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The aim of this article is to assess how the European Union advances its role as a global security actor and how it deploys the military forces provided by the member states. Tracing the current debate of the identity and means of the European Union, we analyze the two maritime operations, EU NAVFOR Somalia (Operation Atalanta) and EUNAVFOR MED (Operation Sophia) from a naval diplomacy perspective. Naval diplomacy acknowledge a more versatile role for naval forces, not just military advancement and force projection. For this purpose, we need to go beyond mission descriptions and operational mandates in order to analyze and assess the two operations from within, relying on internal reports and interviews with senior officers who have participated in the operations. Results show that naval forces seeks cooperation with International organizations, NGOs, and third countries in order to facilitate security and good order of the global common of international water. Still, complex security problems are not resolved in this manner and EU maritime operations are highly political, thus facing an uncertain future as a tool of CSDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article by Al-Najjar et al. (2022a) possesses abundant flaws in geopolitical, geographical and hydrological contexts. The paper ignores a vast body of scientific literature about the study region of the Negev Desert, Israel, in general, and Nahal Besor (Wadi Gaza) in particular. The paper's methodology lacks data collection from the field. These gaps and flaws lead to erroneous and geopolitically slandered research conclusions. Nahal Besor is a large transboundary ephemeral river shared between Israel, the West Bank (Palestinian and Israeli territories) in the northeast, and finally, its western outlet into the Mediterranean Sea is in the Gaza Strip. Despite the current political ordeal between the two nations to accurately portray and model the segment of the river in the downstream coastal plain of Gaza, it is crucial to use the data of upstream Israeli floods that in some events reach the Strip. In this comment, we utilize some of the main flaws of Al-Najjar et al. (2022a) to demonstrate that how the hypothesized potential flood geohazard of Gaza can be significantly reduced by binational and regional cooperation such as using upbasin bank-side reservoirs in the northwestern Negev, Israel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the study of some aspects of international legal regulation of the use, reproduction and protection of specially protected flora. Unfortunately, the expansion of the scope of international environmental law does not adequately reflect the state of the environment. The problems of climate change, the destruction of the Earth’s ozone layer, deforestation, desertification, conservation of migratory species of animals, fish and birds, transboundary water and air pollution, natural disasters, preservation of biodiversity and the natural heritage of mankind, which directly affect flora, have now become global. Everyone in the world is interested in a high-quality environment, careful use of natural resources and fair distribution of income from natural resources. However, the current international environmental law is not a sufficiently perfect tool to address the problem of regulating the use, reproduction and protection of specially protected plant species. In particular, it is not properly systematised and codified. The author analyses that the problem identified in the article is not solved by the existing international legal acts of a general nature - the Stockholm Declaration on the Environment, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992), and the World Charter for Nature (1982). These documents are not legally binding and are not systemically important for international environmental law. Other international environmental legal acts are not universal. They were adopted at different times, by different actors, and contain many gaps. Often, the documents are declarative, contradictory and not based on the modern international legal doctrine of environmental law development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that there is a large gap between the aspirations of international water law and the management of transboundary rivers and lakes necessary to address the existential challenges that have arisen in the twenty-first century. In addition to this gap in practice, these include climate destruction, the holistic view of river basins which includes environmental values and social justice, a more sceptical view of large dams and diversions, and the collapse of the post-World War II idea of a global community of shared values. Thus, international water law requires a transformative change to meet these challenges. New treaties and conventions are not needed. Instead, we need to move beyond traditional international water law. We call for innovation in three main areas: (1) the prevailing approach to this area of international law should be reconceptualised to more fully embrace global issues in ways that enhance community-building approach broadly anchored in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); (2) the normative legal framework, especially procedural obligations, needs to be enhanced, in part through a more invigorated rule of due diligence; and (3) the current regulatory silos that apply to water law need to be better integrated across the layers of international/national law to better represent and to protect the communities of the watershed across the basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of transboundary aquifers across the Americas faces significant challenges, especially as climate change and population growth intensify groundwater stress. Groundwater use has increased to support domestic, industrial, and agricultural demands but has been extracted through unregulated withdrawals, leading to the severe degradation of aquifer health and transboundary frictions. This study focuses on how hydro-diplomacy can accelerate the adaptive governance of shared groundwater resources in three key regions: Canada–USA, USA–Mexico, and Mexico–Guatemala–Belize. We utilized a mixed methodology by integrating a transect approach, borrowed from ecology, into the field of geopolitics. To compare the hydro-diplomatic relations and groundwater governance across a continental gradient in the Americas, we conducted a literature review and employed the TWINS conflict–cooperation matrix to evaluate governance frameworks and