Accelerating Water Security In The MENA Region Through The Effective Implementation Of The Law On Transboundary Aquifers (Groundwater)

Water security is a central challenge for the development and stability of the Middle East and NorthAfrica (MENA) region, a challenge of interest far beyond the water sector. The amplifying effects ofclimate change threaten to increase the gap between water supply and water demand in the region byexacerbating drought conditions. The longer-term consequences of water scarcity that increase thisimbalance, extend beyond insufficient water availability. Concerns over water quality, critical waterinfrastructure, and transboundary water cooperation compound the region’s existing socio-economicchallenges. Of the 468 globally identified Transboundary Aquifers and Aquifer systems, there are over46 of them across the MENA region, and they range in size from 340km2 to 686,619km.2 Manygroundwater Aquifers underlie two or more countries and are, therefore transboundary. Withdrawalsfrom one country can drain life giving water from a neighbouring country and could be a potentialconflict. But the Transboundary Aquifers (TBAs) have been neglected under international law until ofvery recent, despite their environmental, socio-economic and strategic importance. Many shared TBAsin the MENA region are under environmental threats caused by climate change, growing populationpressure, over exploitation, and human induced water pollution. The dependency of the Countries inMENA region on external water resources increases the need for better and stronger regionalcooperation to addressing water scarcity, sharing and water resource management. This makesachieving water security especially challenging, particularly, while considering that growingdemand, declining water quality and climate change are contributing to increase water scarcity in theMENA region. This article therefore contends that, one surest way of addressing the lingeringchallenges of water security in the region, is to explore the benefits derivable from understanding therole of, and compliance with, international water law in supporting Transboundary (Groundwater)Aquifers cooperation, and accelerating the effective implementation of the law of TransboundaryAquifers (TBAs), especially in the absence of any legally binding multilateral regional cooperationagreement on TBAs (Groundwater) in the MENA region. Using doctrinal approach, the article seeksto review existing regional agreements on TBAs-Groundwater cooperation in the MENA region witha view to identifying gaps in them; explore the benefits derivable by State parties from internationalwater law in supporting regional TBAs Groundwater cooperation; and propose how the law of TBAscan accelerate water security in the region, that apparently lacks a multilateral regional agreement onTBAs.