International Water Law Principles and Frameworks: Perspectives from the Nile River Basin

Sustainability of Integrated Water Resources Management

“…However, it is important to note that decentralized water management must take place at an appropriate pace, with mechanisms and tools to support basin-level institutions with the complex and daunting challenges of integrated water management. Otherwise, decentralized water management can have adverse and unsustainable consequences (Stoa 2014).…”

“…This is nothing new; tensions between upstream and downstream countries are a fundamental dynamic international water laws must address (Stoa 2014). In this case, Georgia enjoys the privileges of clean and bountiful surface water flows.…”

“…This initial triumph is juxtaposed by the fact that without sufficient ratifications, the Convention has yet to enter into force and therefore remains a nonbinding treaty. As of January 2014, only 33 states have ratified the Convention, with 35 needed for entry into force (Stoa 2014).…”

“…Most apparent is the target subject matter of the agreements. While the Watercourses Convention attempts to codify customary principles of management over a vital natural resource (inviting debate over sovereignty, rights, and obligations) (Stoa 2014), the Ramsar Convention and UNCCD provide a framework for states to protect certain ecosystem types, in this case wetlands and desert-prone areas. While water rights are highly contentious, wetlands and deserts rarely invoke sovereignty concerns for states, instead encouraging the preservation and sustainable management of ecosystems that are vital to combating climate change.…”

“…The Basel Convention aims to limit the transportation of hazardous wastes -especially from developed to less-developed countries -while encouraging states to limit the amount of hazardous waste produced. The Convention enjoys widespread support from the international community, with 180 countries party to the Convention and 73 countries supporting a total ban on shipping of hazardous wastes to less-developed countries (Stoa 2014). This framework may indirectly regulate climate change in three ways.…”