Transboundary Water Resources Research Articles

Orta Asya'da Sınır Ötesi Su Kaynaklarının Paylaşım Sorunları

ABSTRACT 
 
 The main water resources in Central Asia are the two major transboundary rivers of Syr Darya and Amu Darya. Territorial distribution status of shared waters from these rivers and increasing demand for water in both upper reaches and downstream countries lead to competition between water use for hydropower generation and for irrigation contributing to serious consequences for the economy of these countries. This also raises the political tension between the upper reaches and downstream countries. Therefore, efficient and sustainable management of water resources in the region remains highly important for economic, political and environmental cooperation between the Central Asian Republics. When Central Asian Republics gained their independence after the breakup of the old Soviet Union, the problem of sharing the transboundary water resources aggravated due to the collapse of the old single centralized model of management. The essence of the problems with sharing transboundary waters in the region is that the goals for water use in the region predominantly differ from one country to another. This contradiction is rooted in differing national interests of the republics’ water consumption priorities, with some countries more dependent on irrigated agriculture while hydropower generation is more priority for others. This paper attempts to look at the issues with joint water use, management of transboundary water resources by Central Asian countries and points out the main causes of the problem.

The Endless Controversies Of The Nile River Basin In The Context Of International Transboundary Watercourse Doctrines

Considering the conflicting interests of states over their shared basin-wide transboundary water resources, various basin states follow different international legal theories of transboundary watercourses. This paper focuses on the aforenamed watercourse theories in light of the practices of the Nile River Basin.In an attempt to correlate the theories of International Transboundary Watercourse vis-à-vis the case of the Nile River basin, this paper addresses whether the Nile riparian countries follow a particular transboundary watercourse theory or not? Whether the upstream and/or downstream countries follow the same or different doctrinal theory or not? Whether the theories they follow have practical significance in showing the origin of where the Nile controversy lies or not?In addressing the aforementioned issues, this paper finally shows the origin of where the Nile River Basin controversies emanated from — as their conflicting and uncompromising attitudes over their international theoretical standing point, lead their practical basin-wide negotiations to a never-ending Nile controversy.

A Novel HydroEconomic - Econometric Approach for Integrated Transboundary Water Management Under Uncertainty

The optimal management of scarce transboundary water resources among competitive users is expected to be challenged by the effects of climate change on water availability. The multiple economic and social implications, including conflicts between neighbouring countries, as well as competitive sectors within each country are difficult to estimate and predict, to inform policy-making. In this paper, this problem is approached as a stochastic multistage dynamic game: we develop and apply a novel framework for assessing and evaluating different international strategies regarding transboundary water resources use, under conditions of hydrological uncertainty. The Omo-Turkana transboundary basin in Africa is used as a case study application, since it increasingly faces the above challenges, including the international tension between Kenya and Ethiopia and each individual country’s multi-sectoral competition for water use. The mathematical framework combines a hydro-economic model (water balance, water costs and benefits), and an econometric model (production functions and water demand curves) which are tested under cooperative and non-cooperative conditions (Stackelberg “leader–follower” game). The results show the cross-country and cross-sectoral water use—economic trade-offs, the future water availability for every game case, the sector-specific production function estimations (including residential, agriculture, energy, mining, tourism sectors), with nonparametric treatment, allowing for technical inefficiency in production and autocorrelated Total Factor Productivity, providing thus a more realistic simulation. Cooperation between the two countries is the most beneficial case for future water availability and economic growth. The study presents a replicable, sophisticated modelling framework, for holistic transboundary water management.

