Rebuilding the International Legal Order on Shared Water Resources: Toward Integrated Management of Rivers and Oceans for the Land-Based Pollution

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K13336
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 05030:International law-related
• Research Institution: Setsunan University
• Principal Investigator: Toriyabe Jo 摂南大学, 法学部, 講師 (40823802)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 国際河川法 / 共有水資源 / 共有天然資源 / 陸起因海洋汚染 / 福島第一原発処理水の海洋放出 / 海洋プラスチックごみ問題

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Today, the growth of the world's population and the rapid increase in demand for water, coupled with the effects of climate change, have become a source of friction between nations over water resources in many parts of the world. International law has traditionally elaborated rules for settling international water resource disputes through the development of treaties on the non-navigational use of international watercourses and customary international law. However, water resource disputes between states have expanded beyond rivers to include transboundary groundwater and related freshwater and marine issues. More broadly, there are also disputes between states over the conservation and management of shared natural resources. How should international law respond to these situations? This study was conducted as a starting point for the establishment of an international legal order for common natural resources, based on international river law.

Free Research Field

国際法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的意義としては、次の２点を挙げることができる。第１に、伝統的に発展を遂げてきた国際河川法の理論は、国際河川以外の共有資源（地下水、海水、大気など）の利用および管理に関する国際法の構築にいかなる影響を与えうるか（または与える余地がないか）、もし影響を与えるとすれば、それはどのようにしてかについて、本研究が一定の視座を提供しうる点である。第２に、とりわけ国際河川・地下水・海洋にまたがる共有水資源の利用および管理に関する国際法上の問題である「海洋プラスチックごみ」について、その規制を目的として現在進行中の新条約策定作業とその将来の方向性について、本研究が若干の示唆を提供しうる点である。