Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
cross international boundaries, the challenges to IWRM and water resource
planning are much more complex. Hence inter-state cooperation is of crucial
importance.
While cooperation rather than conflict over transboundary watercourses
is the norm (Giordano and Wolf
et al
2003: 165), almost 90 per cent of all
conflict events relate to water quantity or infrastructure such as dams and
irrigation (Wolf
et al.
2003). Examples of countries involved in contested
rights and management include: Israel, Lebanon and Syria regarding the
Jordan River; Turkey, Iraq and Syria regarding the Tigris-Euphrates; Nigeria,
Niger and Mali regarding the Niger basin; Argentina and Uruguay regarding
the La Plata, to name just a few (Rieu-Clarke and Loures 2009). Institutional
arrangements between countries have been found to make a difference.
For example, basins with high dam densities that have treaties have more
cooperative relationships than those without (Giordano and Wolf 2003).
According to a recent study, only one third of transboundary basins have
treaties, basin commissions or other forms of cooperative arrangements which
apply to shared resources situated along the borders of two or more countries
(UNEP 2006) (see Figure 2.1). The good news is that more than 54 new
bilateral and multilateral water agreements have been signed since the Rio
conference. Many states that did not support the still unratified International
Watercourse Convention, such as China, have formalised bilateral agreements
with neighbouring states.
Many agreements establish joint water commissions with decision-making,
advisory and/or enforcement powers. Table 2.2 outlines some well-known
multi-party agreements and the implementing bodies.
Figure 2.1
International river basins with agreements
(Source: Giordano and Wolf 2003. Product of the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute
Database, Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University. Used with permission.
Additional information can be found at: www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu.)
