International Association for Water Law News

Water Governance Frameworks and Negotiations: Certificate of Advanced Studies 2026

Marcella Nanni — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:32:19 GMT

The University of Geneva and the Geneva Water Hub are inviting water professionals to apply for the 9th edition of their Certificate of Advanced Studies in Water Governance: Frameworks and Negotiations (22 June - 3 July, 2026, Geneva).

In a world facing increasing environmental, climatic, and political challenges, the effective management of water resources is more critical than ever. This blended, modular programme is designed for professionals acting at strategic levels who wish to anticipate, innovate, and lead in the field of water policy and governance.

Programme Details:

Dates: June 22 to July 3, 2026

Location: Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Application Deadline: April 21, 2026

Format: A blended programme comprising one MOOC, four face-to-face thematic modules, and a final thesis (10 ECTS credits).

The number of participants is limited to 15 to ensure a high-quality, interactive learning experience. For more information, please consult https://www.unige.ch/formcont/en/courses/caswatergovernance

Paul Kibel - In Memoriam (August 10, 1967 - October 29, 2025)

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 17:40:54 GMT

As noted in the December 2025 issue of AquaForum, we regret to announce that our dear colleague and friend, Prof. Paul Stanton Kibel, passed away this past November 2025. For more than a decade he was involved with, and committed to, our Association, and took up the position of Projects Chair of the AIDA Executive Council with great results.

He participated (as a presenter) at two World Water Congresses (Recife, Brazil and Edinburgh, Scotland) for which AIDA organized the law track panels. He also contributed a chapter on dams and fisheries to The Greening of Water Law Handbook that AIDA produced for the United Nations Environment Programme. Paul was Water and Natural Resource Counsel at the Water and Power Law Group PC. He was Professor Emeritus at Golden Gate University School of Law, where he had taught Water Law and California Environmental & Natural Resources Law, and co-directed the Golden Gate University Center on Urban Environmental Law. He was also a Visiting Professor in Water Law at the University of California at Berkeley School of Law. Prior to joining the Water and Power Law Group, Paul was a partner with the water and natural resource practice group at Fitzgerald Abbott & Beardsley LLP, and worked for the California State Coastal Conservancy’s Office of Counsel and Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund. He previously co-chaired the Natural Resources Subsection of the California State Bar Real Property Section, and served as a faculty advisor to the California Water Law Symposium. His publications include the books Rivertown: Rethinking Urban Rivers (MIT Press, 2007) and Riverflow: The Right to Keep Water Instream (Cambridge University Press, 2020), and articles on water law in the Stanford Environmental Law Journal, Ecology Law Quarterly, Virginia Environmental Law Journal and Berkeley Journal of International Law. Dear Paul, you will be greatly missed!!!

GFLJD Water Law Working Group - Water Law Series Webinar: Tools for Strengthening National Water Legislation, Wednesday, January 28, 2026 - 9:00 to 10:30 AM

Marcella Nanni — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 18:09:16 GMT

Global Water Law Excellence Awards 2026: Extension of deadline for nominations

Marcella Nanni — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:47:29 GMT

The deadline for the submission of nominations for the Global Water Law Excellence Award 2026 has been extended to 30 January, 2026.

AIDA Call for Nominations – Global Water Law Excellence Awards 2026

Marcella Nanni — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 09:50:29 GMT

AIDA is pleased to launch the 2026 edition of the Global Water Law Excellence Awards, recognising outstanding contributions to national, regional, and international water law. Two categories are open:

• Senior Award – for lifetime or high-impact achievements
• Early-Career Award – for exceptional emerging scholarship

Professionals, academics, institutions, and early-career researchers are warmly invited to nominate themselves or colleagues.

Deadline: 10 January 2026
Full details and nomination forms: aida-waterlaw.org/awards

Please feel free to share within your networks.

Webinar: Towards Freshwater Rule of Law: A Manifesto of Fundamental Principles, 5 August, 2025

Marcella Nanni — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 07:55:05 GMT

Webinar: Water Policies to Support Investment in Human Rights & Nature

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 06:19:20 GMT

Webinar: Water Policies to Support Investment in Human Rights & Nature

23rd July 2025 | 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM GMT

Register Here

Human Right 2 Water is co-hosting with the African Development Bank and the Water Research Commission. Throughout this webinar we will hear from project managers from both organisations, and it will explore how the human rights-based approach (HRBA) principles can be integrated practically to protect both people and ecosystems.

What to Expect:

Practical strategies for integrating HRBA in project design and policy-making
Real-world case studies from across Africa
Insights from leading water engineers and researchers

AIDA and PFBW Issue Policy Briefs on Regulating Interconnected Surface Waters and Groundwater

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 01:03:52 GMT

The International Association for Water Law (AIDA) and the Permanent Forum for Binational Waters (PFBW) are proud to announce the release of their joint Policy Brief: Emerging Policy Themes for Interconnected Waters: Integrated Approaches for the Connection Between Surface Water and Groundwater.

