Use Of Transboundary Water Resources Research Articles

Prerequisites for Increasing Contradictions between Iran and Afghanistan over the Use of Transboundary Water Resources of the Helmand River

Prerequisites for Increasing Contradictions between Iran and Afghanistan over the Use of Transboundary Water Resources of the Helmand River

International Experience in the Use of Transboundary Water Resources and Issues of its Regulation

The article analyzes the ecological problems of regulating the use of transboundary waters and its protection. The contents of the documents accepted by the international community were studied. At the same time, the state environmental policy of the Republic of Uzbekistan regarding transboundary waters and the tasks it has set for itself have been studied, and suggestions for their improvement have been given. The methods used in this research were interviews and surveys where interviews were conducted with key stakeholders, including government officials, local activists, and the general public in Uzbekistan. Use surveys to collect quantitative data about public perception and awareness regarding changing views about the value of water. In summary, effective international cooperation, clear legal regulations, the establishment of a monitoring commission, and comprehensive protection measures are essential for the sustainable management of transboundary water resources in Central Asia.

Роль водохранилищ в формировании гидроэкологической ситуации центрально-азиатского региона

As you know, the basins of more than 260 of the world's rivers are divided between two or more countries. River basins are home to about 40% of the world's population, occupy approximately half of the land surface, and account for about 60% of the globe's fresh water. Therefore, in modern times, one of the important regional and international problems is the establishment of friendly relations between the countries of transboundary river basins, the rational use of transboundary water resources, the correct distribution of water between countries, the resolution of conflicts in the use of transboundary water resources and other similar issues. The Aral Sea basin has two large transboundary rivers that are used by all countries in the region. Thus, this article examines the role of reservoirs in the regulation of water resources and their effective use in the process of climate change. In particular, this article analyzes the role of the Tajik Sea reservoir in regulating river flow, sedimentation of pollutants in river water and a decrease in the degree of salinity, as well as the impact on the formation of the climate of adjacent areas and use in various industries.

Urgent call for protection and use of transboundary watercourses. Some legal reflections

AbstractThe use of transboundary water resources has received special international attention in recent years. Although riparian countries recognize the benefits of cross‐border rivers and enter into agreements with countries sharing the transboundary rivers by means of legal rules, treaties, and principles, they have done excessive riverine exploitation activities to maximize their socio‐economic benefits, causing the imbalance in the ecosystems and peace. This study aims to conduct a secondary analysis of primary qualitative data to research the common legal frameworks on international water law such as Helsinki Rules, UN Watercourses Conventions, and UNECE Water Convention, together with a case study on the Mekong River Agreement. Bilateral, multilateral, international treaties and principles are currently not enforceable enough to compel riparian countries strictly to comply with these legal rules and principles on equitable and sustainable water coordination and development. Besides, there are still internal conflicts among the upper and lower riparian countries over the equitable and reasonable use of transboundary river watercourses due to lack of punitive sanctions. There is an urgent need to establish a specialized international water management commission designated by all nations with the utmost power to regulate human‐related activities concerning transboundary watercourses to govern equitable and sustainable management and development of the transboundary water use. Besides, current international law principles have to be revised to fill the gap of disagreement and potential conflicts between upstream, middle stream and downstream countries.

Some Legal Controversies on Equitable and Sustainable Utilization of Transboundary Water Resources in Practice (by Example of the Mekong River)

The use of transboundary water resources has gained internationally special attention for the past time. Although riparian countries recognize the benefits of cross-border rivers and enter into an agreement with countries sharing the transboundary rivers by legal rules, treaties and principles, they have done excessively riverine exploitation activities to maximize their socio-economic benefits causing the imbalance of the ecosystems and peace. International treaties, bilateral and multilateral basin, and principles are currently not enforceable enough to compel riparian countries strictly to comply with these legal rules and principles on the equitable and sustainable water coordination and development. Besides, there still exists internal conflicts among the upper and lower riparian countries on the use of transboundary river watercourses due to defective sanctions of transboundary water use. There is an urgent need to establish a specialized international water management commission designated by all nations with the utmost power to regulate human related activities concerning transboundary watercourses to govern equitable and sustainable management and development. Besides, current international law principles have to be revised to bridge the gap of disagreement and potential conflicts between the lower and upper riparian States.

