Sharing Water in Times of Scarcity

When two or more independent governments share a common water resource, the timing and magnitude of the respective individual uses can be continual sources of conflict. Water scarcity is evident throughout much of the western United States and consequently water sharing between the states is expanding in scope. The growing use of shared water resources is often a major source of legal and political conflict. The problem is magnified in the international area. In 1995, ASCE initiated the Shared Use of Transboundary Water Resources (SUTWR) Project, whose purpose was to review existing transboundary water sharing agreements and develop guidelines and procedures for the development of agreements that would limit potential conflict while providing an appropriate balance between efficient use of the water resource for economic purposes, public health, and ecological protection. Part I of the Task Committee Report, Model Water Sharing Agreements for the Twenty-First Century, provided three separate model agreements focusing on the allocation and use of shared waters and on resolving conflicts in such waters. This book, Part II of the Task Committee Report, provides narrative guidelines and procedures for the initial formulation stage of the water sharing process. It forms a bridge between the theory and practice of effective shared water management, and provides a process that all states and/or nations can use when creating or modifying a transboundary water sharing agreement. Topics Include: Foundation of Effective Water Sharing; Water Sharing across Political Boundaries; Resource Assessments; Administration of Agreements; and Water Allocation Strategies.