Journal of Geographical Sciences >
The key indicators of transboundary water apportionment based on international laws and cases
Received date: 2013-03-01
Revised date: 2013-03-31
Online published: 2013-08-15
Supported by
National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41171134;National Social Science Funds Special Commission Project of China, No.2007@ZH005;Key Project of National Soft Science of China, No.2700ZXQ4D166
Transboundary water, more competitive utilization and uncertain availability under the globalization trend, the issue of its apportionment which directly impacts national benefits of each riparian state is becoming one of the important topics in the world. Water is scarce in China, the most important upstream state in Asia, and this task has to be thought over in the coming future. Based on "International Freshwater Treaties Database" (1820-2007) by Oregon State University, and publications and reports on transboundary water utilization and management since 1999, 28 indicators of water apportionment adopted in 49 international treaties and cases in 1864-2002 are divided into 6 types, the spatial and temporal characteristics of the adopted indicators are analyzed in order to find the key indicator(s) of transboundary water apportionment. The major results include: the major adopted indicators, have significant differences among 5 regions/continents, the indicators at rank first and second place in the developed region (North America and Europe) according to the adopted times are "keeping minimum water flow" and "mean annual runoff", but in the developing region (Asia, Africa and South America), the ranking order of the above two indicators is reversed; the major adopted indicators in the watersheds with insufficient water are "mean annual runoff" and "keeping minimum water flow", the ones in the watersheds with sufficient water are "keeping minimum water flow" and "maximum water intake"; the international treaties signed from the first phase to the fourth phase, the developing process shows a progress of "fewer-increasing a lot-decreasing rapidly-equation basically", the regional distribution of the treaties shifts mainly from the developed region to the developing one, especially to Asia and Africa; the major adopted indicators shifts from "keeping minimum water flow" and "mean annual runoff" in 1864-1945, to "keeping minimum water flow" and "maximum water intake" in 1946-1971, then to "hydraulic facility operation" and "mean annual runoff" in 1972-1991, and finally to "keeping minimum water flow" and "mean annual runoff" in 1992-2002, the process shows similar a loop. Finally, the key indicator on transboundary water apportionment can be determined as "keeping minimum water flow".
FENG Yan, HE Daming, LI Yungang . The key indicators of transboundary water apportionment based on international laws and cases[J]. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2013 , 23(4) : 710 -720 . DOI: 10.1007/s11442-013-1039-1
Anton Earle, Anders Jagerskog, Joakim Ojendal, 2010. Transboundary Water Management: Principles and Practice. Landon and Washtington DC: Earthscan.
Ariel Dinar, 2009. Climate change and international water: The role of strategic alliance in resource allocation. In: Policy and Strategic Behaviour in Water Resource Management. London: EarthScan Publications Ltd.
Aygül Kibaroðlu, 2003. Socioeconomic development and benefit sharing in the Euphrates-Tigris river basin. http://www.ipcri.org/watconf/papers/aysegul.pdf.
Ben C, Nirvikar S, 2000. Impediments and innovation in international rivers: The waters of South Asia. World Development, 28(11): 1907-1925.
Claudia W Sadoff, David Grey, 2002. Beyond the river: The benefits of cooperation on international rivers. WaterPolicy, 4: 389-403.
Mostert E, Barraqué B, 2006. Transboundary river basin management in Europe. UNDP Human Development Report 2006. http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2006/papers/barraque_bernard%20et%20al.pdf.
Feng Yan, He Daming, Gan Shu et al., 2006. Linkages of transboundary water allocation and its eco-thresholds with international laws. Chinese Science Bulletin, 51(Suppl.): 25-32. (in Chinese)
Halliday R, 2010. Determination of natural flow for apportionment of the Red River, 05-30. http://www.ijc.org/rel/boards/watershed/Determination%20of%20Flows%20for%20Red%20River%20Apportionment.pdf.