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.

International Politics of Russia’s Water Strategy

The article summarizes the outcomes of the implementation of the Water Strategy of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2020 in its part concerning international politics and assesses the new challenges to international cooperation in the field of protection and use of transboundary waters that Russia is expected to face in the coming decade. 2010s witnessed both the changing situation in the field of water availability in Russia, its neighbor countries and the whole world, and the changing scholarly approaches to the impact of water scarcity on international politics. Most of the approaches agreed that water scarcity more often leads to international cooperation. While agreeing with this approach, the authors critically assess the assumption that water scarcity is more often a source of conflicts, and that multilateral international institutions are the best tool to mitigate these conflicts. The authors find that this approach is based on Hobbesian notion of the natural condition of war of all against all for scarce resources, the only alternative to which are institutions of coercion, albeit not always perfect. The authors also find that other approaches based on Hobbesian political philosophy separate the international political processes caused by fear and by scarcity, the two most important “passions that incline men to peace”, according to Hobbes. Fear, including fear of scarcity, tends to drive conflicts, but scarcity as such is more likely to generate cooperation. While multilateral institutions are sometimes capable of mitigating conflicts, in conditions of water scarcity bilateral and minilateral, i.e., created by a small number of parties, institutions of cooperation turn out to be more effective. The experience of Russia’s interaction with its neighbors in the field of protection and use of transboundary water resources considered in the article provides with yet another evidence of that. The authors conclude that the international politics component of Russia’s water strategy for the coming period is more consistent with the approach that assumes that water scarcity generates cooperation rather than conflicts. They also conclude that bilateral and minilateral institutions of cooperation offer countries destined to share a common river basin instruments of interaction that are more suitable for the conditions of a particular basin than multilateral institutions can offer.

International Legal Aspects of Regulating the Use of Transboundary Rivers in Central Asia

Water resources in Central Asia have always had and continue to have a significant impact on economic activities of the states of the region since all the major rivers here are transboundary and there are disagreements between the countries of the region about water supply and sharing of water resources. There are also disagreements on the application of norms of international law in the sphere of international legal regulation of transboundary water resources.
 The purpose of this article is to study international legal problems of transboundary water resources use by Central Asia states. In the course of the work performed, general methodological principles are used: system approach when analyzing the conceptual apparatus of the topic; comparative legal method when analyzing international treaties, acts, laws on the use of transboundary waters; method of historical analysis when studying the formation and development of international cooperation of Central Asian states in the field of transboundary water resources use.In this article, based on the study of international legal norms, the practice of their application in the field of cooperation of states on use of transboundary water resources, the problems and prospects for development of international legal regulation of cooperation of states in use and management of transboundary water resources in Central Asian region are identified.

Development of Principles and Legal Rules Regulating the Use of Transboundary Water Resources by States

The study is focused on the step-by-step development of the modern system of legal rules and principles used at the international level to regulate the use of transboundary watercourses in the course of their hydropower, water-management, and fishery development and for their protection and preservation. Analysis is given to the main tendencies in the development of the newly forming branch of the international public law aimed to regulate the international cooperation in the use, protection, and maintenance of transboundary water resources.

SHARED USE OF TRANSBOUNDARY WATER RESOURCES IN LA PLATA RIVER BASIN: UTOPIA OR REALITY?

Abstract The shared use of transboundary water resources has the potential to be a utopia for the use of cross-border natural resources. However, this type of approach between countries is not common. In the La Plata River Basin, recent tensions between Brazil and Paraguay associated with the use of water resources for electricity generation highlight the challenges of international cooperation. This text discusses the proposed revision of the Itaipu agreement put forward by Paraguay in 2008. This revision resulted in an increase in the price of surplus electricity received by Paraguay from Itaipu Binacional. The tensions between the these countries were caused by the use of water, which in this case is abundant; unlike other situations in which conflict can often arise due to water scarcity. This case is also notable because it involves the use of water for electricity generation rather than human consumption.

