10.1 Water Quantity Management and Water Allocation
127
constraints basin states’ room for manoeuvre for river flow manipulation (Baranyai
2015).
The UNECE’s own practice also offers important lessons that underline the significance of the Convention in the field of water sharing mechanisms. Most notable is
the example of the Aral Sea basin whose riparian states—Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan—were all born following the demise
of the Soviet Union. The region is characterised by persistent water allocation disputes among riparian states that emanate from the extreme divergence in upstreamdownstream supply and demand conditions as well as strategically different flow timing needs. Through its principles, cooperation platforms and mechanism the UNECE
Water Convention has contributed considerably to the relative hydropolitical stability
of the region (Mosello 2008).
Furthermore, recently the Convention bodies have dedicated greater attention to
the political complexities future changes in river flow are likely to give rise to in the
implementation of the Convention.
16 The Convention’s Task Force on Water and Climate has specifically acknowledged the evident conflict potential of the issue as well
as the necessity to consider allocation questions at transboundary or basin-level.
17
Should such potential turn into a real conflict, i.e. should any riparian state consider
that a particular water sharing scheme or practice runs counter to the relevant principles of the Convention, it may bring the matter to the attention of the Implementation
Committee through a simple procedure (see Sect. 10.5.3).
10.1.3.3 Multilateral Basin Treaties
The Danube Convention
18 covers several aspects of water quantity management.
While its main focus area remains water quality improvement, it is nonetheless based
on a broad notion of sustainable water management that incorporates quantitative
dimensions too. This is best illustrated by the collective and individual obligation
of riparian states to establish basin wide and national water balances (Art. 9.3.).
These water balances are designed to express “the relationship characterising the
16 https://www.unece.org/environmental-policy/conventions/water/envwatermeetings/water/
workshops-water-convention-and-protocol-on-water-and-health/2017/global-workshop-on-waterallocation/doc.html (accessed 12 February 2019).
17 “Most significant water allocation decisions may be best considered at the transboundary
or basin-wide level—agriculture, energy, ecosystems, infrastructure. Indeed, sustainable water
resources management may be claimed by upstream countries but downstream ones may have a
different opinion regarding the meaning of “an equitable and reasonable manner,” a designation
that should take into account a set of relevant factors and circumstances, such as the ones listed in
article 5 of the UN Watercourses Convention (United Nations, 1997)”, Task Force on Water and
Climate, Seventh meeting, Draft Collection of lessons learned and good practices on climate change
adaptation in transboundary basins, 2014, section 7.7, p. 30, http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/
env/documents/2014/WAT/10Oct_13-15_Geneva/7th_Task_Force/TFWC_2014_3_Collection_
of_lessons_learned_and_good_practices_first_draft_rev.pdf (accessed 12 February 2019).
18 Convention on Cooperation for the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Danube, Sofia, 29 June
1994.
127
constraints basin states’ room for manoeuvre for river flow manipulation (Baranyai
2015).
The UNECE’s own practice also offers important lessons that underline the significance of the Convention in the field of water sharing mechanisms. Most notable is
the example of the Aral Sea basin whose riparian states—Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan—were all born following the demise
of the Soviet Union. The region is characterised by persistent water allocation disputes among riparian states that emanate from the extreme divergence in upstreamdownstream supply and demand conditions as well as strategically different flow timing needs. Through its principles, cooperation platforms and mechanism the UNECE
Water Convention has contributed considerably to the relative hydropolitical stability
of the region (Mosello 2008).
Furthermore, recently the Convention bodies have dedicated greater attention to
the political complexities future changes in river flow are likely to give rise to in the
implementation of the Convention.
16 The Convention’s Task Force on Water and Climate has specifically acknowledged the evident conflict potential of the issue as well
as the necessity to consider allocation questions at transboundary or basin-level.
17
Should such potential turn into a real conflict, i.e. should any riparian state consider
that a particular water sharing scheme or practice runs counter to the relevant principles of the Convention, it may bring the matter to the attention of the Implementation
Committee through a simple procedure (see Sect. 10.5.3).
10.1.3.3 Multilateral Basin Treaties
The Danube Convention
18 covers several aspects of water quantity management.
While its main focus area remains water quality improvement, it is nonetheless based
on a broad notion of sustainable water management that incorporates quantitative
dimensions too. This is best illustrated by the collective and individual obligation
of riparian states to establish basin wide and national water balances (Art. 9.3.).
These water balances are designed to express “the relationship characterising the
16 https://www.unece.org/environmental-policy/conventions/water/envwatermeetings/water/
workshops-water-convention-and-protocol-on-water-and-health/2017/global-workshop-on-waterallocation/doc.html (accessed 12 February 2019).
17 “Most significant water allocation decisions may be best considered at the transboundary
or basin-wide level—agriculture, energy, ecosystems, infrastructure. Indeed, sustainable water
resources management may be claimed by upstream countries but downstream ones may have a
different opinion regarding the meaning of “an equitable and reasonable manner,” a designation
that should take into account a set of relevant factors and circumstances, such as the ones listed in
article 5 of the UN Watercourses Convention (United Nations, 1997)”, Task Force on Water and
Climate, Seventh meeting, Draft Collection of lessons learned and good practices on climate change
adaptation in transboundary basins, 2014, section 7.7, p. 30, http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/
env/documents/2014/WAT/10Oct_13-15_Geneva/7th_Task_Force/TFWC_2014_3_Collection_
of_lessons_learned_and_good_practices_first_draft_rev.pdf (accessed 12 February 2019).
18 Convention on Cooperation for the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Danube, Sofia, 29 June
1994.