Conflict and Cooperation in the Management of Transboundary Freshwater Resources

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Conflict and Cooperation in the Management of
Transboundary Freshwater Resources

• Dr. Mara Tignino
• Bright Conference Food and Water an Increasing
  Challenge
• Milan, August 29 2009

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Outline

• 1. Linkages between water and war
• 2. Water, international peace and security in the
  United Nations practice
• 3. Water and environmental protection

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1. Linkages between water and war Literature on
water wars 

• Several studies considered the Middle East as the
  ideal scenario for past and future water wars
  (see Cooley, Starr, Bullock/Darwish, Chesnot)
• The 1967 Six Day War and the 1982 Lebanon
  invasion presented as water wars
• Declarations of political leaders animated the
  conviction the future water wars will be
  inevitable
• Water is also a weapon and an objective of wars

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1. Linkages between water and war Water as a
bridge of cooperation between States

• Examples of water cooperation during armed
  conflicts (Indus, Mekong, Senegal rivers)
• World Water Forum, Istanbul 2009 Final
  Ministerial Declaration
• World Water Forum, Kyoto 2003 Water Cooperation
  Facility (UNESCO and the Permanent Court of
  Arbitration)
• UNDP Human Development Report (2006)

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Linkages between water and war The complex
relationship between water and war

• Several factors trigger wars (see Homer- Dixon,
  Swiss Federal Institute of Technology/Swiss Peace
  Foundation, International Peace Research
  Institute)
• The role of economic and social issues and the
  distinction between renewable resources and non
  renewable resources
• Important facts freshwater represents only 2.5
  of the total of water available on the Earth,
  less than 1 is in rivers and lakes population
  growth climate change

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2. Water, international peace and security in the
UN practice

• Security Council (SC)
• Israeli water projects (resolutions in 1951,
  1953)
• Commission whose task was to investigate the
  depletion of water resources in the Arab occupied
  territories (resolution in 1979)
• Few resolutions adopted by SC deal expressly
  with water

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2. Water, international peace and security
The illegal exploitation of natural resources
in Africa

• Security Council (SC)
• Resolutions on the illegal exploitation of
  natural resources such as diamonds and timber in
  Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia (2003)
• In the future, the SC could adopt sanctions
  dealing with the illegal exploitation of water
  resources ?

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2. Water, international peace and security
International instruments

• Declaration on the Human Environment (Stockholm,
  1972) the first international instrument
  recognizing linkages between environment and
  peace
• United Nations Water Conference (Mar del Plata,
  1977) recommendations dealing with the
  protection of water in occupied territories
• Declaration on the Environment and Development
  (Rio de Janeiro, 1992) principles 23-26
• Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of
  International Watercourses (New York, 1997)
  Draft Articles on the Law of Transboundary
  Aquifers (New York, 2008) protection of water
  resources during armed conflicts

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3.Water and environmental protectionInternationa
l bodies

• The Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC
  Initiative) (2001)
• Several international organisations are partners
  (inter alia UNDP, OSCE, UNEP and NATO)
• Task to asses environmental problems, which
  threaten or are perceived to threaten security
  and peace
• Regions concerned Eastern Europe, Central Asia
  and Caucasus

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2. Water and environmental protection
International bodies

• UNEP and UN Habitat Balkan Task Force
  assessment of environmental damage caused by the
  Kosovo war (1999)
• Establishment of the UNEP post-conflict
  assessment unit (2001)
• Release of several reports (inter alia
  Afghanistan 2001, Iraq 2003, Lebanon 2006, Soudan
  2007)

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3. Water and environmental protection Lessons
learned from the ENVSEC Initiative and the UNEP
Post Conflict Unit

• Water agreements contribute to settle conflicts
  in a peaceful manner
• Short-term and long-term environmental impacts on
  water resources caused by armed conflicts
• The protection of the water resources should be
  included in the economic reconstruction of a
  country after a war

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Conclusion

• Water has the potential to fuel conflicts between
  States but also to act as a bridge of cooperation
• Water is used as a weapon of war and a military
  objective
• Armed conflicts have significant impacts on water
  resources
• Water for peace and peace for water should be
  promoted

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Thank you!

• Mara can be contacted at
• mara.tignino_at_unige.ch
• www.unige.ch/droit/eau - Water Law Platform