Assessment of Climate Change Impacts for Balancing Transboundary Water Resources Development in the Blue Nile Basin

An assessment of climate impacts in the hydrologic system of the Blue Nile basin is useful for enhancing water management planning and basin-wide policymaking. Climate change adaptation activities predominantly require an understanding of the range of impacts on the water resource. In this study, we assessed climate change impacts on the Blue Nile River using 30-year in situ climate data (1981–2010) and five bias-corrected General Circulation Models (GCMs) for future (2026–2045) climate projections of RCP8.5. Both historical and GCM precipitation projections show inter-annual and spatial variability, with the most significant increases in the rainy season and a significant decrease in the dry season. The results suggest the probability of an increase in total precipitation. The intensity and frequency of future extreme rainfall events will also increase. Moreover, the hydrological model simulation results show a likely increase in total river flow, peak discharges, flood inundation, and evapotranspiration that will lead to a higher risk of floods and droughts in the future. These results suggest that the operation of water storage systems (e.g., the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) should be optimized for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and irrigation management in addition to their intended purposes in the Nile basin.

Legal regulation of transboundary water resources of the republic of Kazakhstan

This study discusses the legal issues of regulation of transboundary water resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The purpose of the study is to study the problem of rational use and protection of transboundary rivers of Kazakhstan to ensure stable development. The methodology for solving the direct problem is based on general scientific methods of cognition, and concepts of interaction between society and nature; methods of logical-legal, structural-functional, and comparative legal analysis were applied based on a comprehensive approach to the study subject. The authors identified several advantages and disadvantages of current legal regulation measures and reviewed the current state of transboundary water resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Also, the authors analysed the regulatory framework in transboundary water resources management and investigated the international regulatory framework for cooperation in the field of transboundary water resources management of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The authors conclude that a considerable disadvantage in establishing an effective legal regime for regulating water resources is the practical lack of legal regulation at the river basin level.

10.52340/jecm.2022.07.33

            The classification of water-related conflicts, conflict assessment indices and the status of international agreements in the field of water were studied. It was established that along with positive properties, water has the potential for conflict. Conflicts are mainly related to the management and use of transboundary water resources, which in turn threaten regional security. Historical experience shows that conflict situations can be resolved peacefully by involving water diplomacy in negotiations. A typological classification of water conflicts has been developed. However, mechanisms for assessing the occurrence of water-related conflict situations need further improvement.

Diving into Water Diplomacy – Exploring the Emergence of a Concept

Abstract The term “water diplomacy” has gained currency among policy makers and academics. It reflects an awareness that the use, management, and protection of transboundary water resources is intrinsically political and often embedded in complex political settings. Based on a review of academic and policy documents, we analyze the variety of understandings and common patterns in the definition of water diplomacy. We also analyze tools, tracks, and levels through which and at which water diplomacy is conducted or analyzed. With our own definition of water diplomacy as deliberative political processes and practices of preventing, mitigating, and resolving disputes over transboundary water resources and developing joint water governance arrangements by applying foreign policy means which are embedded in bi- and/or multilateral relations beyond the water sector and taking place at different tracks and scales, we aim to advance the discourse on water diplomacy both in the academic and policy realms.

Contested baselines and transboundary water resources management, with illustrations from the Nile

ABSTRACT The effect of a policy intervention is estimated as the difference between a state of the world without the intervention – the dynamic baseline – and with the intervention. Negotiations on managing transboundary water resources confront three kinds of problems in specifying the dynamic baseline: unexamined baselines, uncertain baselines and contested baselines. This paper focuses on contested baselines. Controversy may arise from different ethical or political assessments of the appropriate choice of the state of the world without the policy intervention. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile highlights the importance of understanding contested baselines involving transboundary water resources.

