Jun 14, 2016 - Outline. ⢠What is ground water? ⢠Ground water in an international context ... hydrologic cycle and
From Science to Law: Transboundary Ground Water Resources and Emerging International Law Gabriel Eckstein, Professor of Law Vermont Law School 14 June 2016
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Outline • What is ground water? • Ground water in an international context • Case study: transboundary aquifers on the Mexico-US border • International law for transboundary aquifers • Concluding observations
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Ground Water 101 What is ground water? water occupying voids, cracks or other spaces between particles of clay, silt, sand, gravel or rock within the saturated zone of a geologic formation https://www.youtube.com /watch?v=oNWAerr_xEE
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Ground Water 101 What is an aquifer? a permeable geologic formation (such as sand or gravel) that has sufficient water storage and transmitting capacity to provide a useful water supply via wells and springs http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/ earthguide/diagrams/groun dwater/
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Ground Water 101
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Ground Water 101 • Unconfined Aquifer – aquifer bounded by an impermeable base layer of rock or sediments and overlain by layers of permeable materials extending from the land surface to the impermeable base of the aquifer • Confined Aquifer – aquifer contained between two impermeable layers – the base or “floor”, and the “ceiling” strata – that subject the stored water to pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure 6
Ground Water 101 • Recharging Aquifer – Aquifer that is connected to the hydrologic cycle and has a continuous source of recharge • Non-Recharging Aquifer – Aquifer that is completely detached from the hydrologic cycle and obtains insignificant or no recharge • Recharge Zone – porous surface and subsurface area through which an aquifer’s ground water may be recharged • Discharge Zone – area through which an aquifer discharges ground water onto the surface or into another water body 7
Ground water: The international context
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Ground water: The international context Globally ground water supply comprises: 30% of all fresh water resources 98% of liquid fresh water resources
The most extracted natural resource in the world (982 k3 in 2015)
Global ground water use: Provides ~1/2 of humanity with freshwater for everyday uses such as drinking, cooking and hygiene
60% to 99% of drinking water for Europeans 50% to 97% of drinking water for Americans
40% of water used by industry 20% of water used in irrigated
agriculture From: Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture. 2007. Water for Food, Water for Life: A Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture, available at: http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/assessment/
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Ground water: The international context
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Ground water: The international context
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273 transboundary watercourses 3,600 watercourse treaties since ~800AD / 400+ since 1820AD 2 global watercourses agreements 12
600+ transboundary aquifers and aquifer bodies Source: International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC): http://www.un-igrac.org/ 13
Case Study: Mexico-US TBAs
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Mexico-US TBAs Case Study
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Mexico-US TBAs Case Study Sole source of potable water for 90%+ of communities along Mex-US border
Columbus-Palomas (New MexicoChihuahua) Bisbee-Naco (Arizona-Sonora) Ambos Nogales (Arizona-Sonora) Sonoyta-Lukeville (Arizona-Sonora) Ambos Tecate (California-Baja California) Ciudad Juarez (Chihuahua) Others …
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Mexico-US TBAs Case Study Where are the TBAs?
How many TBAs are there on the Mex-US border?
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Mexico-US TBAs Case Study • 20 = GNEB (Good Neighbor Environmental Board), Water resources management on the US–Mexico border. Washington, DC: EPA. Eighth report to the President and the Congress of the United States (2005) • 18 = S. Mumme, Minute 242 and beyond: challenges and opportunities for managing transboundary groundwater on the Mexico–US border, 40 Nat Resour J. 341 (2000) • 10 = International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC) (2009) • 8 = UNESCO, Final Report: 2nd Coordination Workshop. UNESCO/OAS ISARM Americas Programme – Transboundary Aquifers of the Americas, El Paso, TX, 10–12 November 2004 (2005)
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Mexico-US TBAs Case Study
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Mexico-US TBAs Case Study • Study = Identifying and Characterizing Transboundary Aquifers Along the Mexico-US Border: An initial assessment • Purpose = Identify and characterize TBA on Mex-US border in order to ascertain appropriate aquifer units for governance/management • General Methodology – Collect data and information generated on both sides from federal, state and local agencies, universities, nongovernmental organizations, research institutes, and private sources where available – Identify and characterize TBA on the border – Generate recommendations for appropriate aquifer units for governance/management
