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Understanding International Water Jurisdiction and Laws

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Added on  2019-10-18

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The concept of international water jurisdiction and laws apply to it in order to resolve the dispute. Trans-boundary waters support the livelihoods and lives of millions of people all around the globe. There is a need to protect the water bodies in order to avoid social unrest. Learn about laws that apply in international water and major unresolved water disputes.

Understanding International Water Jurisdiction and Laws

   Added on 2019-10-18

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IntroductionThe term international water has been remained one of the most debatable topics internationally. There are several countries which share water bodies in their boundaries. Therefore, there is also water dispute among various nations. So, it is important to understand the concept of international water jurisdiction and laws apply to it in order to resolve the dispute. The term of international waters is also known as trans-boundary waters. This term applies if any of the following water bodies such as ocean, rivers, wetlands, groundwater system, regional seas (enclosed or semi-enclosed) as well as estuaries, and large marine ecosystem transcend international boundaries. International water or trans-water boundary does not belong to the jurisdictions of any of the countries or nations. Under the doctrine of Mare liberum, the nations have the right to over flight, navigate, fishing, scientific research as well as lying pipeline and cables. Seas, oceans, rivers, as well as waters outside the jurisdictions of a country are referred to as mare liberum or high seas. The term mare liberum means free sea. The first convention on international waters or high sea was signed in 1958. This convention had 63 signatories. This convention defined the high sea to mean the entire parts of the sea which are not added or included in the internal watersor territorial sea of the nation. No state can purport validly at the defined high sea to subject any part of them to its sovereignty. It has been analyzed that the total area of high seas makes up to 50% of the total surface area of the earth. It also cover more than two third of the ocean. The convention signed in the year 1958 was used for the foundation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The United
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Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea was signed in 1982 with the help of which Exclusive Economic Zone was recognized which was extending over 200 nautical miles from the baseline. Trans-boundary Waters The river basin, lake, or aquifers which are shared by two or more than two nations called trans-boundary waters. Trans-boundary waters support the livelihoods and lives of millions of people all around the globe. There is increasing water stress all over the globe and hence it has become very important to manage this critical resource in order to promote sustainable growth and development. All the countries sharing a water body should cooperate and collaborate with each other and must promote sustainable development as well as peaceful cooperation. It will help in managing one of the most critical resources of this world. If the trans-boundary water supply will be degraded or depleted, it may cause several social unrests. It may also spark conflict between the countries. Therefore, there is a need to protect the water bodies in order to avoid the social unrest. In order to deal with the impacts of climate change as well as the increasing demand due to increasing population there is a need of integrated approach as well as supranational to the international waters resource management on the basis of institutional as well as legal frameworks and shared cost and benefits. It will help in protecting the trans-boundary from depletion as well as degradation. Opportunities and challenges There are more than 263 trans-boundary river basins and lakes which cover almost half of the surface of the earth. Apart from this, there are more than 145 states which have territory in these basins. There are 30 countries which entirely lie within them. There are around 300 water bodies which serve more than two billion people all over the globe who are highly dependent on
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