Transboundary Water Cooperation ― Principles, Practice and Prospects for China and Its Neighbours

China and its neighbours face a series of water security issues, in which international law plays a vital role. Paramount to both policymakers and researchers in the field of water law, the current status of transboundary water cooperation schemes and how these operate in China is of global significance.

Grounded in international experience, this comprehensive volume provides readers with an up-to-date overview of current international transboundary water resource sharing policies and practices, including detailed case studies at both domestic and international levels. The authors discuss existing international laws, treaties, and principles that may stimulate transboundary water cooperation and dialogue, and then analyse a number of international experiences with treaties in North America, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. They take stock of China’s water resource issues, legal practices and options, examine case studies of China’s southern shared rivers, and explore some innovative approaches to cooperative management of shared waters within China.

The articles in this book were originally published in the journal Water International.

Patricia Wouters is a Professor in the School of Law at Xiamen University, China, and Director of the China International Water Law Programme (CIWL).

Huiping Chen is a Professor in the School of Law at Xiamen University, China.

James E. Nickum is an institutional economist affiliated to the IWRA, the Centre for Water and Development at SOAS, UK, and the University of Hong Kong.