Eckstein Yoram, Eckstein Gabriel E
Ground Water. 2005 Sep-Oct;43(5):679-90. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-6584.2005.00098.x.
More than one-half of the world's population is dependent on ground water for everyday uses such as drinking, cooking, and hygiene. In fact, it is the most extracted natural resource in the world. As a result of growing populations and expanding economies, many aquifers today are being depleted while others are being contaminated. Notwithstanding the world's considerable reliance on this resource, ground water resources have long received only secondary attention as compared to surface water, especially among legislatures and policymakers. Today, while there are hundreds of treaties governing transboundary rivers and lakes, there is only one international agreement that directly addresses a transboundary aquifer. Given that many of the aquifers on which humanity so heavily relies cross international borders, there is a considerable gap in the sound management, allocation, and protection of such resources. In order to prevent future disputes over transboundary aquifers and to maximize the beneficial use of this resource, international law must be clarified as it applies to transboundary ground water resources. Moreover, it must be defined with a firm basis in sound scientific understanding. In this paper we offer six conceptual models is which ground water resources can have transboudary consequences. The models are intended to help in assessing the applicability and scientific soundness of existing and proposed rules governing transboundary ground water resources. In addition, we consider the development of international law as it applies to ground water resources and make recommendations based on the models and principles of hydrogeology. The objective is the development of clear, logical, and science-based norms of state conducts as they relate to aquifers that traverse political boundaries.
世界上超过一半的人口依赖地下水用于日常用途，如饮用、烹饪和卫生清洁。事实上，地下水是世界上开采量最大的自然资源。由于人口增长和经济扩张，如今许多含水层正面临枯竭，而其他一些则受到污染。尽管世界对这一资源高度依赖，但与地表水相比，地下水资源长期以来只受到次要关注，尤其是在立法机构和政策制定者当中。如今，虽然有数百项关于跨界河流和湖泊的条约，但直接涉及跨界含水层的国际协定只有一项。鉴于人类如此严重依赖的许多含水层跨越国界，在对这些资源进行合理管理、分配和保护方面存在相当大的差距。为防止未来关于跨界含水层的争端，并最大限度地有益利用这一资源，必须澄清适用于跨界地下水资源的国际法。此外，必须在可靠的科学认识基础上对其加以界定。在本文中，我们提出了六种概念模型，地下水文资源可能会产生跨界影响。这些模型旨在帮助评估现有和拟议的跨界地下水资源规则的适用性和科学合理性。此外，我们考虑适用于地下水资源的国际法的发展，并根据水文地质学的模型和原则提出建议。目标是制定与跨越政治边界的含水层相关的、清晰、合理且基于科学的国家行为规范。
