Dr Sergei Vinogradov 2004, University of Dundee

1. Sustainable water management through ecosystem protection:An effective interface of international legal regimes? Dr Sergei Vinogradov 2004, University of Dundee Seminar on the Role of Ecosystems as Water Suppliers, Geneva, 13-14 December 2004 www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

2. Overview • International law: what is it and why is it important? • Water resources & ecosystems: two strands of international regulation • Water resources regimes • Environmental regimes • Summary www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

3. Global water imperatives • The general objective is to make certain that adequate suppliesof water of good quality are maintained for the entire population of this planet, while preserving the hydrological, biological and chemical functions of ecosystems...” (Chapter 18, Agenda 21, 1992) • Improve the efficient use of water resources and promote their allocation among competing uses in a way that gives priority to the satisfaction of basic human needs and balances the requirement of preserving or restoring ecosystems and their functions, in particular in fragile environments, with human domestic, industrial and agriculture needs (J’burg World Summit Report, 2002) • What role for (international) water law? www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

4. What is International law? • Legal rules & principles of general application governing the conduct of States (& international organisations) and their relations inter se • Vital role in ensuring stable & predictable international order through reconciling competing interests & conflict prevention/resolution • International legal regime – a system of binding & “soft law” rules, procedures, and institutional & dispute resolution mechanisms • Water & ecosystems: two distinct areas of regulation • International law of water resources • International environmental law www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

5. International water law • Scope: transboundary water resources • International watercourses • Transboundary groundwaters • Main focus: • Traditionally – beneficial uses & allocation of water, prevention of pollution • New trends - integrated water resources management & ecosystem approach • Question of entitlement- Who gets what water (of what quantity & quality) www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

6. Water resources: international legal frameworks • Global: • 1997 UN Watercourses Convention • Art. 20 ‘Protection and preservation of ecosystems’ “Watercourse States shall, individually and, where appropriate, jointly, protect and preserve the ecosystems of international watercourses” • Regional: • 1992 UNECE Water Convention (Helsinki) • 2002 SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourses • Transboundary river basins and aquifers: • E.g., Rhine, Danube, Mekong, Columbia, Incomati… www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

7. 7 Danube River Basin Most international river basin in the world • 18 countries • 81 million inhabitants www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

8. Danube River Basin • 1994 Convention • Scope: • Water resources in the catchment area • Objectives: • Sustainable & equitable water use & management • Conservation, improvement & rational use of surface & groundwater • Control of pollution & floods • Conservation of ecosystems • Management structure - International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

9. ICPDR Joint Action Programme • Policies and Strategies • River Basin Management Plan and implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive • Restoration of wetlands and flood plains • Flood control and sustainable flood prevention www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

10. Mekong River Basin www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

11. Mekong River Basin • 1995 Agreement • Scope: • Water & related resources • Objectives: • Development of the full potential of sustainable benefits to all riparian States • Prevention of wasteful use of the MR Basin waters • Protection of the environment, natural resources, aquatic life, and ecological balance • Management structure – Mekong River Commission www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

12. Mekong River Basin • The MRB Wetland Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use Programme (MWBP) • A combination of assessments, dialogues and pilot interventions addressing a range of ecological, economic & social challenges • Objectives: • To promote conservation and sustainable use of the biodiversity of wetlands in the Lower Mekong Basin • To bring the economic value of wetlands into the planning arena www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

13. International environmental law • Scope: environment • Environmental media / components (air, water, soil, flora, fauna…) • Natural ecosystems • Main focus: • Prevention of pollution • Protection & conservation www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

14. Protection of ecosystems: international legal frameworks • Global: • 1991 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands • 1992 Convention on Biodiversity • Regional and sub-regional: • 1985 ASEAN Agreement on the Conservation of Nature & Natural Resources • 1991 Alpine & 2003 Carpathian Conventions • Non-binding “soft law” instruments • 1992 Rio Principles on the Management, Conservation & Sustainable Development of Forests www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

15. 15 The 1971 Ramsar Convention • Scope: wetlands of international importance (including water, whether natural or artificial) • Principal duties with respect to transboundary issues: • To consult in the case of a wetland extending over the territories of more than one Party or where a water system is shared • To coordinate and support present and future policies and regulations concerning the conservation of wetlands www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

16. The 1992 Biodiversity Convention • Main objectives: • Conservation of biological diversity • Sustainable use of its components • Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources • Biological diversity of inland water ecosystems • Focus of the programme: catchment/watershed/river basin levels • Goal: to integrate the conservation & sustainable use of biodiversity in the water-resource & river-basin management through the ecosystem approach www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

17. The Ramsar Convention – River Basin Initiative • The River Basin Initiative on integrating biological diversity, wetland and river basin management (RBI) - a joint initiative by the Ramsar Bureau and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) • Aim - to help Parties to the Conventions implement both the Ramsar Guidelines for integrating wetland conservation and wise use into river basin management (Resolution VII.18, Wise Use Handbook 4) and the CBD programme of work on inland waters biological diversity www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

18. ASEAN Agreement on nature and natural resources • Main objective: • to maintain essential ecological processes & life-support systems • to ensure the sustainable utilization of harvested natural resources • Special obligations - Conservation of: • Species and ecosystems • Vegetation cover and in particular the forest cover • Soil • Underground and surface water – Art. 8: “regulate and control water utilization with a view to achieving sufficient and continuous supply of water for, inter alia, the maintenance of natural life supporting systems and aquatic fauna and flora” www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

19. The 1991 Alpine Convention • ‘Framework agreement’ • Scope: the Alpine region • Objectives: • preservation & protection of the Alps through the prudent and sustained use of resources • Protocols of implementation: • Nature protection • Mountain forests • Energy • Soil conservation • Water protocol ??? www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

20. Summary • Paradigmatic shift • Water regimes – from utilization and prevention of pollution to IWRM & holistic ecosystem approach • Environmental regimes – from pollution control & conservation to sustainable management • Recognition of the ecosystem as a legitimate “water user” - through the concept of adequate stream flow • Increasing synergybetween international water & environmental legal regimes • Institutional & compliance verification mechanisms - essential for effective implementation of legal regimes • Law & science must work as a “team” at all levels www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water

21. THANK YOU and welcome to International Water Law Research Institute, University of Dundee www.dundee.ac.uk/law/water