The main problem in North America is the location of water resources relative to large population centers where the majority of the freshwater drains away from the bulk of the population. Climate variability and change is a reality. It raises the impact on variability and availability within the continent, which is characterized by its different climatic regions. The hydo-vulnerability of North America is tempered and governed by agreements, laws and institutions such as International Joint Commission (IJC) and International Boundary & Water Commission (IBWC), which have been created to resolve transboundary water issues in a cooperative manner for over a century, resulting in minimal conflicts in the region.

In Africa, most major rivers, freshwater lakes, and aquifers are shared by two or more countries. These nations are becoming increasingly vulnerable to conflict, and their vulnerabilities are made more acute by climatic variations in precipitation, increasing urbanization, industrialization and environmental degradation. The concept of resilience and vulnerability as it relates to water resources is tackled in this report within the framework of sustainability and relates to the ability of the human and bio-physical systems to adapt to change.

Water is a unique and vital source, for which there is no substitute. Sustainable development of this rich resource in the region is complex as the distribution of water to all nations is heterogeneous, which increases the risk of being used or adapted inequitably. In recent years the sustainability discourse has broadened to include human systems. The purpose of this publication on hydropolitical vulnerability and resilience along international is to warrant broader promotion and dissemination of assessed information and data in order to support informed policy-making and provide a model for the regions that face similar water challenges.

Water scarcity heightens the potential for conflicts among riparian countries in Asia and increases their vulnerability. A regional water resource cooperation mechanism would enhance collaboration and increase resilience so that water becomes an instrument for cooperation and unity rather than conflict. This publication provides an insightful assessment of the hydropolitical atmosphere in Asia and offers lessons to enhance future cooperation mechanisms.--Publisher's description.

This book provides the first comprehensive assessment of the various issues faced by countries in the European Union, where progressing climate change and urbanization pose significant cooperative challenges in a large number of river basins. Conducting a thorough analysis of the intricate web of EU water governance, it reveals that the hydropolitical stability of the European Union is already at risk. Further, given the structural nature of the shortcomings in EU water policy—e.g. the rigidity of the EU’s founding treaties or the institutional complacency of the European Commission—the book argues that these risks are likely to turn into sources of prolonged conflict, unless EU decision-making bodies take steps to address the new hydrological realities early on.

Water resources and related issues are of great significance in 21st century politics. In Africa, for example, hydropolitics affect politics and policymaking at the local, national, and international levels. To investigate water politics, this unique work focuses on the issue transboundary water governance in Southern and Eastern Africa. Based on extensive field research, it offers a comparative study of the Orange Senqu and Nile basins in Africa, arguing that both causal and behavioral factors (such as localization and trust building) drive the multi-leveled development of cooperative management norms and foster the creation of regional communities of interest. The book combines theory, analysis, and fieldwork within the framework of Constructivism as well as a wide range of examples to identify and analyze the nature of norms in hydropolitics. By doing so, it will help shape the debate on how water conflict and cooperative governance should evolve and will interest anyone studying African politics, hydropolitics, and issues of development.

This handbook is an advanced level reference guide which provides a comprehensive and contemporary overview of the corpus of international environmental law (IEL).