Mangament of International Water Resources under the1992 European Water Convention

Abstract

The international community has demonstrated significant interest in the issue of international watercourses, convening numerous conferences and seminars to propose frameworks for a unified legal regime governing the utilization and management of this non-renewable natural resource. In this context, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) spearheaded the drafting of an international water convention, culminating in the “Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes of 1992”. Initially regional in scope, the convention was subsequently amended to acquire a global character, allowing all UN member states to accede to it.

The research problem lies in identifying the mechanisms for achieving equitable utilization among riparian states in accordance with the aforementioned convention. This study aims to explore pathways toward Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) as stipulated in the convention's provisions. Adopting an analytical methodology to examine the legal substance of the articles, the study concludes that the convention constitutes a legally binding instrument for its parties. Accordingly, the study recommends the establishment of an independent, joint neutral commission comprising all riparian states of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to ensure the integrated and sustainable management of these two watercourses.