Transboundary waters

 As water quality degrades or the quantity available has to meet rising demands over time, competition among water users intensifies.

Legal agreements on water sharing have been negotiated and maintained even as conflicts have persisted over other issues

Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, have been able to cooperate since 1957 within the framework of the Mekong River Commission, and they had technical exchanges throughout the Vietnam War. 

Since 1955 Israel and Jordan, have held regular talks on the sharing of the Jordan River, even as they were until recently in a legal state of war.

 The Indus River Commission survived two wars between India and Pakistan. A framework for the Nile River Basin, home to 160 million people and shared among 10 countries, was agreed in February 1999 in order to fight poverty and spur economic development in the region by promoting equitable use of, and benefits from, common water resources. 

The 9 Niger River Basin countries have agreed on a framework for a similar partnership. 

These cases reflect 2 important elements of international water resources cooperation -

1. the need for an institution to effectively develop a process of engagement over time; and 

2. well-funded third-party support trusted by all factions.

The 1997 United Nations Convention on Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses is one international instrument that specifically focuses on shared water resources

 It established two key principles to guide the conduct of nations regarding shared watercourses: "equitable and reasonable use" and "the obligation not to cause significant harm" to neighbours. 

However, it is up to countries themselves to spell out precisely what these terms mean in their watersheds.

Did you know?

• The world's 263 transboundary lake and river basins cover nearly half of the Earth's land surface.
• A total of 145 nations include territory within international basins, and 21 countries lie entirely within international basins.
• While most basins are shared between just two countries, there are many basins where this number is much higher. There are 13 basins worldwide that are shared between 5 and 8 riparian nations. Five basins, the Congo, Niger, Nile, Rhine and Zambezi, are shared between 9 and 11 countries. The river that flows through the most nations is the Danube, which travels within the territory of 18 nations.
• World Water Day 2009 was dedicated to the theme "Shared Waters, Shared Opportunities". The focus was placed on transboundary waters and on the fact that nurturing the opportunities for cooperation in transboundary water management can help build mutual respect, understanding and trust among countries and promote peace, security and sustainable economic growth.  
• In February 2011, the UN General Assembly decided to proclaim 2013 International Year of Water Cooperation.