Aguas subterraneas

From Potential Conflict to Co-operation Potential:
Water for Peace

United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

International
Hydrological
Programme

Conflict and Cooperation related to
International Water Resources:
Historical Perspectives

Selected Papers of the
International Water History Association’s Conference on

The Role of Water in History and Development
Bergen, Norway 10-12 August 2001

Edited by S. Castelein and A. Otte

A contribution to IHP-VI, Theme 4 “Water and Society”and the UNESCO / Green Cross International initiative
From Potential Conflict to Co-operation Potential: Water for Peace, a sub-component of the World Water Assessment Programme

IHP-VI  Technical Documents in Hydrology (TDH)  No. 62
UNESCO, Paris, 2002
(SC-2002/WS/53)

The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of
UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Preface

Preface by Andras Szöllösi-Nagy
Secretary of the International Hydrological Programme and
Deputy Assistant Director General for Natural Sciences,
UNESCO
The recent World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held from 26 August to
4 September 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa has, once more, pointed out that the signs of a looming water crisis are evident. Since water is essential to every aspect of life, this crisis will likely affect everything—health, human rights, environment, economy, welfare, politics, culture—and will be, therefore, well beyond the scope of any individual country or sector to deal with unilaterally.
To take appropriate action is particularly urgent in the 261 river basins which are shared by two or more states. These basins include nearly half of the territory and population of the world. Indeed,
given