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Mexico-US TBAs Case Study • Types of data/info collected – Aquifer characteristics (e.g., hydrogeology, chemistry, flow, etc.) – Environmental surroundings (e.g., precipitation and climate, etc.) – Geography (e.g., geographic extent, location, etc.) – Recharge/discharge (e.g., natural and artificial, rates, locations, etc.) – Human uses and dependencies – Environmental/ecosystem reliance
• Challenges – Locating information especially on US side – Disparate methodologies between and within the two countries – Inconsistent information between and within the two countries 21
STATES (MEXICO-US)
Level of information available/research to define the transboundary character
BAJA CALIFORNIA-CALIFORNIA (1) Tijuana/San Diego- (Tia Juana, Otay Sweetwater and Mission system)
(2) Tecate/Potrero Valley and Campo Valley
Mexico-US Case Study
(3) La Rumorosa-Tecate/Jacumba Valley and Davies Valley (4) Laguna Salada/Coyote Wells Valley
BAJA CALIFORNIA-CALIFORNIASONORA-ARIZONA
Cuenca Baja del Rio Colorado system (5) Valle de Mexicali/ Imperial, Ogilby and Yuma Valley Cuenca Baja del Rio Colorado system (6)Valle San Luis Rio Colorado/Yuma
SONORA-ARIZONA
Sonoyta-Papagos system (8) Sonoyta-Papagos/San Simon Wash
(7) Los Vidrios/Western Mexican Drainage
(10) Rio Altar/Tucson AMA
(12) Nogales/Santa Cruz (TAAP1)
(9) Arroyo Seco/Tuscon AMA
(11) Rio Alisos/Santa Cruz
(13) Santa Cruz/Santa Cruz-San Rafael (TAAP1) (14) San Pedro/San Pedro (TAAP2) (15) Rio Agua Prieta/Douglas (INA) SONORA-ARIZONA-NEW MEXICO
CHIHUAHUA-NEW MEXICO
(16) Arroyo San Bernardino/San Bernardino Valley-San Bernardino basin (19) Los Moscos/Moscos‐Hachita
(17) Janos/Animas and Playas aquifer basin
(18) Ascencion/Los Moscos-Hachita
(20) Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez/Mimbres (21) Las Palmas/Mimbres CHIHUAHUA-TEXAS-NEW MEXICO
(22) Conejos Medanos/Mesilla Bolson (TAAP3) (23) Valle de Juarez/Hueco Bolson (TAAP4)
CHIHUAHUA-TEXAS
(24) Valle del Peso/West Texas Bolsons (25) Bajo Rio Conchos/West Texas Bolsons (26) Alamo Chapo/Igneous (27) Manuel Benavides/Lower aquifers
COAHUILA-TEXAS
(31) Presa La Amistad/Edwards
(29) Serrania del Burro/Edwards
(28) Santa Fe del Pino/Lower aquifers
(33) Allende-Piedras Negras/Lower aquifers
(30) Cerro Colorado-La Partida/Edwards
(32) Palestina/Lower aquifers
(34) Hidalgo/Carrizo Wilcox NUEVO LEON-TEXAS
(35) Lampazos/Anahuac-Carrizo Wilcox
TAMAULIPAS-TEXAS
(36) Bajo Rio Bravo/Carrizo Wilcox-Gulf Coast (Yegua Jackson no data)
Total
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Mexico-US TBAs Case Study Minute 242 of 1973
(amendment to 1944 Colorado, Tijuana, Rio Grande treaty) • ¶5 = pending development of a ‘comprehensive’ groundwater agreement, countries agree to limit withdrawals from aquifer along the Arizona-Sonora border near San Luis • ¶6 = requires prior consultation prior to pursuing new surface or groundwater projects, or other action that could adversely impact the other side
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International Law for Transboundary Aquifers
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International Law for TBAs Recognition of transboundary groundwater resources as primary issue • • • • • • • • •
Minute 242 between Mexico/U.S. (1973) Convention on the protection, utilisation, recharge, and monitoring of the Franko-Swiss Genevois Aquifer (1978/2008) Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System monitoring and information exchange agreement (2000) Northwestern Sahara Aquifer System consultation mechanism agreement (2002) EU Groundwater Directive (2006) UNILC’s Draft Articles (begun in 2002; submitted to UNGA in 2008) Iullemeden Aquifer System MoU (2009/2014) Guarani Aquifer Agreement (2010) Disi Aquifer MoA (2015)
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International Law for TBAs • Procedural Rules – Regular exchange of data/information – Monitoring – Prior notification of planned measures
• Substantive Rules – Cooperation
• Basis – Very little state practice – Handful of instruments, some have not been tested or implemented, and some with few enforceable obligations – Aspiration of various academics
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International Law for TBAs: Moving Forward Issues to address • Obligation to manage transboundary implications (e.g., harm, pollution, etc.) • Basis for allocating water, uses, and/or benefits • Protection of the functioning of a transboundary aquifer • Protection of recharge and discharge zones • Protection of transboundary aquifer-dependent ecosystems • Harmonization of metadata and methodologies • Exploitation of non-recharging transboundary aquifers • Joint institutional mechanisms • Cross-border public participation • Degree of sovereignty over transboundary aquifers
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More information Identifying and Characterizing Transboundary Aquifers Along the Mexico-US Border: An initial assessment, Journal of Hydrology, Vol. 535, pp. 101–119 (2016) (co-authored with Dr. Rosario Sanchez and Victoria Lopez, Water Management and Hydrological Sciences Program, Texas A&M University) (http://ssrn.com/abstract=2768164) Rethinking Transboundary Ground Water Resources Management: A Local Approach along the Mexico-U.S. Border, Georgetown International Environmental Law Review, Vol. 25(1), pp. 95–128 (2013) (http://ssrn.com/abstract=2254081) Managing Buried Treasure Across Frontiers: The International Law of Transboundary Aquifers, Water International, Vol. 36(5), pp. 573-583 (2011) (http://ssrn.com/abstract=1924469) State Practice in the Management and Allocation of Transboundary Ground Water Resources in North America, Yearbook of International Environmental Law 2007, Vol. 13(3), pp. 96-125 (2008) (co-authored with Amy Hardberger, St. Mary’s Law School) (http://ssrn.com/abstract=1330690)
www.InternationalWaterLaw.org 29
Gabriel Eckstein Professor of Law Texas A&M University +1 817 212 3912
[email protected]
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