Sponsor: Institute of Asian Research
Place: Conference room #120, C.K. Choi Building, 1855 West Mall
By: Patricia Wouters, Professor of International Law, Xiamen University, China
Type: Seminar
Date: Tuesday, Jan 28, 2014
Time: 4:30 pm
China will soon become the world’s largest economy and continues on a strong development path, which will only increase its demand for freshwater resources. Already China and Asia suffer the adverse affects of water scarcity, both in quantity and quality, which constrains economic, social and environmental health across the region. Under China’s new leadership the official foreign policy strategy is ‘good neighbourliness’, to find peaceful solutions to international issues through consultation and negotiation. How is this reflected in China’s approach to its transboundary water resources? China is upstream on most of its 40+ major transboundary waters and has concluded a limited number of treaties in this field, leaving most of the waters flowing from the Himalayan Water Towers outside of international agreements. With pressing needs increasing across the region, exacerbated by climate change, politicial unrest, and the drive for development, how does international law facilitate transboundary water cooperation, especially in the absence of regional support for the UN Watercourses Convention and in the context of existing state practice?
Patricia Wouters, professor of international law specialises in transboundary water resources and currently heads up the China International Water Law (CIWL) research group at Xiamen University, China, where she is appointed under the Chinese government 1000 Talents programme. Professor Wouters, founded the Dundee UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science, acting as Director until June 2012, when she stepped down to focus on China/Asia transboundary water issues. She has published extensively on international water law issues and presented her work around the world, continues to supervise graduate students in this field and serves on a number of advisory boards and global water policy bodies, such as the Global Water Partnership, United Nations University Institute of Water, Environment and Health.
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