hydro-diplomatic interactions across time. Our findings demonstrate that hydro-diplomacy plays a pivotal role in expediting agreements, fostering transboundary data sharing, and supporting participatory governance models. In particular, the presence of supranational bodies such as the International Joint Commission (IJC) between Canada and the USA has been effective in maintaining long-term collaboration through social learning and technical cooperation. Meanwhile, in regions like Mexico–Guatemala–Belize, the absence of robust institutions has hindered progress, with limited financial and knowledge-sharing networks. This study highlights the need for improved cross-border cooperation mechanisms and the establishment of common monitoring protocols to better manage aquifer resources under the pressures of climate change. The results support the development of more adaptive transboundary groundwater management strategies aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.5.2 and call for broader geopolitical cooperation to address the complexities of groundwater governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we visualize and analyze the literature on the Brahmaputra river using a spectral clustering algorithm, tracking research trends over time. We found that the focus of research on the Brahmaputra has changed over time in the last decade, with a shift from geology to hydrology and geochemistry and a rapid growth in climate change research in recent years. In the future, potential hot topics may be "water resource management" and other topics related to transboundary water resource management and cooperation. At the same time, this study also analyzes in detail the keywords and clusters "geohydrology" and "ecological risk and sustainable development", among other topics. We believe that future research should carefully consider the potential effects of transdisciplinary research trends. For instance, it is urgent that transborder governance and management regimes be renovated through joint efforts and cross-border effective actions carried out by multifaceted and multi-scalar agencies along this river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental phenomena shed light on the fiction that inter-state borders constitute on some level, and the limitations of state-based environmental governance. Transboundary watersheds, in particular, flow across borders of different kinds, evincing the interdependence of water bodies, both human and nonhuman. The lack of cross-border comprehensive environmental governance imposes regional forms of inequity and inefficient forms of water protection. In Central America, to address such problems, citizens have created a legal prototype for how transboundary watersheds could be governed as a commons going forward. This endeavour has been led by Salvadorans, concerned as they are by their country’s position as a lower co-riparian and their significant interdependence with transboundary water bodies. I argue that, in addition to destabilizing established approaches to environmental governance, the legal prototype opens avenues for forms of earthly politics and multispecies justice by placing the reproduction of life, human and nonhuman, side by side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transboundary water management in the Sixaola basin, shared by Costa Rica and Panama, has historically involved significant contributions from third parties. This study investigates their evolving roles and the implications for governance in this context. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of non-State actors interventions over time, focusing on changes in strategies, priorities, and their impact on transboundary basin governance. Our findings indicate that while non-state actor initiatives have attracted attention and financial resources, they have also introduced significant governance challenges, leading to inconsistencies in basin development. The analysis reveals that limited governmental involvement and the technocratic turn in development strategies have raised questions about basin development and its tangible impacts. Additionally, reterritorialization efforts highlight a local tendency to better align existing functional spaces with local concerns. This study contributes to the literature on transboundary basin management by providing insights into the multifaceted role of non-state actors in the Sixaola basin. It explores a case where governments remain distant in defining governance systems, highlighting the added value of focusing on non-state actors to grasp the complexity of hydropolitics and discussing the politics of river basin development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The planning, designing, management, and operation of water systems has been one of the most important activities throughout the history of humankind. However, as a scientific and applied discipline, it evolved about 70 years ago. The International Commission on Water Resources Systems (ICWRS) has primarily focused on developing and implementing improved methods for water resources management for the benefit of society since the 1970s. This paper reviews the history of the water resources systems (WRS) discipline over these six decades after the 100th anniversary of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) and aims to make a synthesis of the history of ICWRS. In the concluding section, an outlook for researchers and decision makers on the future development of WRS research is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acoustic telemetry (AT) has emerged as a valuable tool for monitoring aquatic animals in both European inland and marine waters over the past two decades. The European Tracking Network (ETN) initiative has played a pivotal role in promoting collaboration among AT researchers in Europe and has led to a significant increase in the number of tagged and observed aquatic animals in transboundary European waters. While AT benefits decision‐making and delivers essential data to management bodies, its potential for management decision‐making mechanisms has yet to be fully harnessed. We reviewed existing research, studies, and organisational initiatives related to aquatic animal tracking and their utility in fisheries management in European waters. We found that AT has already contributed to many aspects of fisheries management, such as improved understanding of stock dynamics, identification of critical habitats, assessment of migration routes, and evaluation of the effectiveness of conservation measures. However, broader utilisation of