Exploring China's transboundary water treaty practice through the prism of the UN Watercourses Convention

Abstract

China shares 40 major transboundary watercourses with 16 countries. This paper surveys China's transboundary water treaty practice and compares it to the core principles of the 1997 UN Watercourses Convention (UNWC). Despite a growing watercourse treaty practice stretching back some 60 years, China's agreements in this field are relatively unsophisticated. The authors conclude that China's transboundary water treaty practice would benefit from some of the guidelines set forth under the UNWC. © 2013 Copyright 2013 International Water Resources Association.