Rivers, ecological health, and justice: international watercourses and long-term legal reform

This dissertation deals with rivers that cross national boundaries and with the international law that applies to them. It takes a critical look at that law, drawing upon normative standards that value justice among all people, without regard for where they live along rivers or for the negotiating strength of their home States, and that also value the long-term ecological health of rivers as aquatic systems. The dissertation pays particular attention to the most vulnerable States of the world on watercourse-related issues; to States that are located downstream, that have relatively weak negotiating powers in comparison with their upstream neighbors, and that face critical development needs. Bangladesh is used as the paradigm example. The dissertation draws upon current law and recent legal experiences to formulate a new vision for the international law of watercourses, a vision that, if implemented, would recognize and protect rivers as complex ecological wholes while promoting social justice among all people dependent on such rivers. In doing so, it puts forth an ambitious vision for long-term cultural as well as legal reform. The vision is offered less as a proposal for current consideration than as a way of clarifying deficiencies in current law and gaining a better sense of the overall direction in which more modest law reforms should head.

Name thesis:degree_name

J.S.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Law

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2017

Author dc:creator

• Tamanna, Romin

Contributors dc:contributor

• Freyfogle, Eric T.
• Davey, William J.
• Wexler, Lesley
• Bilz, Kenworthey

• International water law
• International rivers
• Social justice
• Bangladesh
• South Asia
• Dams and reservoirs
• Equitable share
• Reasonable water use
• River health
• Vulnerable states
• Drainage basin
• Environmental protection
• International watercourses
• Integrated management

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2017 Romin Tamanna

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/97761

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/97761