tracking technologies is needed. By leveraging the full potential of AT, managers can make more informed decisions to protect, restore, and sustainably manage European waters and creatures that live therein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States Navy plans on fielding autonomous surface vessels in the near future. This paper presents a preliminary approach for certifying an autonomous surface vessel to complete a transoceanic voyage. In particular, this paper will decompose the rules currently outlined by the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea for avoiding a collision when two vessels are in sight of one another in international waters. These requirements are the basis for a specification that we examined to ensure it meets the requirements of the convention. We developed a protocol based on the analyzed specification that will ensure what the vehicle will function appropriately while operating autonomously. We then test this protocol using real-world scenarios currently used to certify human operators. Finally, we showed that if the protocol had been in place during a fatal mishap within the naval surface warfare community the collision would have been avoided. This paper describes how this protocol can be used as evidence for certifying an autonomous controller to complete a task reserved for a fully qualified ship's Commanding Officer in the United States Navy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperative and self-enforceable water allocation is a key instrument to manage geopolitical conflict induced by water scarcity, which necessitates the cooperative willingness of the agents and considers their heterogeneity in geography, climate, hydrology, environment and social economy. Based on a multi-indicator system that contains asymmetric information on water volume contribution, current water consumption, water economic efficiency and efforts for eco-environmental protection, this study proposed a water allocation framework by combining the asymmetric power index approach with bankruptcy theory for solving the transboundary water allocation problem under scarcity. The proposed method was applied to the Yellow River Basin in northern China, which is mainly shared by nine provincial districts and frequently suffers from severe water shortages, and its results were compared with six alternative methods. The results highlight the necessity of quantifying agents' willingness to cooperate under the condition of asymmetric negotiation power when making decisions on transboundary water allocations. The proposed method allows for transboundary water allocations through simultaneous consideration of the agent's willingness to cooperate and asymmetric negotiation power, as well as disagreement allocation points, which ensure the stability, fairness and self-enforceability of allocation results. Therefore, it can offer practical and valuable decision-making insights for transboundary water management under water scarcity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transboundary transport of pollution by channel water flows causes environmental–economic losses in territories located in the lower reaches of rivers. In this case, very serious problems arise not only in the streams that cross state borders, but also on the borders between entities of the same country. The first problem is the reliability of water quality estimate against the background of considerable instability of hydrological regime and based on existing monitoring systems. This problem is considered in the case of the transboundary Ural River. An algorithm is proposed for the formation of a constructive dialogue between interested parties by taking into account the statistical characteristics of the measurement results obtained at neighboring sites of hydrochemical observations. It is shown that in this case a threshold of distinguishability of the controlled indicators should be taken into account and the errors of the 1st and 2nd kind are to be regulated. It is demonstrated that economic losses that result from the lack of constructive relations between the parties regarding the estimation of the controlled indicators can be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study on evolutionary dynamics of Mid-Channel Bars (MCBs) under regulated-river regime is surprisingly scanty. To bridging this gap, morphological variables of 32 MCBs and channel parameters of a reach of ∼75.83 km of Bhagirathi-Hooghly River were examined over a time span of 30 years. For quantifying MCBs dimensions, satellite imageries and Google earth pro images were used under GIS environment. Bivariate-Correlation and Variability in MCB parameters were assessed using goodness-of-fit measures (R2) and CV or σ respectively. It is found that over time, the number and area of MCBs has been increased 3.56 times from 9 in 1990 to 32 in 2023. The reach of the river is on the way of transformation form meandering one to the braiding one. Both frequency of MCBs and braiding intensity show an increasing trend towards downstream. It is found that there was more than 1 MCBs within a wavelength in 2023 and it was much less in 1990 (0.3).The temporal variability in size of MCBs shows that smaller MCBs are more variable than larger one. Stability of larger MCBs are attributedto the impact of permanently grown vegetation. Dynamics in MCBs shape do not show any significant spatio-temporal trend. The larger MCBs are more circular than smaller ones attributing to the lateral accumulation of sediments under vegetated MCB margins. This work suggests that continued investigation into the MCB dynamics is to be substantiated by more advanced technology-based interdisciplinary approaches based on robust data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snow is important in Türkiye especially in the mountainous eastern areas where it may stay on the ground for more than half of the year. This region plays a vital role in feeding the water resources of the trans-boundary Euphrates-Tigris Basin, supporting crucial dams for water supply, irrigation and energy production. Thus, easy, frequent, correct and economical ways of measuring the snowpack is crucial. The snow properties at specific locations in the mountainous eastern regions over the two snow seasons (2018 and 2019) were studied by using different instruments and techniques, snow pit (box/cylinder/wedge cutter types), snow tube (Federal Sampler) and SnoTel (Snowpack Analyzer). The results point out a 1.7%-7.1% variation between different cutter type snow density measurements within snow pit analysis