Transboundary water refers to water resources, such as rivers or lakes, that cross or are shared between two or more countries, necessitating regional cooperation for management and decision-making regarding rights and obligations associated with these shared resources.
Transboundary water management
Transboundary water management requires regional cooperation so that the riparian sides both participate in decisions, rights, and obligations stemming from the common propriety of water. According to United Nations sources,14 there are 148 countries that include some territory (river or lake) falling inside areas characterized as transboundary river basins or catchment areas. Transboundary water management bears an additional caveat over the BAU (business-as-usual) case. This is related to geopolitical balances that involve complicated diplomatic relations. Transboundary water management is a more complicated task since it may involve stakeholders with different cultures and economic growth, hence different abilities to handle water quality problems and ecosystem services provided from water. Consequently, it is possible that one country may free ride on other countries’ infrastructure and water technology developments.
Challenges Facing Transboundary Water Resources
Transboundary water resources themselves face significant challenges due to increased population growth, industrialization, urbanization, environmental degradation, as well as climate change and hydrological changes. Due to the scarcity of water resources, continued population growth, and rapid growth rate of water consumption, various statistics and forecasts have been presented so far regarding the increasing water consumption and future water scarcity crisis.
Complexities in transboundary water management
The effective management of transboundary waters can produce benefits for people living in shared basins or using shared aquifers. Such basins and aquifers have certain characteristics that make their management especially difficult, however. For example, over-abstraction in a country upstream can lead to water shortages for both people and ecosystems downstream, and pollutants can be carried from one country to another, with potential impacts on livelihoods and health. Climate change further complicates such challenges because of changes in rainfall volume and variability and hence droughts and flooding.
Evolution and Future Outlook of Global Water Scarcity
For example, population growth, rapid growth in consumption, and the industrial revolution have led to a threefold increase in freshwater consumption from 1950 to 1990, a 17-fold increase from the early 20th century, and a 45-fold increase from the previous three centuries. According to some statistics, water consumption has doubled in the last 40 years, and it is predicted that at least 0.25 of the world’s population will live in countries experiencing severe water shortages. According to available statistics, nearly 20 percent of the world’s population is currently deprived of access to safe water, and nearly 6.2 billion of Earth’s inhabitants are deprived of access to adequate water for sanitation. Some forecasts confirm that in 2030, nearly 55 percent of the world’s population is facing a water deficit.
The Global Significance of Transboundary Waters
Worldwide, more than 263 watersheds and 300 aquifers cross the political boundaries of two or more countries and can be considered transboundary waters. International river basins cover 45.3 percent of the earth’s land surface, affect about 40 percent of the world’s population, and account for approximately 80 percent of global river flows. Populations in different countries are intrinsically linked by transboundary basins and aquifers, making them interdependent, not just hydrologically but also economically and socially.
Balancing Interests in Transboundary Water Systems
In the case of transboundary waters, the challenge of managing water resources equitably and sustainably has an extra dimension: differences between user interests are not limited to different groups or industries within a single country, they also arise between different countries. The scarcer water becomes the greater its capacity to trigger crises and conflicts. Climate change is exacerbating tensions in many regions as extreme weather events such as floods and droughts are increasing and the water balance as a whole is changing. As a result of growing demand for water and for renewable energy, investments in infrastructure such as hydropower plants and irrigation facilities are increasing. Especially when it comes to larger projects concerning transboundary waters, such as the construction of a dam in the headwaters of a river.
Tools and Strategies for Effective Transboundary Water Management
A range of useful tools is available for improving the management of transboundary water. Up-to-date information systems on water availability and demand can help increase the accuracy of models for determining the impacts of potential changes in the management and use of shared watersheds. Independent institutions, such as river-basin organizations (e.g. for the Volta Basin and Nile Basin), can help enable regional cooperation in various economic and social areas, strengthen capacity (both in infrastructure and human resources) and offer technical support to member countries.
Conclusion
Worldwide, there are rivers and lakes and nearly 600 aquifers or groundwater bodies that are located on the territory of two or more countries. They provide about 60 per cent of the world’s freshwater. Some countries depend almost entirely on water that originates beyond their national borders. The Development Ministry is working to encourage close cooperation between countries on the transboundary management of water resources.
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References
1- Transboundary Waters
https://www.fao.org/land-water/water/water-management/transboundary-water-management/en/
2- Transboundary Water
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/transboundary-water#
