(The Basis of Civilization – Water Science? – Proceedings UNESCO/IAHS/IWHA Symposium held in Rome, December 2003 – IAHS Publication 286, 2004, pp. 238–245).
With the increasing scarcity of water, the danger of conflict is rising in trans-boundary river basins across the world. This danger must be faced now. This can be done through confidence building measures, such as the carrying out of common projects between the institutions of the countries within a trans-boundary river basin and by the common management of the water resources. Hydrology is of special importance to these measures. Hydrology can contribute to the avoidance of and the solution of, conflicts in transboundary rivers through the exchange of hydrological data and forecasts, the collection of such hydrological, climatological, morphological and land use data which are of interest to all the countries within the river basin (compilation of a hydrological inventory), together with the development of more robust and transparent water management models and assessment method. Furthermore, hydrology can contribute to the introduction of water saving in irrigation schemes and to the cultivation of water saving plants, the reduction of water losses in channels and in water supply and water sanitation systems. Also the contributions of hydrologists are expected in the development of mathematical based methods for the evaluation of potential conflicts in international waters.
Hydrology, International co-operation, Transboundary river basins, Water conflicts