and the long-term utilized snow tube observations show a closer relation to box/cylinder type cutters. As for the continuous SnoTel observations, a variation of 2.4%-9.8% with various cutter types and a 5.9% difference regarding the snow tube density results are detected. These findings indicate a close range among different instruments, but it is the best when all three systems complement each other to characterize the snowpack effectively in the complex terrain since each has its own advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the Brahmaputra is a transboundary river, the availability of river flow and hydrometeorological data is less in the public domain for the Brahmaputra river basin. Hence, estimation of water balance is difficult for the basin. However, the basin is one of the major populated basins in India and Bangladesh. With the increase in anthropogenic activities, climate change, etc., a proper hydrological and hydraulic study of the basin is essential. Total drainable water storage (TDWS) is one of the fundamental hydrological quantities of a basin that accounts for the long-term average water stored in a basin. In this study, the TDWS of the Brahmaputra basin is estimated. For an ungauged and giant river such as Brahmaputra, where frequent hydrological surveys are not possible, the estimation of TDWS using satellite-based data is highly beneficial and cost-effective. The estimation of TDWS is based on the assumption that storage and discharge have a linear relationship. First, the historical daily discharge data is used to assess the river basin's base flow parameters (recession constant and base flow index). When passed through Eckhardt's digital filter, these parameters and the monthly discharge data give the base flow time series for the basin. From the linear relationship between base flow and the gravity recovery and climate experiment's (GRACE) total water storage anomaly, TDWS for the Brahmaputra basin is estimated. Here in the study, the TDWS is obtained by considering Pandu, Guwahati, as the outlet point for the river catchment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the historical context and current dynamics of the transboundary water issues between India and China. Both countries share multiple transboundary river basins, with the Brahmaputra River being one of the most significant. The importance of the Brahmaputra River to both nations goes beyond just providing resources. It has implications for national security, regional stability, and human livelihoods. However, China's upstream control over the river and its extensive dam-building projects have raised concerns in downstream India and Bangladesh about potential impacts on water availability, agriculture, and livelihoods. The river system is critical for the socioeconomic well-being of millions of people, yet the competing demands for water resources have led to geopolitical tensions. The paper highlights China's strategic use of water resources, including plans for large-scale dams, which India views as a potential threat to its water security. It also underscores the importance of a nuanced understanding of hydropolitics, emphasizing the need for human security, particularly water security, in addressing these challenges. It argues that while "water wars" are unlikely, "water tensions" are significant and must be addressed through comprehensive bilateral agreements and collaborative efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is essential to determine the dominant/indicator species and their ecological preferences to develop a comprehensive bioassessment strategy for rivers. The objective of this work was to provide dependable ecological evaluation techniques for ecosystems that experience significant human-induced disruptions, with the Hari Rud River (a transboundary water resource) serving as a case study during the May (wet) and July (dry) periods of 2023. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen, ortho-phosphate (P O 4 3 - ), and nitrate (N O 3 - ) had substantial impacts on the spatial distribution of diatom species in the basin. Relatively pollution-tolerant species, including Nitzschia brevissima, N. capitellata, N. umbonata, N. palea, N. dissipata, and Navicula cryptocephala, had close relationships with EC and P O 4 3 - , integrated with Joi Injil and Karbar streams. Of the sampling stations, especially Hari Rud River1 and Hari Rud River2, exhibited pollution-sensitive diatom species, Cymbella excisa, Achnanthidium minutissimum, Diatoma moniliformis, Cymbella affinis, and Meridion circulare. Various eco-regional diatom metrics exhibited distinct scores, indicating a range of ecological status from high to bad in the Lower Hari Rud River basin. European diatom indices revealed good ecological status for Hari Rud River 1 and 4, but poor or bad ecological statuses for Joi Injil and Karbar streams. The findings of the current study emphasize the requirements of autecological studies to understand the regional diatom compositions and their ideal survival ranges in different locations before considering using non-regional diatom indices to evaluate the ecological status of lotic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to disrupt hegemonic ideas in transboundary water governance literature about rivers and borders being fixed and rigid. I argue that rivers are sites of uneven experiences not only in terms of access and use, but also in the way they are experienced as ‘borders’ by different communities, reflecting wider settler colonial dynamics and legacies. On the Yarmouk Tributary of the Jordan River, the river environments are borderised and territorialised in very unequal ways by nation‐states and through bilateral river basin agreements. Through paying attention to how river‐border environments have been transformed and how they function, this paper explores how the border is experienced and navigated in three border environments on the Yarmouk. This paper complicates the river‐as‐border scholarship by attending to how river borders are environments which are experienced differently by communities living in them through different forms of infrastructural and slow violence. Centring slow violence in this analysis offers a window into unexamined social worlds and experiences, showing how infrastructures on the border become environments and not just banal assemblages of pipes and pumps separate from people and land. It also presents an original contribution to examine transboundary river politics in the Jordan River Basin from the vantage points of the communities that continue