Recent Trends in Comprehensive Transboundary Water Quality Management with a Focus on European Developments

This paper reviews recent work by the Border International Water Quality Standards Committee of EWRI and summarizes some of the recent trends that either parallel or support the Committee's work products. The Committee is developing a major document revision that will add two appendices to the previously published "Comprehensive Transboundary International Water Quality Management Agreement". The new version is titled "Comprehensive Transboundary Water Quality Management Agreement with Guidelines for Development of Standards, Criteria and a Management Plan" which is described in previous papers. The document development follows the established process for ASCE standard. The purpose of the upcoming "Comprehensive Transboundary International Water Quality Management Agreement." is to provide a framework for bi- or multi-lateral agreements that form the policy and regulatory structure for establishing a partnership between sovereign countries or nations (Parties) to provide comprehensive water quality management of shared water resources along or across intergovernmental boundaries. This model agreement and the appendices will provide a step-by-step approach to implementation of an agreement of this type is based on the concept of shared sovereignty. It is appropriate only for those situations in which the Parties are prepared to relinquish a significant degree of sovereignty over their portion of the shared water resource. The two new appendices will focus on the Guidelines for Development of Standards, Criteria and Guidelines for Development of a Transboundary Water Quality Management Plan.