This publication by the AIDA and PFBW joint Environment Working Group for Law Policy addresses one of today’s most critical water governance challenges—the disconnection between hydrological systems and regulatory frameworks for surface water and groundwater.

Drawing directly from the two series of expert Coffee Breaks hosted in November and December 2024—“Hydrologic Realities and Delusions at the Domestic Level” and “Hydrologic Realities and Delusions at the International Transboundary Basin Level”—the Policy Brief distills the core insights, debates, and recommendations that emerged during these events.

It integrates diverse perspectives from global water experts and provides actionable insights for national and transboundary water policy. Both event recordings are available on the PFBW YouTube channel.

As water scarcity intensifies across many regions, the report calls for an overhaul of outdated legal models that manage groundwater and surface water as separate entities. It delves into urgent topics such as recharge zones, data interoperability, land use regulation, sovereignty, and international legal gaps.

Co-authored by Paul Stanton Kibel, Raquel Neri Barranco, Rosario Sanchez, and Gabriel Eckstein —renowned experts in water law and governance— the report highlights the importance of coordinated, science-informed strategies to ensure water security across the U.S.–Mexico border and other transboundary regions.

This collaborative work reflects the mission of AIDA and PFBW joint Environment Working Group for Law Policy to align scientific knowledge with legal frameworks and institutional action.

It is an essential resource for decision-makers, researchers, and civil society stakeholders shaping the future of water governance.

The full report is downloadable in both English and Spanish here.

Recording of Indus Water Treaty Webinar Now Available Onilne

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 00:54:51 GMT

Recording of the joint AIDA-GWH webinar on the status of the Indus Water Treaty is now available online

On 10th July 2025, The International Association for Water Law and the Geneva Water Hub hosted a webinar on "India's Suspension of the Indus Water treaty: Underlying Causes and Consequences for Pakistan." The webinar recording is now available online here.

The webinar speakers included:

Dr. Salman M.A. Salman - Former Lead Counsel and Water Law Advisor, The World Bank; Distinguished Honorary Member and Fellow, International Water Resources Association
Dr. Mara Tignino - Senior Lecturer, University of Geneva and Senior International Law Specialist, Platform for International Water Law, Geneva Water Hub
Dr. Kishor Uprety - Former Senior Legal Adviser, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; Former Senior Lawyer, The World Bank

The program was moderated by: Paul Kibel - Professor Emeritus of Water Law, Golden Gate University School of Law; Water and Natural Resource Counsel, Water and Power Law Group

WEBINAR India's Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty: Underlying Causes and Consequences for Pakistan

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 06:00:00 GMT

WEBINAR

India's Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty: Underlying Causes and Consequences for Pakistan

10^th July 2025

9am NYC | 3pm Paris | 6:30pm Delhi | 9pm Beijing

REGISTER HERE

Speakers

Dr. Salman M.A. Salman - Former Lead Counsel and Water Law Advisor, The World Bank; Distinguished Honorary Member and Fellow, International Water Resources Association
Dr. Mara Tignino - Senior Lecturer, University of Geneva and Senior International Law Specialist, Platform for International Water Law, Geneva Water Hub
Dr. Kishor Uprety - Former Senior Legal Adviser, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; Former Senior Lawyer, The World Bank

Moderator: Paul Kibel - Professor Emeritus of Water Law, Golden Gate University School of Law; Water and Natural Resource Counsel, Water and Power Law Group

GFLJD Water Law Working Group: Water Law Series Webinar | Tuesday, June 24, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Marcella Nanni — Sun, 22 Jun 2025 09:58:51 GMT

You are warmly invited to an engaging presentation by Professor Gabriel Eckstein on the emerging international legal frameworks for managing transboundary groundwater. This session will explore global legal trends, practices, and priorities governing the use, allocation, and protection of cross-border groundwater resources.

Whether you work in environmental law, water governance, or international development, this is a valuable opportunity to gain insights from one of the field’s leading experts.

Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Time: 9:00 – 10:30 AM Eastern Time

Location: Join us in person or virtually

Microsoft Teams Join:

Meeting ID: 247 996 805 123 4
Meeting passcode: 7Ha9wZ3U

Having issues Joining?