to re‐configure ways to forge and mend relations with the river and border environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Aras River Basin, a significant transboundary river basin in the Caucasus region, is shared among four riparian countries, including Türkiye, Armenia, Iran, and Azerbaijan. Although positive measures have been taken to enhance water cooperation in this river basin, the Eastern Anatolia Project (DAP) and the hydraulic mission of Türkiye remain the primary factors that could potentially reverse the cooperative atmosphere of the basin and lead to conflict. In recent decades, Türkiye has utilised transboundary water resources to bolster its economic power, advance political strategies, and establish hydro-hegemony. Despite the significant Mega-Project and hydraulic mission of the upstream in the Aras River Basin, they have not received adequate attention in hydro politics studies. This study employs secondary sources to investigate Türkiye's actions in the region. It discusses the implications of Türkiye's projects on downstream riparian states in general and Iran's water resources, including dam construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In April 2021, Egypt and Sudan announced the failure of the African Union (AU)-led negotiations over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Why did the AU fail to achieve progress on the contested issues in spite of the parties' rhetorical commitment to settle these issues, the mediation capacity that the AU developed over the last decade, and its comparative advantage as a regional organization close to the dispute? This article addresses this question. It integrates regional conflict resolution literature and water diplomacy approaches to identify the conditions of successful mediation in transboundary water conflicts, a task which contributes to ongoing AU efforts to learn from past mediation experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societies are increasingly subject to transboundary crises that pose new challenges to crisis management and require a structural rethinking of longstanding arrangements. This study explores which governance aspects could be embedded in legislation to facilitate the organization of such transboundary crisis management. It builds upon research findings from the comprehensive 2020 governmental evaluation study of the Safety Regions Act in the Netherlands and the relevant literature. First, we provide a framework for a systematic study of the relationship between law and practice. Second, we present a model on how legislation for crisis management could be adapted to better fit with transboundary crises. This consists of a set of 10 key aspects categorized into five pillars: the interconnectedness of the various phases of crisis management and risk assessments as a starting point; flexible crisis management organization and network collaboration; allocated facilitator and exceptional decision‐making power; professional competences and netcentric information management; and learning capacities and democratic feedback. This model provides a point of departure for researchers and policymakers alike for rethinking the role that legislation can play in preparing for the crises of the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental emergencies are increasingly the subject of debate. As defined in this article, these emergencies start on a State's territory but can have consequences beyond its borders. The interconnectedness of the environment and the growing concern about environmental threats lead to the question of whether third States might have a legal interest in some of these environmental emergencies. It triggers a debate similar to past debates on human rights violations, resulting in the Responsibility to Protect. This article investigates the circumstances under which States can lawfully intervene without using force in another State in response to environmental emergencies. By analysing the principle of non-intervention and the effect of international environmental law on the scope of the domaine réservé, the article discusses whether certain environmental interventions can be justified under the current legal framework of the principle of non-intervention. The emphasis lies on the no-harm principle and the concept of the common concern of humankind as a means to address environmental emergencies with direct transboundary impacts or those threatening the environment at a global level. The article concludes that the no-harm principle and the concept of the common concern of humankind can potentially reduce the scope of the domaine réservé. Consequently, States' actions in response to an environmental emergency can be lawful under the principle of non-intervention. This lawful environmental intervention has the potential to develop from an activist idea into a legal tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing water resources amidst the pressures of climate change and human activities is a significant challenge, especially in regions experiencing shrinking lakes, deteriorating water quality, and ecological degradation. This review focuses on achieving integrated river basin management by learning from the governance experiences of typical watersheds globally, using the Hulun Lake Basin as a case study. Hulun Lake, China's fifth-largest lake, experienced severe ecological problems from 2000 to 2009 but saw improvements after comprehensive management efforts from 2012 onward. This review systematically explores methods to address water resource, environment, and ecological challenges through the lenses of data acquisition, mechanism identification, model simulation, and regulation and management. Drawing lessons from successful basins such as the Rhine, Ganges, Mississippi, and Murray–Darling, the review proposes key goals for comprehensive management, including establishing extensive monitoring networks, developing predictive models, and creating contingency plans for routine and emergency management. Leveraging advanced technologies like satellite imagery and IoT sensors, alongside continuous improvement mechanisms, will ensure the sustainable use and protection of river basins. This review provides a detailed roadmap for achieving comprehensive watershed management in Hulun Lake, summarizing effective strategies and outcomes from data acquisition to regulation, thus serving as a model for similar regions globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water security, as a crucial component of national security, plays a significant role in maintaining