The Geneva List of Principles on the Protection of Water Infrastructure: an Assessment and the Way Forward, by Mara Tignino & Öykü Irmakkesen, in Brill Research Perspectives in International Water Law, Vol. 5(2) 2020

The  introduction to this monograph outlines the scale of the problems caused by attacks against, and the weaponization of, water infrastructure. It is followed by sections on the background and methodology of the Geneva List of Principles on the Protection of Water Infrastructure and, lastly, by preliminary remarks on the List’s scope and content. The monograph concludes with a short section dealing with perspectives on the possible challenges ahead relating, inter alia, to climate change and the proliferation of cyber warfare. In addition, it sets forth next steps to be taken based on the Geneva List of Principles by the Geneva Water Hub and explores the idea of creating a mechanism to monitor damages to water infrastructure during armed conflicts.

The Geneva List includes principles applicable in peace time, during armed conflicts and in post-conflict situations. These principles bring together rules regulating the protection of water infrastructure under international humanitarian law, international human rights law, international environmental law and international water law. Some of them reflect recommendations that go beyond the existing law, which are largely built upon the practice of parties to past and current conflicts and well-recognized soft law documents, such as those issued by the International Law Association (ILA).

The monograph is available for purchase online, at https://brill.com/view/journals/rpwl/5/2/article-p3_1.xml