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Handbook on water allocation in a transboundary context

UNECE
ECE_Water_allocation_cover

The first-ever ‘Handbook on Water Allocation in a Transboundary Context’ explains the various phases, benefits and challenges of transboundary water allocation and guides interested States through the process of assessing its potential usefulness in their shared basins. The Handbook contains 46 exemplar case studies highlighting key features of allocation and demonstrating their practical application in different transboundary water contexts around the world. It also helps build the capacity needed to address complex issues of water allocation, supports governments in establishing water allocation arrangements and, as such, sends a strong message on the importance, and feasibility, of transboundary cooperation and of adaptability. Last but not least, the Handbook presents the first-ever overview of water allocation agreements in transboundary waters.

Which users may use the water of a lake, river or other source? For what purposes, in what quantity and of what quality? Where and when?

These are the questions answered by ‘water allocation’ which is the process and/or outcome of determining how different stakeholders use water. With growing water scarcity around the globe, determining such water use presents a major challenge – and even more so in transboundary basins where (potentially conflicting) interests of different water users overlap with (potentially conflicting) interests of different countries. And while allocating water in transboundary basins is not a new practice, the looming water crisis, accelerated social, economic and technological developments, and climate variability call for new, flexible approaches that can future-proof water management.

Download the report here.

 

This description was excerpted from unece.org.

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