Equitable and Reasonable Use of Water in the Euphrates-Tigris River Basin

Abstract:     
The geopolitics of the Euphrates-Tigris River Basin are marked by a scarcity of both water and trust. Management of transboundary water resources has become one of the most significant challenges to the international community. Limited territorial sovereignty is emerging as a customary rule of international law and is supported by the Convention on the Law of Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses, the Gabcikovo-Nagymaro case, a growing number of regional water treaties, and the majority of the most highly qualified scholars. The International Court of Justice has condemned unilateral action. Joint water management commissions and authorities enhance adaptable co-riparian cooperation. By establishing a comprehensive set of procedural rules, international water law provides a framework within which States can exchange technical information and notification of water projects. Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey can avert conflict over increasing water scarcity by crafting integrated water resources measures based on equitable and sustainable utilization.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 14

Keywords: International Water Law, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Turkey, Conflict Resolution, Water Scarcity, Reasonable and Equitable Water Utilization, Joint Water Management, Convention on the Law of Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses, Adaptable Co-riparian Cooperation, UN, Dispute Resolution

JEL Classification: F0, H4, I18, K32, K33, L92, O00, O3, Q1, Q2, Z00

Accepted Paper Series