A Glimpse into International Regimes Governing the Use of Transboundary Freshwater Resources

Abstract

This article discusses the legal and institutional frameworks that apply to transboundary freshwater resources. Water has increasingly become one of the most critical environmental concerns of the twenty-first century. The quantum leap in global populations and economies has created enormous environmental change that is presently threatening the quantity and quality of freshwater resources. To address this concern, the international community has over the years designed, negotiated and ratified treaties and rules for the management of freshwater resources in international river basins as a necessary step to overcome some of the conflicts related to international waters. This article provides a general glimpse into transboundary freshwater treaties and rules governing the use of water resources, with a focus on major international regional agreements and non-treaty instruments; the institutional framework for the management of transboundary water resources and international water law Cases. The development of transboundary freshwater treaties and rules governing the use of water resources by the international community is bound to have a clear impact on the regime. These treaties and rules help to address the environmental concerns in transboundary freshwater management, and represent significant efforts in this long and difficult process of resolving water-related international challenges.

Keywords: International waters, river basins, transboundary freshwater treaties, water resources, shared river management, international water law, dispute resolution