IAH Commission on Transboundary Aquifers

IAH Commission on Transboundary Aquifers

 

The newly restructured IAH Transboundary Aquifers Commission commenced its activities in March 2020 for a period of four years. This renewed Commission builds on the work of the previous 2014-2019 IAH Transboundary Aquifers Commission, as part of UNESCO's ISARM Programme.

The mission of this renewed Commission is to build on the work of the previous IAH Commission on Transboundary Aquifers to further promote the complete scientific assessments of transboundary aquifers, and develop shared governance and science-based management of aquifers that traverse political boundaries. In addition to addressing international transboundary aquifers, the IAH-TBA will expand its focus to consider governance and management mechanisms for intra-national transboundary aquifers.

Vision and objectives

A new perspective for the renewed Commission will be to consolidate and support the adoption of the UN's Draft Articles on the Law of Transboundary Aquifers, by promoting and supporting ad-hoc local- to intermediate-scale memoranda of understanding for cooperation, including protocols and informal arrangements.

The vision has three specific objectives:

  1. Support the management of transboundary aquifers aimed at improving shared sustainable use of groundwater resources that cross two or more jurisdictional borders.
  2. Provide advanced scientific, social, policy and legal recommendations to UN Agencies, international and national organisations and governments worldwide.
  3. Increase the generation and exchange of knowledge regarding transboundary aquifers, creating channels of communication and cooperation.​

LinkedIn Discussion Group

To encourage discussion about transboundary aquifer among hydrogeologists, the commission initiated this LinkedIn group.

Commission's Newsletter

Contact Commission Members