Publication // Implementing International Watercourses Law through the WEF Nexus and SDGs: an Integrated Approach Illustrated in the Zambezi River Basin
By Zeray Yihdego and Julie Gibson. The authors present how policy frameworks, like the Water-Energy-Food Nexus (WEF) and the global development agendas, could aid riparian states and non-state actors in the consideration of competing water uses and thereby helping to resolve tensions and promoting cooperation among concerned states. This is demonstrated using the Zambezi River Basin as a case study.
Zambezi River; Photo by Sean Peter on Unsplash
Abstract
International watercourses law, as primarily codified in the UN Watercourses Convention which reflects the basic principles of customary international water law, provides only a broad framework for states to follow. It does not explicitly address the trade-offs of water uses across multiple sectors, such as energy and food, and the interplay between water and sustainable development. These gaps could be filled by turning to policy frameworks such as the Water-Energy-Food Nexus (WEF) and the global development agendas, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This monograph argues that utilizing these frameworks in an integrated manner, could aid riparian states and non-state actors in the consideration of competing water uses, thereby helping to resolve tensions and promoting cooperation among concerned states, as demonstrated using the Zambezi River Basin as a case study.
Further Reading
- Policy Brief // Outcomes of the EU Horizon 2020 DAFNE PROJECT: The Zambezi River Basin Integrated Cooperation for a Vital Resource (October 2020)
- MOOC // The DAFNE approach to understanding and management of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus
- Project // Use of a Decision-Analytic Framework to explore the water-energy-food NExus in complex and trans-boundary water resources systems of fast growing developing countries (DAFNE)
Published
November 2020
By
Brill Research Perspectives in International Law