Between national idea and international conflict: the Roghun HHP as an anti-colonial endeavor, body of the nation, and national wealth

This contribution examines the nationalist politics and international controversy surrounding the construction plans for Roghun dam and hydropower station in post-Soviet Tajikistan. Conceived in 1970s as part of the Soviet ‘hydraulic mission’, this project has taken on new meanings in the second decade after Central Asian states acquired their sovereignty. This grandiose undertaking has become the ‘symbol of the nation’ and a ‘national idea’ in Tajikistan, reflecting popular hopes for dignified living and bolstering the ruling regime’s claim to power. Meanwhile, the neighbouring Uzbekistan dismisses the project as ‘silly’ and objects to it on environmental, economic and safety grounds, water becomes simultaneously an economic, social, physical, metaphysical and cultural resource. While the clashing visions of the upstream and downstream state are deeply rooted in the local histories and political contexts, the competing doctrines of water use reflect the global trends and debates regarding proper use of transboundary water resources, commodification of water and fundamental human right to access to water including for food production. Both countries gained independence under the conditions of globalization. Tajikistani society experienced a civil war, which has been described as a ‘complex crisis of decolonization’ (Heathershaw, Post-conflict Tajikistan: the politics of peace building and the emergence of legitimate order, 2009) in the first decade of its existence as a sovereign state. The resurrection of Roghun project not only serves the economic and political interests of Tajik ruling elite, it has also become a popular anti-colonial undertaking—this time overcoming dependence on a more powerful neighbor—Uzbekistan.

Water security and interstate conflict and cooperation

Tensions and conflicts over water use are increasingly common, as a result of both high water scarcity and high water demand. The use of water resources generates political disputes between countries sharing waters within their borders. This paper aims to discuss water security and the interstate conflict and cooperation that can result from it. It is based on an interdisciplinary literature review that aims to contribute to the development of studies on transboundary water policies, encompassing concepts such as water security, water justice and water governance. This article aims to grasp the problems involved in the conflicts and cooperation on shared use of transboundary water resources. It is divided in the following parts: water and international politics; international security, environmental security and water security; and interstate water conflicts and cooperation in the use of shared water resources. Cooperation in the use of transboundary waters might spare distributive conflicts on water use. In situations of scarcity, policies should prioritize human and animal watering, which might relieve water supply issues between riparian countries. On the other hand, water abundance may end up creating more tensions than water shortages, since disputes over its use might emerge instead of cooperation favoring interstate security.

Harmonization of strategies for the use of transboundary water resources

An approach to developing harmonized strategies of the use of transboundary water resources is considered. The principle of open management is examined in two possible situations of strategy development—either there is no agreement between governments regarding the use of a transboundary water body, or the existing agreement is to be revised. Perfect harmonization is attained in both variants.

Institutions for management of transboundary water resources: their nature, characteristics and shortcomings

This paper examines the evolution structure and characteristics of the management systems of 12 transboundary river basins: The Mekong, Indus, Ganges–Brahmaputra, the Nile, Jordan, Danube, Elbe, Rio Grande and Colorado, Rio de la Plata, Senegal and Niger. The paper presents the legal principles which guide the legal regime of the studied rivers, particularly the principle of equitable use of transboundary water resources and the obligation not to cause harm in the management of transboundary water resources. The practice of management in the abovementioned rivers is divided into three categories: (a) Treaties and agreements stopping short of allocating water between riparian states such as free navigation treaties or institutions which were established for a sole purpose such as combating pollution (Elbe, Danube, Rhine). (b) Treaties and agreements allocating water between states (the Indus, Nile, Ganges, Jordan). (c) Agreements for joint management of internationally shared waters (Colorado and Rio Grande, Mekong, Senegal and Niger). Some of the institutions discussed in this paper have evolved only after a long conflict (Indus, Ganges, Jordan) and that there is a danger of adopting institutions for only a portion of a river basin (Mekong, Nile). The success of institutions which were founded on basin-wide joint management lie in their territorial coverage and broad functional frameworks. These institutions also reflect, in the best way, the current legal norms in the management of transboundary water resources.