Conceptual and Methodological Foundations for the Articulation of Geospatial Data on Water Resources in South America’s Cross-Border Hydrographic Basins

When observing transboundary waters through the lens of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), it is essential to emphasize the principle of watershed unicity, which must overcome geopolitical interests while being supported by technical criteria. This paper used a multilevel and multiscale approach for integrated management of transboundary water resources in two South American transboundary river basins: the Javari River Basin (between Brazil and Peru) and the Quaraí River Basin (between Brazil and Uruguay). The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) provided spatialized data for South American watersheds. Our research focused on several broad issues concerning regional transboundary water management: (a) Because only Peru and Brazil use the Otto–Pfafstetter method, a uniform method within a regional agreement about methodological differences for delimiting hydrographic basins in each country is required; (b) It is necessary to organize accurate databases to avoid problems of mismatched borders by overlapping national databases or mismatches due to scale problems; (c) It is also necessary to establish a coordinating body capable of working with each country’s representatives. In this case, building integrated and collaborative cartographic database becomes critical; (d) Because river meanders can change, historical data of a river’s morphology is required. In this sense, this research provides guidelines to make water management in transboundary rivers feasible in South America.

Review and Analysis of the Effectiveness of International Regulations and laws in the Field of Integrated Water Resources Management in Central Asia

An analysis of the effectiveness of the work of regulatory legal acts and laws of the Kyrgyz Republic on integrated water resources management was carried out in order to identify causal relationships of work / not work, as well as recommendations on the necessary measures for the effective work of regulatory legal acts (NLA) in this area were developed. Also, as part of the preparation of this work, successful cases were prepared on the work of the NLA and the laws of the Kyrgyz Republic and Central Asia, transboundary and basin water resources management. The work was structured as follows: collecting the necessary materials, studying, analyzing, making recommendations. To date, Kyrgyzstan has not implemented the provisions of the Water Code. The State Water Administration and its Basin Structures, Irrigation and Drainage Commissions, Dam Safety, etc. have not been created. Water resources management is still carried out on an administrative basis, not on a basin basis. The work used various literary sources, archival data, Internet resources, etc., links to which are given in the article.

Hydro-Politics of Trans-Boundary Water Resources in South Asia: A Water- Energy-food Nexus of Cooperation

Water is a vital resource for 1.9 billion, 24.89 Percent of the total world population residing in the South Asian states and the geopolitics of the region primarily is hydro-politics. The water geography of the region comprises river basins like the Indus, Ganges, Meghna, and Brahmaputra, acting as capillaries responsible for the flow of life in this gigantic region. Allocation of water resources is an external as well internal policy challenge for South Asian states. Taking a view of the water geography of the region and treaties governing trans boundary water flow, the paper aims to address the question of whether the water problem can be dealt only with the traditional security paradigm, focusing on water conflict through the state-centric lens; or the issue can be reflected with the prism of unconventional security paradigms as waters are integral to economic, food, environmental and human security. Human security combined with Liberal-Functionalist approaches may transform the crisis into a prospective scenario of peace and cooperation in the region

Softness in the Law of International Watercourses: The (E)merging Normativities of China's Lancang-Mekong Cooperation

AbstractThe law of international watercourses consists mainly of a series of bilateral, multilateral, regional, and global agreements that establish binding rules through which state parties jointly manage transboundary water resources. China similarly manages its shared freshwaters through a series of bilateral agreements. Increasingly, however, it relies on non-binding soft law instruments to manage these resources with its riparian neighbours. An important example of this is the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, a branch of the Belt and Road Initiative. Its use of soft instruments, which recognize international law and promote projects, displays evidence of merging and emerging normativities, ensuring that it is capable of playing both a supporting and a developmental role in the law of international watercourses.

Water Resources as the Material Basis for Further Strategic Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Of all various kinds of natural resources that provide vital activity of all kinds of living organisms, people, society and state, the most important are water resources without the presence of which it is impossible not only for human life itself but also for the whole environment.
 Waters are the most important components of the environment, renewable, limited and vulnerable natural resources. They are used and protected as the basis of life and activities of the peoples living on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, provide economic, social, environmental well-being of the population, the existence of fauna and flora (Fedtsov, V.G., Fedtsova, A.V. and Ezhov, Y.A. 2005).
 Occupying the 9th place in the world in terms of the size of its territory, the Republic of Kazakhstan due to its geographical location, local climate, dependence on transboundary water resources and other reasons, belongs to the category of one of the poorly water-secured regions of the globe. This fact entails the need to organize the processes of the most careful attitude to water resources, the legal provision of its rational use and all-round protection from pollution, littering and depletion, in order to ensure water security not only for the citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, but also for all mankind.