regional stability and ensuring the healthy and rapid development of the economy and society. The Yellow River water-receiving area of Henan Province (YRWAR-HN) is selected as the research area in this study. Firstly, a comprehensive evaluation index system is constructed based on the actual water security problems of the research area, and the single index quantification–multiple indices syntheses–poly-criteria integration method (SMI-P) is introduced to quantify the water security degree of 14 cities in the YRWAR-HN from 2010 to 2021. Then, the obstacle degree model is used to identify the key obstacle indexes that restrict the improvement of water security. Finally, the harmonious behavior set optimization method is adopted to carry out the regulation of water security, and the improvement path of water security in the YRWAR-HN is formulated. The results indicate the following: (1) the water security degree of the YRWAR-HN shows a fluctuating upward trend, increasing from 0.4348 (2010) to 0.6766 (2021), a significant rise of 55.61%. The water security level improves from the relatively unsafe level to the relatively safe level. Hebi City exhibits the fastest rate of water security improvement, while Xinxiang City shows the slowest rate. (2) The density of the river network (X1) and the proportion of investment in water conservancy and environmental protection in the total investment (X15) are the two indexes with the highest obstacle degree, with the average obstacle degrees being 15.09% and 10.79%, respectively. (3) The combination of the composite regulation scenario and improvement Path 2 is the optimal regulation strategy for water security in the YRWAR-HN. From the implementation process, Luoyang, Sanmenxia, Jiyuan, Xuchang, and Shangqiu may prioritize improving their flood and drought disaster defense capabilities and emergency response capabilities, continuously enhancing the flood prevention and disaster reduction system. Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Xinxiang, Jiaozuo, Anyang, Hebi, Pingdingshan, and Zhoukou may prioritize resolving the regional water supply and demand conflicts, balancing development and conservation, actively seeking transboundary and external water transfers, and strengthening the capacity for water conservation and intensive utilization. Puyang City may prioritize enhancing its comprehensive water environment management capabilities, increasing investment in water conservancy and the environment, improving production processes, reducing pollutant emissions, and mitigating agricultural non-point source pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Navy escorts are considered crucial in countering illegal piracy attacks. In this paper, a novel approach is developed to investigate the effect of navy escorts on piracy incidents by models based on two enhanced Tree‐Augmented Naïve (TAN) Bayesian networks. This approach offers a systematic investigation into the various factors that influence pirate activities, and helps to identify changes in piracy attack behaviors when confronted by navy escorts and assess the effectiveness of anti‐piracy measures. An empirical study is conducted utilizing a unique data set compiled from multiple sources from 2000 to 2019. The empirical evidence shows that there was a gradual reduction in the incidence of piracy attacks in East Africa following the implementation of navy escorts in 2009, but with a surge in 2010 and 2011. The data set is, thus, divided into two time periods at the point of 2009 to facilitate a robust and comprehensive analysis, resulting in the development of two TAN models. Meanwhile, the geographical distribution of pirate attacks has shifted from international waters to port areas and territorial waters. We argue that the surge and geographical shift could be attributed to the calculating behavior of pirates when they encounter external pressures. Finally, a Shapely approach is introduced to evaluate the potential effectiveness of the implemented risk management strategies from a Game Theory perspective. This study offers new insights into the promotion of navy escorts and contributes to the development of a framework for assessing piracy risks in uncertain and dynamic anti‐piracy environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transboundary rivers raise critical concerns for state security amidst contemporary ecological strain and regional geopolitics in South Asia. The challenge of 'water security' is underscored by the substantial reliance on transboundary rivers, compounded by the multifaceted impacts of climate change and the simmering geopolitical tensions among riparian nations, especially in the complex dynamics between India–China and India–Pakistan. This study endeavours to illuminate distinctive characteristics of the South Asian transboundary governance framework, wherein rivers are subjected to intensive damming aimed at (a) harnessing hydroelectric potential and (b) leveraging water resources as geopolitical bargaining chips, thereby exerting pressure; however, order is not specified, particularly. In this intricate milieu, international conventions often fail to reconcile internal contradictions inherent within the transboundary governance paradigm. Consequently, transboundary water resources have metamorphosed into an extension of geopolitical realities, embodying intricate interplay between hydrology, geopolitics and state security within the region, especially between China, India and Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1-Introduction The topography is, directly and indirectly, affects the geomorphic processes and hydrological behavior of the slope (Prancevic and Kirchner, 2019), therefore, quantitative correlation of topography features is possible due to deposition and runoff production and predicting the spatial distribution of soil and surface deposits (McKenzie and Ryan, 1999). different shapes and sides of slopes in the drainage basin affect the time of runoff movement on the slopes and drainage networks and the basin response, such as time, equilibrium, retardation time, concentration-time, and hydrograph peak time. These temporal features constitute an important part of the hydrological modeling of the watershed. Considering that most of rainfall-runoff models relate to runoff traverse times at the slopes surface, it is easy to study the topography effect on runoff features such as river discharge estimators, flood forecasting, peak flow, runoff volume, and water resource management (Merheb et al., 2016; Mlynski et al., 2019). In terms of morphodynamic conditions, the topography is directly related to erosion and sedimentation processes. Topographic wetness index theory (TWI) is designed as an important and all-purpose feature in the rainfall-runoff model to measure the effect and topography controlling on hydrological processes (Calogero et al., 2015; Jeziorska and Niedzielski, 2018; Xue et al., 2018). This model simulates the interaction of groundwater and surface water with topography to determine which regions are prone to saturation of the earth and thus have a high potential for surface accumulation water (Ballerine, 2017) and can be expressed quantitatively as a physical indicator the effect of the topography of watersheds slopes on the mechanism of substructure flow (groundwater), runoff production, the spatial distribution of soil moisture and the ability of soil moisture deficiency to saturation state at each point in the range and level of the basin. (Beven and Kirkby 1979; O'Loughlin 1986; Barling et al. 1994; Qiu et al., 2017). 