Pollution of shared freshwater resources in international law
Files
Description
Stephen C. McCaffrey, Pollution of Shared Freshwater Resources in International Law, in Transboundary Pollution Evolving Issues of International Law and Policy, at 81 (S. Jayakumar, Tommy Koh, Robert Beckman & Hao Duy Phan eds., Edward Elgar 2015).
This important new book provides a comprehensive overview of the international legal principles governing transboundary pollution. In doing so, the experts writing in this book examine the practical applications of the State responsibility doctrine in this context. The editors bring together leading scholars and practitioners to analyse the international legal framework and cooperative mechanisms that have been developed to address this pressing issue. The book also includes case studies of Asia and Southeast Asia to demonstrate how international law governing transboundary pollution has evolved and been applied in practice.
ISBN
9781784715786
Publication Date
2015
Publisher
Edward Elgar
City
Cheltenham
Disciplines
International Law | Law | Water Law
Recommended Citation
Stephen C. McCaffrey,
Pollution of shared freshwater resources in international law
(2015).
Available at:
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/facultybooks/32
Comments
Extract
reshwater disputes between States are increasing, due in part to shrinking supplies of water relative to the human population. Pollution can reduce available freshwater supplies even further and can harm aquatic ecosystems on which humans depend. Much of the world’s fresh water is shared by two or more States. Over ninety per cent of the fresh water potentially available for human use is stored in underground aquifers. While much of this groundwater interacts with surface water, it moves slowly and can be contaminated if not carefully managed. Two global treaties regulate the problem of transboundary water pollution and State practice has developed general rules of customary international law on the subject. Governments are bringing freshwater disputes to international courts and tribunals at an increasing rate and decisions in these cases hold valuable lessons for governments as regards the use, protection and management of international watercourses.