Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
ethnic groups often depend heavily on history as
part of the case for territorial change. The concern
of governments to acquire or protect resources also
helps to explain territorial ambition. As the
demand for scarce resources of oil, gas, fish and
fresh water has increased, states have turned to
more marginal areas, and territorial disputes may
be the result. A final, and crucial, element in many
territorial disputes is human territoriality . In some
territorial conflicts, it is difficult to detect any
other motive than the intense desire by one party
to protect what it believes to be its own, and the
desire of another, fired by nationalist fervour, to
extend its domain. Passions can run high where
even small areas of land are in question.
the growing need for training in boundary
management skills, and continuing exchange of
ideas about best practice (Blake et al . 1995).
Technical problems
As with charts (see below), the misuse and
misunderstanding of topographic maps can create
border problems between states. Some of the
major pitfalls are discussed by Adler (1995),
Rushworth (1997) and Blake (1995). Common
problems are concerned with misunderstanding
scale, and geodetic datums, misuse of coordinates,
and failure to understand the limitations of maps.
WHY BOUNDARY DISPUTES OCCUR
AT SEA
Functional disputes
Stress can be caused between states by the
consequences of the international boundary rather
than its location. Functional disputes are very
common and cover a wide range of activities.
Fortunately, they are commonly managed
peacefully by the parties and no serious dispute
results. Many busy boundaries maintain joint
commissions or groups of some kind to trouble-
shoot as problems arise and are very successful in
keeping the peace. A large category of grievances
concerns unauthorised border crossings by
smugglers, bandits, migrant workers and refugees,
with the allegation that state A is doing too little
to prevent incursion into state B. Other functional
disputes include illegal transboundary fishing, or
accusations that a state is taking out more than its
fair share of water or oil from a straddling reservoir.
The examples are legion, and the closer one
examines any particular boundary, the more
functional problems become evident. Figure 26.1
illustrates a number, including a nature
conservation area in state C that is not matched in
state B, making borderland species protection and
biodiversity programmes ineffective. Pollution of
rivers, lakes and beaches from across the
international boundary is also a common
grievance, and the consequences of dam building
and the extraction of water by upstream states in
shared river basins is another. All this underlines
Maritime boundary questions are less inclined to
create serious international friction than land
boundaries, because emotional and historic ties to
the seabed are naturally much weaker. Islands are an
exception. Rival claims to offshore islands can
engender powerful nationalist emotions, and the
media are fascinated by such disputes. Many tiny
islands with romantic names have hit the headlines
in recent years, such as Imia/Kardak, Sipadan and
Ligitan, Diaoyo Tai/Senkaku and the South
Sandwich Islands. A large number of these disputed
islands have little intrinsic value, but their ownership
can give title to surrounding seabed resources. Smith
and Thomas (1998) identified thirty-two disputed
islands or groups of islands worldwide involving
forty-four states. The list is likely to lengthen as more
states turn to maritime boundary delimitation in
future.The process of offshore boundary delimitation
is likely to encounter a number of other problems,
which are outlined below.
Questions of sovereignty
Sovereignty over islands and mainland territory
must clearly be resolved before maritime boundary
drawing can begin. Thus in the current (1998)
dispute between Eritrea and Yemen over their Red
Sea boundary, the Court of Arbitration will first
Search WWH ::




Custom Search