2-Methodology The Maroon River drainage basin, with an area of 7228 square kilometers and an area of 802 kilometers, covers the central part of the Jarahi-Zohreh basin. The Jarahi-Zohreh basin is itself a large part of the Persian Gulf-Oman Sea basin, which its drainage network pours into the northwest part of the Persian Gulf (Fig. 1). In this study, the based data obtained have formed 30 m SRTM DEM data, 1:50000 topographic maps, geological maps of 1:100000, aerial photos, Landsat satellite imagery, Google Earth, and field visits and ArcGIS10.3, QGIS, and SAGA software. To estimate topographic indices, first, it is processed the DEM data file and the stream network of the study basin in the SAGA software environment and then topographic basin indices based on DEM data were calculated and analyzed by the existing functions of this software. In the continuation, slopes of the Maroon basin were classified into nine different types based on two indices of plan shape (divergence, convergence, parallel) and profile (curvature) slopes profile (concave, convex, and flat) (Fig. 2) and the obtained amount of TWI index was analyzed in them. a: The hydrological model (TOPMODEL) is a semi-distributed model where the topography changes of the region and participating levels play a major role in the runoff, assuming that hydraulic gradient can be estimated using the land topography gradient (Ballerine, 2017). The topographic information used in this model is introduced as a topographic moisture indicator and can express the topography effect on runoff production and slope movements quantitatively. These values are calculated using the digital elevation model (DEM) of the studied area and by measuring the flow direction, current accumulation, gradient, and different geometrical characteristics obtained from Arc Hydro software. The final result is a Raster layer which shows pathways (regions) with drainage ditches where water is likely to accumulate there (Ballerine, 2017). 3-Results The results of basin type stud show that the first-class waterways flow mostly in divergent basins with flat curvature. The second, third, and fourth classes of the basin flow in the concave and parallel basin, and the fifth and sixth classes flow in convex and convergent basins (Table 1). In divergent slopes of the basin, the topographic moisture index has been reduced and in convex and convergent basins, the topographic moisture index increases. Furthermore, the TWI index has a high inverse correlation with the degree gradient and average height of the river (-0.97). This index decreases with the increasing gradient and height of waterways (Table 2). In the trimming basins, the increasing general gradient has led to an acceleration of water flow, thus the time required for penetrating water flow and rainfalls is decreased and the concentration-time is decreased too, and correspondingly amount of erosion and water wasting is increased. 4-Discussion & Conclusions The results of the study show that the topographic features of the basin-like the slope plan and longitudinal profile of the slope play a decisive role in hydrological processes and runoff time features and slope response time. These features not only directly affect geomorphological and hydrological conditions like annual runoff, flood volume, soil erosion intensity, and sediment production, but also indirectly effects the climate, ecological situation, and vegetation, as well as effects on the water situation in the basin. The results of the basin slope type study are such that the divergent slopes are the lowest amount in the topographic moisture index. Surface water and subsurface water is not concentrated, they spread, and pass slopes water rapidly. the results showed that there is a significant relationship between hydrological processes with the topography and geomorphology indices and can be used as a variable to simulate the moisture state of the Maroon basin area, which is an example of an indirect and lowcost approach to study the hydrological and geomorphological features of the region. the consistency of this index to local soil conditions is a certain advantage over the existing methods and in detailed application programs it needs to perform more activity and perform adaptive studies. Therefore, knowledge of these indices and features in terms of impact on the variability of soil hydraulic features and surface Sediment is necessary to achieve sustainable development and reorganization of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing number of threats facing continental-scale transboundary water treaties warrants contemporary evaluation of not only the political and climatological conditions under which they were constructed, but also of how different management strategies for accommodating changes in those conditions can lead to treaty success or failure. We assess these threats by highlighting key attributes and vulnerabilities of water treaties across North America that frame a diverse set of future water management priorities. While these threats are ubiquitous globally, they are particularly pronounced in North America where water-abundant basins along the border between the United States (US) and Canada contrast with arid basins along the border between the US and Mexico. We propose addressing these needs through a three-step call to action for management agencies, politicians, and the public at large to embrace a holistic perspective on transboundary water agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of international watercourses requires both scientific input and transnational