Please contact: Tomkeen Mobegi: tmobegi@worldbank.org

International Conference ‘Water: A Driver of Peace in the Sahel,’ Dakar, 22-24 September, 2025

Marcella Nanni — Wed, 14 May 2025 06:56:28 GMT

The Geneva Water Hub, together with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Pôle Eau Dakar, will hold the International Conference ‘Water: A Driver of Peace in the Sahel,’ at Dakar, Senegal, on 22-24 September, 2025. The Sahel region is affected by multiple crises, including climatic, security, social and economic ones. In addition to the lack of water supply infrastructure, there is the problem of its protection from armed attack. Groundwater is a key resource for climate resilience, but remains poorly known and undervalued. However, as a vital and irreplaceable resource, water is also a powerful tool for cooperation at local, cross-sectoral and transboundary levels. The conference will explore the role of water as a vector for social cohesion and peacebuilding in the Sahel. The conference will bring together researchers, practitioners and decisionmakers to discuss best practices, legal frameworks and policies for the inclusive and peaceful management of water resources in the Sahel and West Africa regions. The call for papers is available here.

State of the West Symposium - Two Countries, One River: History, Health, and Future of the Columbia Basin

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 04:00:11 GMT

The Bill Lane Center for the American West, the Hoover Institution, and Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research invite you to Stanford University’s State of the West Symposium. The 2025 symposium will mark the 11th State of the West program, and will explore the future of the Columbia River Basin, a vital transboundary waterway that has shaped the culture, economy, and environment of the North American West.

The event will be live-streamed, and the details along with the Livestream link will be posted on the Symposium website soon.

State of the West Symposium
Two Countries, One River: History, Health, and Future of the Columbia Basin

Advance registration is required. Register for the event today!

Date:
Friday, May 9, 2025
12:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Add to Calendar

Location:
John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Building
Koret-Taube Conference Center, Room 130
366 Galvez Street, Stanford, CA 94305, United States

Complimentary valet parking is available in front of the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center Building. Parking is also available at the Galvez Lot located at the corner of Campus Drive and Galvez Street (about a .2 mile walk from 326 Galvez St, where the SIEPR event is located). Information on how to register your vehicle will be provided closer to the event date. Parking registration must be completed prior to the event to avoid a citation for both complimentary valet parking or parking in the Galvez lot.

Details:
This year’s symposium will delve into the past, present, and future of the Columbia River Basin, with an emphasis on its bi-national management, Native American and First Nations priorities, environmental sustainability, and climate change. We will hear from leading experts, including policymakers, academics, and Indigenous leaders.

Agenda Highlights:

Lunch Keynote by Jay Inslee, Former Governor of Washington State
Panel Discussions on topics ranging from bi-national resource management to Native American priorities in the region
Closing Keynote by Murray Rankin, Former British Columbia Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation
Reception to follow

The event will be live-streamed, and details will be provided shortly. A recording of the event will also be available online three weeks after its conclusion. We look forward to your participation in this important conversation about the future of the Columbia River Basin.

Advance registration is required. Register for the event today!
For more information, please contact Tina Lathia at vlathia@stanford.edu

Recording of AIDA webinar now available online

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 02:13:59 GMT

The recording of the Webinar on "Cooperating Over Shared Freshwater Resources Using International Law," which was held on 16th September 2024, is now available at https://youtu.be/g24MtBWXTTs.

Webinar on Cooperating Over Shared Freshwater Resources Using International Law on 16th September 2024

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 23:08:49 GMT

On 16th September 2024 (9am NYC | 3pm Paris | 9pm Beijing), the International Association for Water Law will host a webinar featuring presentations and discussion related to the forthcoming book “Cooperating Over Shared Freshwater Resources Using International Law.” The book, which is edited by Professor Gabriel Eckstein of Texas A&M University, assesses international law for shared freshwater resources—both surface and subsurface waters—explores the regime from different normative, historical, and geopolitical perspectives, and considers its achievements, deficiencies, and potential improvements. The webinar will feature chapters authors and topics appearing in the book. The webinar is co-hosted with the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, and in partnership with Texas A&M University School of Law, Florida International University Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs, and World Scientific Publishing. To attend the webinar, please register at: https://bit.ly/3zM4S6k

World Bank Alumni Award 2023 conferred to Dr Salman M.A. Salman

UT — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 20:58:14 GMT

On 15 November, 2023, AIDA member Dr Salman M.A. Salman received from the Legal Vice Presidency of the World Bank the Alumni Award 2023 in recognition of the contribution he made while working at the Bank and after retirement. One major area of attention for him has been, and is, to ensure that work in the field of international water law tallies fully with the established and evolving principles of international law, and with international practice. For that purpose, he has devoted ample efforts to research and training. Dr Salman is the author of numerous publications on topics relevant to international and national water law, among which it is worth mentioning his book on the World Bank Policy for Projects on International Waterways, published in 2009 (https://elibrary.worldbank.org/doi/pdf/10.1596/978-0-8213-7953-0). Dr Salman has received seven awards from the International Water Resources Association (IWRA), including the Honorary Member Award and the Crystal Drop Award. Congratulations, Dr Salman!

