interplays between transboundary water resource issues and politics. This arti- cle builds on recent calls for more research on the role of discourses in shaping hydropolitics. We propose a conceptual framework, inspired by critical discourse analysis, for the systematic investigation of how discursive practices construct and enact actors' power posi- tions in transboundary basin governance. Our framework's added value lies in the typology of discourses we develop – that is, domi- nant, institutionalized, hegemonic and sanctioned – for a more pre- cise analysis of discursive hydropolitics. We formulate a research agenda to operationalize our perspective on discursive hydropolitics and lay the groundwork for future empirical research.