Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
International conventions and agreements
Principles of international law govern relationships between nations and
are fundamental to the charter of the UN and maintaining international
peace and security (Liguori 2009). Key themes of particular relevance to
water resource planning relate to the principle of 'no significant harm' to
environment and others, and 'benefit sharing' (Abseno 2009), as well as
employing 'good faith', which implies honesty and fairness between parties
who are seeking a solution.
International agreements take many forms including conventions and
transboundary binding and non-binding agreements. A minimum number
of signatories are often required for international treaties and conventions to
come into effect. On committing to an agreement, a government uses it as
guidance in making relevant laws, policies, strategies and instruments, and
in implementing programmes.
Fundamental to international agreements about water is the concept of
sustainable development. It has been a quarter of a century since a generally
accepted and succinct definition of sustainable development gained promi-
nence, in 1987, through Our Common Future (the Brundtland Report),
which defined it as:
development that meets the needs of the present without compro-
mising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (World
Commission on Environment and Development 1987: 37).
Since then international agreements have aimed at addressing environmental
decline resulting from rapid economic development, by considering the
long-term environmental effects, and the consequences to future generations.
Water was the focus of a conference in Dublin held in the lead-up to the Earth
Summit in Rio in 1992. Water resource management is addressed in chapter
18 of Agenda 21 (UN 1992), an outcome of the Rio conference. It includes
a non-binding action plan for improving the state of the world's natural
resources with a goal to ensure that supply and quality of water are suffi-
cient to meet both human and ecological needs worldwide. The 2002 World
Summit on Sustainable Development called on all countries to establish 'plans
for integrated water resources management and water efficiency by 2005'.
Soon after, many countries put in place steps to honour this commitment
by adopting new national water policies inspired by IWRM principles and
basically codifying international water principles (Petit and Baron 2009).
The
UN-Water Status Report
(UNEP 2012)
,
assembled in preparation for the
Rio+20 conference, notes that 80% of countries have progressed integrated
approaches and reforms (e.g. laws and policy) based on Agenda 21. Yet with
only 65% of countries having integrated water resource plans and 34%
reporting advanced implementation, more work is needed on putting policy
into practice (UNEP 2012: 17).
