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Integrating Rules and Tools for Transboundary Water Resources Management
Mohamed Asheesh Asheesh/ 2006
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Water is the basis of infrastructure and living
UN Day 24th of October Water is the basis of infrastructure and living The United Nations Committee on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights declared that access to water is a human right and stated that water is a social and cultural good, not merely an economic commodity UN has declared the current year (2003) as the “International Year of Freshwater” “Water for People Water for Life” (A joint report by the twenty- three UN agencies concerned with freshwater) Asheesh/ 2006
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Global Water Crisis: the Single Biggest Threats Facing Humankind
The world’s population has tripled in the past hundred years Water demand has increased sevenfold over the same period Today, 25% of the world’s population (1.5 billion) still have no access to safe drinking water About 2.9 billion (50% of the world’s population) have no access to sanitation services Five million people, predominantly women and children, die every day from water-related diseases Asheesh/ 2006
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millions people suffer from problems related to water quality
About 40 countries and one billion people will lack adequate water supply in 2025 Asheesh/ 2006
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Transboundary Water Resources
In the world, 263 water bodies are shared by two or more countries Some fifty countries have 75% or more of their total land area within shared river basins Thirty-five to forty percent of the world's population live in these basins Upstream and downstream interests Urgent need for legal and institutional rules and tools to protect and manage shared water resources Asheesh/ 2006
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Disagreement on course of action
Water and Conflict Factual disagreement Disagreement on course of action Conflict about goals Relational aspects Asheesh/ 2006
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Overall development of the International Water law and international conventions 1966 Helsinki Rules Basis for international negotiations on non-navigational water use Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of the Water Courses 1997 1997 Several international initiatives and agreements Adopted by the International Law Association (ILA) 1967 21 May May 2000 for signature International Law Commission’s (ILC) Rules 1977 Mirror of the Helsinki Rules with few exceptions 1986 Supplemented by the Seoul Rules concerning international ground waters 1986 Asheesh/ 2006 ©Asheesh
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Asheesh/ 2006 HAIFA LAKE TIBERIA MEDITERRANEAN SEA N. E. NETANYA
A/459/ASHEESH/KARTTA1 BEERSHEBA HAIFA NETANYA N. E. AQUIFER WESTERN NABLUS EASTERN AMMAN TEL AVIV BETHLEHEM JERUSALEM MEDITERRANEAN SEA LAKE TIBERIA JORDAN RIVER ASHDOD GAZA DEAD SEA Asheesh/ 2006
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leave room for interpretation limit enforcement
Conclusions Rules and conventions on sharing international water resources are ‘frameworks’ which leave room for interpretation limit enforcement Overall problem of sovereignty ( rights) a fair and equitable solution Conflict issuing from distrust Data and information gaps: centralization and control UN declarations and conventions remain mostly unratified Asheesh/ 2006
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Twelve countries have formally ratified the Watercourse Convention:
Finland, Hungary, Jordan, Norway, South Africa, Syria, Lebanon, Sweden, Namibia, Netherlands, Qatar, and Iraq The Convention has also been signed by another 10 countries with intent to ratify; however, they are not yet bound by the Convention: Ivory Coast, Germany, Luxembourg, Namibia, Netherlands, Tunisia, Paraguay, Portugal, Yemen, Venezuela, Asheesh/ 2006
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Transboundary Water Resources: Surface and Groundwater
Discharge from transbounday flow Recharge contributing to transboundary flow Transboundary flow direction INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY Asheesh/ 2006
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Asheesh/ 2006 Freshwater Problems Quantity problem Quality problem
Arid& semiarid climate Unsustainable water withdrawals Natural distribution Population pressures Global Environmental Change/climate & desertification Poverty/ urban Sewage &wastewater Local natural conditions Industrial & agricultural output Asheesh/ 2006
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Transboundary Water Resources
P o l i c y I m p l i c a t i o n s Transboundary Water Resources Quality Technical Tools Water Balance Quantity Policy Rules & Law Institutional Framework Part B Part E Vision & Scenarios Part F Conclusions, Recommendations and Discussion Part A Problems Identification and Conflict Categorisation Part C Part D Tools &Rules Asheesh/ 2006
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