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam vis-à-vis Hydropolitical Justice: Why Egypt and Ethiopia Engage in Hydropolitical Tension over the Dam?

The study was aimed to examine the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) from the viewpoint of hydropolitical justice and reveal the reason of Ethio-Egyptian hydropolitical tension over the dam. Conceptually, hydropolitical justice can be defined as procedurally inclusive, environmentally valid, politically sound, and economically reasonable plus distributionally benefit sharing utilization of transboundary water resources in the way of maximizing benefits and minimizing harms of all riparians. Through relying on this concept, the study has employed qualitative research method and utilized secondary sources of data. Accordingly, the analysis of this paper proved that the GERD is a project of water use management and development which fulfill imperative requirements for the birth and growth of hydropolitical justice over the utilization of the Blue Nile. Hence, GERD is a development project of water utilization which could enable both Egypt and Ethiopia to equitably share benefits of the Blue Nile without the worth of another. The analysis of this study assures, with evidence, that the dam has a potential to equitably maximize benefits and minimize harms of both Ethiopia and other lower riparians of the river. Thus, the hydropolitical tension of Egypt and Ethiopia is emanated not from the dam’s feature of strengthening a reasonable, equitable and non- significant harm principle of international water law. Rather from an equitably non-beneficial, legally baseless, scientifically unsupported and greedily motivated political insistency of Egypt so as not to recognize the necessity of GERD from the perspective of hydropolitical justice.

Opportunities and Challenges Arising from Rapid Cryospheric Changes in the Southern Altai Mountains, China

Optimizing the functions and services provided by the mountain cryosphere will maximize its benefits and minimize the negative impacts experienced by the populations that live and work in the cryosphere-fed regions. The high sensitivity of the mountain cryosphere to climate change highlights the importance of evaluating cryospheric changes and any cascading effects if we are to achieve regional sustainable development goals (SDGs). The southern Altai Mountains (SAM), which are located in the arid to semi-arid region of central Asia, are vulnerable to ecological and environmental changes as well as to developing economic activities in northern Xinjiang, China. Furthermore, cryospheric melting in the SAM serves as a major water resource for northeastern Kazakhstan. Here, we systematically investigate historical cryospheric changes and possible trends in the SAM and also discover the opportunities and challenges on regional water resources management arising from these changes. The warming climate and increased solid precipitation have led to inconsistent trends in the mountain cryosphere. For example, mountain glaciers, seasonally frozen ground (SFG), and river ice have followed significant shrinkage trends as evidenced by the accelerated glacier melt, shallowed freezing depth of SFG, and thinned river ice with shorter durations, respectively. In contrast, snow accumulation has increased during the cold season, but the duration of snow cover has remained stable because of the earlier onset of spring melting. The consequently earlier melt has changed the timing of surface runoff and water availability. Greater interannual fluctuations in snow cover have led to more frequent transitions between snow cover hazards (snowstorm and snowmelt flooding) and snow droughts, which pose challenges to hydropower, agriculture, aquatic life, the tail-end lake environment, fisheries, and transboundary water resource management. Increasing the reservoir capacity to regulate interannual water availability and decrease the risk associated with hydrological hazards related to extreme snowmelt may be an important supplement to the regulation and supply of cryospheric functions in a warmer climate.

