In The Community of Interest Approach in International Water Law, Julie Gjørtz Howden identifies the normative elements of the community of interest approach (COIA) in international water law, and demonstrates how the approach can provide a legal framework for common management of international watercourses. Through analyses of various features of international watercourse cooperation and common management, the book determines the main principles and the underlying values of the COIA, and discusses how the approach contributes to the development of international water law.
Although the COIA is one of the central theories of international water law, very few analytical accounts of its legal features exist. Through The Community of Interest Approach in International Water Law, Howden offers a new and fresh approach to international water law that pulls together questions of holistic management, State sovereignty, public participation and river basin organisations into the analyses of the COIA and its relevance for managing transboundary watercourses today.
Julie Gjørtz Howden, Ph.D. (2019), University of Bergen, is a senior adviser in water law at the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment. She has published a number of articles on international water law and the common management of transboundary watercourses.
Acknowledgements List of Treaties List of Case Law
1 Introduction
â1âWater as a Common Good
â2âThe Complexity of Managing International Watercourses
â3âInternational Law in the Face of Watercourse Complexities
â4âStructure
2 Where to Find the COIA in International Water Law
â1âIntroduction
â2âBasic Theories of International Water Law
â3âMain Principles of International Water Law
â4âThe Two Global Water Conventions
â5âGrasping the Outlines of the COIA
â6âLessons from Common Management Regimes
3 A Management Approach Based on Interests
â1âIntroduction
â2âInterests vs. Rights
â3âCommunity Interests and Rights and Obligations erga omnes
â4âTypology of Interests in the COIA
â5âDoes the Watercourse Have Interests?
â6âHydrosolidarity
â7âSolidarity as a Driving Force in the COIA
4 The Scope of the COIA
â1âIntroduction
â2ââDrainage Basinâ and Related Terms
â3ââRiver Systemâ
â4ââWatercourseâ
â5âThe Object to Be Managed in the COIA
5 Sovereignty as a Responsibility to Cooperate
â1âIntroduction
â2âDoes the COIA Imply âJoint Ownershipâ of the Watercourse?
â3âApproaches to State Sovereignty
â4âSovereignty and Cooperation
â5âFunctional Sovereignty through Collective Action
6 The Composition of the COI
â1âIntroduction
â2âThe Community
â3âParticipants in the COI
â4âParticipation in Water Management Regimes
7 Procedural Rules and the Creation of a COI Institution
â1âIntroduction
â2âProcedural Obligations under International Water Law and Their Relevance for the COIA
â3âThe RBO in International Water Law
â4âThe Anatomy of the COI Institution
8 The COI Institutionâs Key Functions
â1âIntroduction
â2âMonitoring and Information Exchange
â3âPrior Notification and EIA
â4âDecision-making
â5âDispute Settlement
9 Concluding Summary
â1âWhat Is the COIA?
â2âWhat Are the COIAâs Normative Elements?
â3âWhat Is the COIAâs Contribution to International Water Law?
Bibliography Index
All concerned with management or governance of transboundary water resources, or transboundary resources in general, all interested in international environmental law and cooperation driven by common interests.