Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 2.1
International conventions and agreements
Agreement (date)
Purpose
Coverage
Core principles relevant to water
The Convention on
Wetlands of International
Importance
'Ramsar Convention' (1971)
To halt the worldwide loss of
wetlands and to conserve, through
wise use and management, those
that remain.
To encourage designation of sites
containing representative, rare
or unique wetlands, or wetlands
that are important for conserving
biological diversity.
164 contracting parties; 2098
wetlands listed (as of 2013)
• Planning and implementing 'wise use' of wetlands
• International cooperation
• Maintenance of their ecological character,
achieved through the implementation of
ecosystem approaches, within the context of
sustainable development (Resolution IX.1
Annex A (2005)
'Bellagio Draft' Treaty
Agreement concerns
use of Transboundary
Groundwaters
-
proposed
(1989), but
not signed
To achieve joint, optimum use
of the resource, facilitated by
procedures for avoidance or
resolution of diferences over
shared groundwaters in the face of
the ever-increasing pressures.
Not signed but intended as
a model for agreements on
management of transboundary
groundwaters shared by several
countries, e.g. North-eastern
African aquifer underlies Libya,
Egypt, Chad, and Sudan; a vital
European aquifer underlies the
Rhine;
Israel-Jordan-Syria region
• Use, protect and improve quality and control of
groundwaters on an equitable basis
• Integrated approach to conjunctive use of
surface and groundwater in the border region
• Creation and maintenance of an adequate data
base
• Comprehensive management plans including
pumping plans, plus drought management plans
• Enforcement within the territory of each party
is the responsibility of that party
• Biennial review of water quality and quantity
control measures
• Database of transboundary groundwater
resources including quality, quantity, recharge
rates, interaction with surface waters
• Consideration of declaring transboundary
groundwater conservation area
• Notification of public health hazards due to
contamination
• Amicably resolve diferences