The GERD dam in the water dispute between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. A scenario analysis in an ecosystem approach between physical and geopolitical geography

<abstract> <p>This paper examines the transboundary water resources conflict resolution mechanisms. Although different research perspectives, including social planner, water market, game theory, static and dynamic systems engineering model, have already provided conflict resolution mechanisms that could be used to analyze transboundary water conflicts, here an ecosystemic approach based on an analytical model, is proposed. For this aim the case of GERD "Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam" on Nile Azzurro, is analyzed. The scenario of the GERD dam, besides being current and interesting in the water dispute between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, is suitable for the application of the proposed analytical model. This model could permit researchers and practitioners to develop more comprehensive mechanisms, complementary to political strategies, with stronger analytical capacity to analyze the different elements of the process of transboundary water dispute resolution.</p> </abstract>

Transboundary Water Resources Conflict Analysis Using Graph Model for Conflict Resolution: A Case Study—Harirud River

One of the most important environmental issues today is the water crisis and the ensuing security challenges. Of these, transboundary waters pose the most significant security challenges. Resolving these conflicts and agreements over transboundary waters has always faced a variety of challenges, making it difficult to reach a mutually agreed solution. One of the transboundary water conflicts that have been exacerbating in recent years is the conflict between Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkmenistan over the use of the Harirud river water resources. The present paper aims to analyze, using the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR), a game theory model, the conflict between the three countries regarding the utilization of the water resources of the border river, Harirud. To this purpose, first, the current state of the conflict was investigated. Then, each of the three countries’ possible options and preferences was defined according to the past and present state of the conflict as well as the possible states. By defining the permissible movements and priorities of each decision maker, the equilibrium of the conflict was obtained. Next, four scenarios were defined, the equilibria were extracted in each scenario, and the results were interpreted. The implementation of the GMCR model algorithm regarding the Harirud water conflict between the three countries indicated that the current state is the most likely outcome of the conflict as none of the parties involved, given their preferences, and is motivated or able to change their strategy to help the conflict to a more favorable state.

Etiyopya'da Su Yönetiminin Durumu: Sorunlar ve Çözüm Yaklaşımları

Water management is considered to be a field that searches for optimal solutions to the problems posed by society's need for water and the availability of water in nature. Urbanization and rapid increase in population have brought many problems related to water resources, especially in developing countries like Ethiopia. As a result, millions of people do not have access to potable water and improved sanitation. This study found that the main water problems in Ethiopia are more likely to result from weaknesses in coordination, lack of adequate authorized institutions, rapid population growth, technical, financial, and hydro political problems rather than water scarcity. The country's policy on sharing its natural resources, allocation, and management of transboundary water resources creates major problems between upstream and downstream countries. The study recommends advanced management mechanisms and appropriate approaches that can solve the existing problems and promote the socio-economic development of the country.

Critical geopolitics, the Shanghai cooperation organization and the sino-kazakh water agreements

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), previously known as the Shanghai Five, was formed in June 2001 as a security engagement organization. It is a highly influential organization in the Eurasian continent, and most Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan included - are members of SCO, as well as China. In recent years, the Chinese water diplomacy towards Kazakhstan has advanced in different agreements that are shaping the patterns of water security in Central Asia. The Chinese strategic interest in the development of the scope of the SCO in this region has made Kazakh transboundary water issues to advance in negotiations. However, these agreements have been made in a bilateral scheme, which is considered relatively unequal towards Kazakh interests; therefore, in spite of the Kazakh efforts, the SCO so far has not turned into a water security organization. This paper is going to analyze the current trends in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as well as the Sino-Kazakh cooperation platform, especially regarding transboundary water resources. From the perspective of the critical geopolitics scholarship and its considerations regarding the concepts of hegemony and zones of influence, the idea that the Sino-Kazakh cooperation has advanced following Chinese interests is going to be defended. In conclusion, this paper states that due to the lack of interest regarding Chinese water diplomacy, and despite of Kazakh efforts, the SCO is not in the near future launching great initiatives regarding water security in the region, reinforcing the Chinese diplomacy of bilateral water agreements. Recebido em 14/04/2021Aprovado em 19/09/2021

Protection of prior and late developers of transboundary water resources in international treaty practices: a review of 416 international water agreements

Protection of prior and late developers of transboundary water resources in international treaty practices: a review of 416 international water agreements