Transboundary Water Governance: Legal Frameworks and Political Realities

Abstract:

Transboundary rivers and aquifers are vital to regional development, environmental sustainability, and geopolitical stability, yet their governance poses complex legal and political challenges. The nature of the overlap between international law and political realities is critically reviewed in this essay concerning the management of international water. With the references to international conventions and principles, like the principles of fair usage and the obligation to avoid harm, it shows the relation to their application, disputes, or alterations in reality. Explaining three major differences in the power distribution that are considered to be critical determinants of cooperation outcomes, the article also draws its conclusions through comparative case studies carried out on the river basins of the Indus, Nile, Mekong, and Danube. The analysis reveals that legal instruments, although necessary, should be supplemented with political will, capacity of institutions and inclusive governance in order to have sustainable and equitable water management. The conclusion highlights the necessity of a resilience-based flexible framework which responds to the socio-political complexity of transboundary water systems in the context of increasing environmental pressure.