Han Zaisheng, Wang Hao, He Jing, 2012. Study on transboundary aquifers in Asia. In: Tan Guangming, Kong Lingjie eds. Proceedings of International Law and Practices of Transboundary Water Resources. Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press, 11-37. (in Chinese)
Hans Petter W T, Nils Petter G, Havard H, 2000. Shared rivers and interstate conflict. Political Geography, 19:971-996.
He Daming, Feng Yan, Chen Lihui et al., 2005. Study on the models, principles and index system of transboundary water. Advances in Water Science, 16(2): 96-103. (in Chinese)
He Daming, Kung Hsiang-te, Gou Junhua, 1999. Study on Apportionment models of water resources in international rivers. Acta Geographica Sinica, 54(Suppl.): 47-54. (in Chinese)
Ines Dombrowsky, 2007. Conflict, Cooperation and Institutions in International Water Management: An Economic Analysis. Cheltenham and Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Jack Kalpakian, 2004. Identity, Conflict and Cooperation in International River Systems. Burlington and Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing.
Juha I U, 2004. Multi-country cooperation around shared waters: Role of monitoring and evaluation. Global Environmental Change, 14: 5-14.
Kampragou Eleni, Eleftheriadou Eleni, Mylopoulos Yannis, 2007. Implementing equitable water allocation in transboundary catchments: The case of river Nestos/Mesta. Water Resources Management, 21(5): 909-918.
Kazimierz A S, Mikiyasu N, 2004. Development of a web-based decision support system (DSS) for managing large international rivers. Global Environmental Change, 14: 25-37.
Lamoree G, Nilsson A, 2000. A process approach to the establishment of international river basin management in Southern Africa. Phys. Chem. Earth (B), 25(3): 315-323.
Liu Geli, Cao Jianting, 2007. Methods of water allocation of international rivers. Water Resources Planning and Design, 1: 29-32. (in Chinese)
Lynne Lewis Bennett, 2000. The integration of water quality into transboundary apportionment agreements: Lessons from the southwestern United States. Agricultural Economics, 24: 113-125.
Naho Mirumachi, 2008. Transboundary river basins and the water politics: Some perspectives for water and earth system governance. http://www.glogov.org/images/doc/Mirumachi.pdf.
Oregon State University. International freshwater treaties database. http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu/database/
Pieter van der Zaag, Seyam I M, Savenije Hubert H G, 2004. Towards measurable criteria for the equitable sharing of international water resources. Water Policy, 4: 19-32.
Rob de Loe, 2009. Sharing the waters of the Red River Basin: A review of options for transboundary water governance.
Prepared for International Red Rivers Board, International Joint Commission. Guelph, On: Rob de Loë Consulting Services, 03-31.
Sakhiwe N, Pieter Z, 2004. Equitable water allocation in a heavily committed international catchment area: The case of the Komati Catchment. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 29: 1309-1317.
Shammy Puri, Alice Aureli, 2005. Transboundary aquifers: A global programme to assess, evaluate and develop policy ground water. Ground Water, 43(5): 661-668.
Shlomi Dinar, 2008. International Water Treaties: Negotiation and Cooperation along Transboundary Rivers. New York and Oxon: Routledge.
Tan Guangming, Li Ben, 2011. International Rivers Management. Beijing: China Water Power Press, 140-155.(in Chinese)
Tarlock A Dan, 2000. How well can international water allocation regimes adapt to global climate change? Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law, 15: 423-449.
UNEP, GEF et al., 2006. Challenges to International Waters: Regional Assessments in a Global Perspective (The Global International Waters Assessment Final Report). The University of Kalmar and the Municipality of Kalmar, Sweden, and the Governments of Sweden, Finland and Norway. United Nations, 2003a. International rivers and lakes. Newsletter, 40: 5-23.
United Nations, 2003b. 150 "international" rivers may cause international disputes. http://www.people.com.cn/ GB/guoji/22/86/20030321/949273.html. (in Chinese)
/
〈 | 〉 |