Transboundary freshwater security governance train – an interactive online session series by GWP and IWLA

In 2021, the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and Wuhan International Water Law Academy (IWLA) are co-organising an interactive online series called the "Transboundary freshwater security governance train". The series of online sessions will be conducted in an approach of a ‘train’ stopping at various locations in the world, with a focus on topics related to transboundary freshwater security from an international water law (IWL) perspective. The series aims to make basic legal concepts of international water law accessible to a wide audience by presenting and discussing the actual implementation and practice of these principles in different contexts and locations. Every session will be conducted in an interactive, responsive, and engaging fashion as we strongly believe in the importance of building a diverse community of practice.

The session series is part of the Governance for Transboundary Freshwater Security Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). You can sign up for the course for free following this link. All sessions will be open for everybody to join but we still encourage you to sign up for the MOOC and have a look at module 3 (International Water Law) for preparation. Also check out this paper on the contemporary challenges for international water law by Patricia Wouters et. al.

The first session is on transboundary water agreements, and it takes place on 19 January 2021, stopping in Africa, Europe and Asia. Learn more about the session and register now! A schedule of the planned sessions can be found below.

Session Topic	Date
Session 1 – Transboundary Water Agreements: What is a transboundary water agreement and why is it important? Are there examples of best practice that can help where no agreements exist?	19 January
Session 2 – IWL & Protection of Ecosystems: Would a stronger focus on protecting ecosystems of international watercourses help avoid potential conflicts or address existing disputes?	16 February
Session 3 – IWL, Transboundary Water Cooperation and the Role of Institutions: How is transboundary water cooperation facilitated in international law? What legal processes contribute to hydro diplomacy on the ground? What options do States have when they disagree over how a transboundary watercourse should be utilised and/or protected?	16 March
Session 4 - IWL & Climate Change: What strategies are there to help countries adapt to / tackle climate change within a transboundary contact? What are the legal challenges and how can national, regional and global legal requirements be addressed?	20 April
Session 5 – IWL & Infrastructure Projects: What are the legal rules and procedures for building major infrastructure? How does international water law, human rights and international investment law combine to deal with these issues?	18 May
Session 6 – IWL & Groundwater: How is transboundary groundwater governed – what are the legal rules that apply and how to implement these in practice? Focus on existing best practice and key challenges.	15 June