Water as a shared resource in international law

Water as a shared resource in international law Abstract The dissertation addresses shared freshwater resources from the perspective of international water law. It examines how this branch of international law ensures their sustainable and equitable utilization in the context of climate change. It first outlines the recognition of shared freshwater resources in international law, with particular emphasis on the inclusion of climate change impacts. It then analyses selected legal instruments, in particular principles, international treaties, and soft law documents of international organizations at both the global and regional levels. It identifies gaps in the international legal framework and suggests measures to enhance the effectiveness of existing instruments in promoting the sustainable use of freshwater resources under climate change The dissertation focuses primarily on surface, groundwater, and atmospheric water, which are interconnected within the hydrological cycle. It examines the leading principles, their application, and interpretation in terms of their capacity to sufficiently support sustainable and equitable resource use. It further considers the evolving treaty practice of states sharing groundwater at the regional level and its relationship to soft law documents. The study also discusses the...