Good transboundary water management is crucial for peace, security, economic development and environmental sustainability.
Transboundary agreements are one thing. Mapping water security risks another. But it is tangible action and investment on the ground where transboundary water governance has impact, where the academic reasoning for transboundary dialogue translates into actual water security.
- James Dalton, Head IUCN Water and Land Management Team
310+
transboundary river and lake basins worldwide and each one of these basins face different and unique environmental, social, economic and political challenges.
60%
of the world’s transboundary river and lake basins lack any cooperative management framework.
Fundamentally, the governance and management of water resources needs to be just as interconnected as the natural system itself, flowing from source to sea and integrating a rich diversity of landscapes, actors and processes.
- Alejandro Iza, Head IUCN Environmental Law Team
Since its inception in 1985, the Water and Wetlands Team at IUCN has been leading the portfolio on transboundary water governance, integrated water resource management, water economics, and effects of climate change on water supply and distribution across the world, mainly focusing on the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America, and Asia.
Learn more about projects and global initiatives covering all aspects of transboundary water governance, equitable benefits sharing, and nature-based solutions to restore freshwater systems.
Transboundary water governance and diplomacy
