Abstract
Transboundary natural resources management means “any process of cooperation across boundaries that facilitates or improves the management of natural resources (to the benefit of all parties in the area concerned)”. Because of their importance, these natural resources must be protected and managed in a way that will prevent their degradation and damage. Actual cases proved that joint management of transboundary natural resources often involves conflict or misunderstanding. The management of these resources should, thus, be anchored on some solid legal and institutional framework. The results of this article shows the need to strengthen the legal and institutional framework for proper international, regional and national management of natural resources that straddle more than one state. The article further reinstates the fact that this is a great means of ensuring environmental protection and avoiding conflicts among countries. Key words: Transboundary, natural resources, legal framework, disputes, multilateral treaty, bilateral treaty, environmental sustainability.
Highlights
Natural resources, such as water, wildlife and protected areas, that straddle two or more jurisdictions can present complicated management issues
Difficulties aside, the proper and effective management of transboundary natural resources is vital to the safety, longevity and sustainability of these resources
There is a great expectation and hope that transboundary natural resources management is pivotal in achieving conservation of the ecosystem “and peace, both between and within countries”
Summary
Natural resources, such as water, wildlife and protected areas, that straddle two or more jurisdictions can present complicated management issues. With the onset of climate change, cooperation among states sharing the resource becomes vital to minimise its impact. Divergent interests and sovereignty issues may further aggravate difficulties in obtaining consensus. In the African continent, for example, known for its hot and humid climate, water is scarce and any shared water resources will be, not surprisingly, hotly contested. Difficulties aside, the proper and effective management of transboundary natural resources is vital to the safety, longevity and sustainability of these resources. For example, is a vital natural resource in all parts of the world and even more so in some parts of the world because of scarce resources or greater needs
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