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Achieving Sustainable Environmental Peace in Asymmetric Transboundary Water Conflicts – Human Rights-Based Approach to Water Cooperation in the Israel-Palestine Case

Walz, Victor LU (2020) JAMM07 20201
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
As a result of the rapid population growth, the increasing economic interests and the global climate crisis, disputes over freshwater resources become more frequent and severe. Although many States pursue environmental cooperation to avoid or resolve water conflicts, such cooperation agreements often suffer from a weak political will to implement just cooperation mechanisms. This is particularly the case in transboundary water disputes that are characterized by asymmetric power relations between the riparian states. In these settings, the more powerful State dominates the peace negotiations which are often the starting point for future interstate cooperation. The consequences are grave violations of the human right to water and other... (More)
As a result of the rapid population growth, the increasing economic interests and the global climate crisis, disputes over freshwater resources become more frequent and severe. Although many States pursue environmental cooperation to avoid or resolve water conflicts, such cooperation agreements often suffer from a weak political will to implement just cooperation mechanisms. This is particularly the case in transboundary water disputes that are characterized by asymmetric power relations between the riparian states. In these settings, the more powerful State dominates the peace negotiations which are often the starting point for future interstate cooperation. The consequences are grave violations of the human right to water and other water-related socio-economic rights. It is therefore imperative to “re-hydrate” an issue which has already been largely discussed in the literature of environmental peacebuilding.

While international peacebuilding practices follow a rational, technical approach that aims at resolving water conflicts by eliminating water scarcity as such, this paper is an attempt to shed more light on the human rights-based approach as a potential long-term strategy for conflict resolution. For this purpose, the effectiveness of the human rights-based approach in eliminating the political root causes of transboundary water conflicts will be examined in the context of the Israel-Palestine case. The aim is to compare both peacebuilding approaches in transboundary settings and to clarify whether the human rights law mechanisms can contribute to the resolution of conflicts by granting protection for individuals and their right to water. (Less)
Popular Abstract
As a result of the rapid population growth, the increasing economic interests and the global climate crisis, disputes over freshwater resources become more frequent and severe. Although many States pursue environmental cooperation to avoid or resolve water conflicts, such cooperation agreements often suffer from a weak political will to implement just cooperation mechanisms. This is particularly the case in transboundary water disputes that are characterized by asymmetric power relations between the riparian states. In these settings, the more powerful State dominates the peace negotiations which are often the starting point for future interstate cooperation. The consequences are grave violations of the human right to water and other... (More)
As a result of the rapid population growth, the increasing economic interests and the global climate crisis, disputes over freshwater resources become more frequent and severe. Although many States pursue environmental cooperation to avoid or resolve water conflicts, such cooperation agreements often suffer from a weak political will to implement just cooperation mechanisms. This is particularly the case in transboundary water disputes that are characterized by asymmetric power relations between the riparian states. In these settings, the more powerful State dominates the peace negotiations which are often the starting point for future interstate cooperation. The consequences are grave violations of the human right to water and other water-related socio-economic rights. It is therefore imperative to “re-hydrate” an issue which has already been largely discussed in the literature of environmental peacebuilding.

While international peacebuilding practices follow a rational, technical approach that aims at resolving water conflicts by eliminating water scarcity as such, this paper is an attempt to shed more light on the human rights-based approach as a potential long-term strategy for conflict resolution. For this purpose, the effectiveness of the human rights-based approach in eliminating the political root causes of transboundary water conflicts will be examined in the context of the Israel-Palestine case. The aim is to compare both peacebuilding approaches in transboundary settings and to clarify whether the human rights law mechanisms can contribute to the resolution of conflicts by granting protection for individuals and their right to water. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Walz, Victor LU
supervisor
organization
course
JAMM07 20201
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
environmental peacebuilding, water conflict, transboundary, Israel-Palestine, human rights-based approach
language
English
id
9031735
date added to LUP
2020-11-16 09:40:20
date last changed
2020-11-16 09:40:20
@misc{9031735,
  abstract     = {{As a result of the rapid population growth, the increasing economic interests and the global climate crisis, disputes over freshwater resources become more frequent and severe. Although many States pursue environmental cooperation to avoid or resolve water conflicts, such cooperation agreements often suffer from a weak political will to implement just cooperation mechanisms. This is particularly the case in transboundary water disputes that are characterized by asymmetric power relations between the riparian states. In these settings, the more powerful State dominates the peace negotiations which are often the starting point for future interstate cooperation. The consequences are grave violations of the human right to water and other water-related socio-economic rights. It is therefore imperative to “re-hydrate” an issue which has already been largely discussed in the literature of environmental peacebuilding.

While international peacebuilding practices follow a rational, technical approach that aims at resolving water conflicts by eliminating water scarcity as such, this paper is an attempt to shed more light on the human rights-based approach as a potential long-term strategy for conflict resolution. For this purpose, the effectiveness of the human rights-based approach in eliminating the political root causes of transboundary water conflicts will be examined in the context of the Israel-Palestine case. The aim is to compare both peacebuilding approaches in transboundary settings and to clarify whether the human rights law mechanisms can contribute to the resolution of conflicts by granting protection for individuals and their right to water.}},
  author       = {{Walz, Victor}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Achieving Sustainable Environmental Peace in Asymmetric Transboundary Water Conflicts – Human Rights-Based Approach to Water Cooperation in the Israel-Palestine Case}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}