Transboundary Cooperation

Water is an essential natural resource for human survival as well as the health of the entire ecosystem, including agriculture. It is fundamental for long-term sustainable growth of economies and societies globally and locally. Water resources, which cross political boundaries, are vital for both the environment and human populations. Transboundary water management refers to the cooperative process of managing shared water bodies across political boundaries, ensuring the equitable and sustainable use of water resources by riparian states (Bernauer & Böhmelt, 2020).

Spring melt-out from mountain regions sustain lives, economies and ecosystems downstream. Each spring, massive volumes of meltwater cascade from Alpine regions into the Danube. Although Alpine catchments make up only 10 per cent of the Danube basin, approximately 26 per cent of its total discharge comes from them ​(Wesemann, Herrnegger, and Schulz 2018)​. This water feeds reservoirs, irrigate croplands and sustain over 80 million people across 19 countries ​(ICPDR 2021)​.

Contribute your inputs on the themes proposed by the co-hosts for the UN 2023 Water Conference interactive dialogues!