WEBINAR-The Role of Water Law for Fostering Water for Peace, 25 March, 2024

UT — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 20:57:13 GMT

Organized by AIDA in collaboration with UN-Water, this webinar aims to contribute to the UN-Water World Water Day 2024 campaign Water for Peace by addressing how water law, at the domestic and international levels, has been and can continue to be used to facilitate water as a means for achieving peace, and contribute to good water cooperation and governance. Lawyers and hydrologists will provide an interdisciplinary perspective and engage on this important topic of promoting and achieving peace through water. The webinar will take place at 10am-11:30am New York / 3pm-4:30pm Paris / 11 pm-12:30am Tokyo. The webinar is featured on the UN Water website (https://www.unwater.org/news/webinar-role-water-law-fostering-water-peace To register, go to https://bit.ly/4bwyqmS.

New Publication – Fisheries and Fishing Under International Water Law: A Dialogue Between Professor Gabriel Eckstein and Professor Paul Stanton Kibel, Golden Gate University Environmental Law Journal, Vol. 15, No. 1, Spring 2023

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 22:30:03 GMT

In August 2023, the Golden Gate University Environmental Law Journal published an article titled Fisheries and Fishing under International Water Law: A Dialogue Between Professor Gabriel Eckstein and Professor Paul Stanton Kibel. This article developed from an April 2023 webinar (organized by Golden Gate University School of Law) on International Law Aspects of Fisheries and Hydropower in Europe. Gabriel Eckstein currently serves as Chairman of the AIDA Executive Council and Paul Stanton Kibel currently serves as Projects Chair on the AIDA Executive Council.

7Th Edition of the Summer School in “Water Governance: Framework and Negotiations” (Certificate Of Advanced Studies-CAS), 1-12th July, 2024

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 21:45:37 GMT

The management of water resources faces environmental, climatic, political and economic challenges. In this changing environment, innovative policies should be designed to foster collaboration between states, civil society and the private sector. To this end, practitioners and decision-makers need to develop new analytical skills. The objective of the “Water Governance: Framework and Negotiations” Summer School programme is to provide skills and knowledge based on the latest scientific research applicable in professional contexts. Participants will learn how to use water governance tools to address complex political situations, be resilient when a crisis strikes, and innovate in the face of risk and uncertainty.

This programme has been designed as a blended training programme and is composed of a MOOC in Water Resources Management and Policy, a Module1, and four face-to-face interactive modules that will be delivered at the University of Geneva, as follows:

Module 2: Hydropolitics

Module 3: International Water Law at the Intersection of Different Fields of International Law

Module 4: Conflict Management Processes

Module 5: Data, Water and Cooperation

Registration fees for the complete programme amount to 3500 CHF. However, single modules can be taken individually, each module costing 1250 CHF. The deadline for registration is 1 May, 2024. For further information, go to https://www.unige.ch/formcont/en/courses/caswatergovernance

Online Course on International Water Law, 16 September – 3 November, 2024

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 21:41:31 GMT

The governance and protection of freshwater is one of the greatest challenges of this century. Growing population, urbanization, environmental degradation, the effects of climate change and competing water demands by states sharing transboundary water resources will continue to increase the risk of conflicts around the use and sharing of water resources .

To face this challenge, international agreements are to be negotiated and implemented, this meaning that the training of qualified professionals is needed, particularly in less developed countries.

Organized by the Geneva Water Hub, University of Geneva, this online course will be structured into 5 modules, as follows:

Module 1 – Sources and concepts of international water law

Module 2 – Evolution of international water law

Module 3 – Transboundary water resources management and protection principles (Part 1)

Module 4 – Transboundary water resources management and protection principles (Part 2)

Module 5 – Water in international economic law.

At the end of the course, participants will be invited to work on a case study.

For information and registration, go to https://www.unige.ch/formcont/cours/droit-eau?dl=pdf (the deadline for registration is 1 September, 2024)

AIDA Get-Together at World Water Day in Paris

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 22:51:38 GMT

On occasion of the World Water Day and the event to launch the Annual UN WWDR on Water for Peace organised by UNESCO at Paris on 22 March, 2024, AIDA would like to organise a get-together for members, including prospective members.

If any of you are attending the event or are in the city, we would like to set up a meeting for everyone who wishes to exchange ideas and meet other members. We can hold discussions on World Water Day, get to know each other, or simply enjoy some well deserved croissants!

You can express your interest in meeting by contacting Laure-Elise Mayard by email at laure-Elise.mayard45@orange.fr, or on Linkedin.