Chapter 10
The Resilience of Transboundary Water
Governance Within the European Union:
A Legal and Institutional Analysis
10.1 Water Quantity Management and Water Allocation
10.1.1 The Role of Water Quantity Management and Water
Allocation in the Context of Hydropolitical Resilience
Water quantity management in a transboundary context has several dimensions. The
most apparent facet is the distribution of flow volumes among riparian states in
regular conditions, including natural variations. Another dimension is the control
of stream flow in extreme situations, i.e. where volumes exceed the regular ranges
of fluctuation for reasons of natural character (floods, droughts) or of human origin
(accidental releases). Finally, water quantity management includes deliberate human
interventions to control river flow (volumes, timing) by way of water infrastructure
(e.g. reservoirs) and other management measures (e.g. the reduction of upstream
water abstraction in times of drought). A critical, albeit not quintessential element of
quantity management is the deliberate partition of volumes of water among riparian
states: water allocation. (Although much of the relevant literature refers to “quantity
management” and “allocation” as interchangeable terms, this study uses allocation
as a subset of the broader category of water quantity management).
Mechanisms to allocate water between riparian states can take several shapes. In
their comprehensive analysis of the subject Drieschova et al. classify the main types
of water allocation schemes as follows (Drieschova et al. 2008):
• direct allocation mechanisms: these clearly stipulate how water is to be divided
between the parties. Direct allocation mechanisms can be flexible that distribute
the resource by percentages or set quantities according to water availability. On
the other hand, direct fixed mechanisms divide water by absolute volumes,
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
G. Baranyai, European Water Law and Hydropolitics, Water Governance - Concepts,
Methods, and Practice, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22541-4_10
119
The Resilience of Transboundary Water
Governance Within the European Union:
A Legal and Institutional Analysis
10.1 Water Quantity Management and Water Allocation
10.1.1 The Role of Water Quantity Management and Water
Allocation in the Context of Hydropolitical Resilience
Water quantity management in a transboundary context has several dimensions. The
most apparent facet is the distribution of flow volumes among riparian states in
regular conditions, including natural variations. Another dimension is the control
of stream flow in extreme situations, i.e. where volumes exceed the regular ranges
of fluctuation for reasons of natural character (floods, droughts) or of human origin
(accidental releases). Finally, water quantity management includes deliberate human
interventions to control river flow (volumes, timing) by way of water infrastructure
(e.g. reservoirs) and other management measures (e.g. the reduction of upstream
water abstraction in times of drought). A critical, albeit not quintessential element of
quantity management is the deliberate partition of volumes of water among riparian
states: water allocation. (Although much of the relevant literature refers to “quantity
management” and “allocation” as interchangeable terms, this study uses allocation
as a subset of the broader category of water quantity management).
Mechanisms to allocate water between riparian states can take several shapes. In
their comprehensive analysis of the subject Drieschova et al. classify the main types
of water allocation schemes as follows (Drieschova et al. 2008):
• direct allocation mechanisms: these clearly stipulate how water is to be divided
between the parties. Direct allocation mechanisms can be flexible that distribute
the resource by percentages or set quantities according to water availability. On
the other hand, direct fixed mechanisms divide water by absolute volumes,
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
G. Baranyai, European Water Law and Hydropolitics, Water Governance - Concepts,
Methods, and Practice, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22541-4_10
119