cooperation. This paper examines the role of science in the field of international water law and how scientific data, techniques, and methods may be used to bestow the legal framework with greater clarity and precision. In this regard, this paper demonstrates how the two primary obligations of international water law – the no-harm principle and the doctrine of equitable and reasonable utilization – are capable of conceptualization and application in a scientific manner. Examples of interdisciplinary approaches and expert commissions are utilized to demonstrate the role of science in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge of factors that influence the waters present in the hydrographic basins is extremely important for efficient management, considering its multiple uses. In this regard, the present work aims to apply mathematical modeling tools, expressed by the HRI-Hydro Tools, the hydrological model of large basins and WARM-GIS Tools, to carry out the physical characterization, hydrological modeling, and the quantitative water balance, for the Jaguarão River hydrographic basin (JRhb). In two scenarios, monthly-based, the reference flow adopted was Q90. Further the water stress index (WSI) was applied for each section of the JRhb drainage network, with emphasis on the analysis of the influence of multiple uses of water in the basin, especially for irrigation. The water withdrawal index (WWI) was used to develop a diagnosis of the watershed level of scarcity, taking into account the annual water commitment, to improve the quantitative representation of water for the JRhb. The results of the hydrological modeling performed showed that, in general, the model presented a good performance both in the calibration and in the validation of the studied periods. The WSI representation showed that in the current scenario (realistic scenario) the basin has been suffering great water stress in the months that comprise the summer season (December, January, February, and March). In addition, the application of the WSI exposed the great influence of water use in the production of irrigated rice in this territory. This result was supported by WWI, which revealed sub-basins that were in a vulnerable state, requiring intensive management and major mitigation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile River has become a focal point in the fields of water diplomacy, economics, and environmental considerations in the Nile Basin. Announced during the Arab Spring in 2011, the GERD aims to address Ethiopia's significant energy shortfall and foster regional economic growth by potentially doubling the country's electricity output. However, this ambition has heightened tensions with downstream countries, especially Egypt and Sudan, which rely heavily on the Nile for their water needs. This paper examines the ongoing conflict surrounding the GERD, focusing on the deadlock situation despite considerable scholarly attention to its economic, political, and environmental dimensions. The analysis presented in this paper reveals the roots of contention by analyzing past treaties and the present negotiation status, illustrating the complex interplay between development goals, environmental sustainability, and regional water security. The paper advocates for a revised legal framework that moves beyond past agreements towards a more inclusive, cooperative management strategy for the Nile's waters. It proposes the development of a new treaty between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan, grounded in their 2015 Declaration of Principles agreement and inspired by successful international dispute resolutions. It also discusses the potential of neutral third-party interventions to facilitate unbiased negotiations grounded in the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution, emphasizing the importance of equitable and sustainable water governance. In essence, this research calls for a collaborative approach to resolve the GERD conflict, emphasizing the need for agreements that harmonize developmental ambitions with the water security of the Nile Basin nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes how practices in water diplomacy, and in particular in international water negotiations, are gendered and with what effects. We conduct a comparative analysis of three intergovernmental decision-making forums on international rivers: the Nile Technical Advisory Committee, the Chu-Talas Water Commission, and the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine. These three cases demonstrate how gender is relational and creates situations in which gendered norms and values are strengthened, challenged, and changed, and sometimes used strategically to gain more power. In addition, two specific dynamics were observed: first, aligning with gendered stereotypes, confrontational practices in water negotiations are perceived as masculine and cooperative ones as feminine. Second, women’s participation in negotiations leads to both male and female negotiators adapting their behavior, resulting in a tendency towards less openly confrontational dynamics in more gender-balanced settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transboundary waters account for a significant portion of global freshwater resources, yet their management is often challenging. The Nile River basin faces significant challenges owing to the complex history and unique context of the basin. Examining the experience of other transboundary basins can offer insights for the effective management of the Nile waters. This paper aims to extract contextual lessons for the Nile from global transboundary water management practices. To that end, we performed a scoping literature search to identify well-researched transboundary water management practices from across the world, selected key case studies, and analyzed their management practices. We discussed the context of the Nile and organized the unique challenges of the basin in five themes, and we discussed how global experiences could provide valuable insights for the Nile basin within each theme. Trust building, the need for equitable water use frameworks, a strong river basin organization, the nuanced role of external actors, and the impact of broader political context were major themes that emerged from the analysis of the Nile context. Within each theme, we presented experiences from multiple basins to inform transboundary water management in the Nile basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Note assesses international river law's role in shaping transboundary river governance, both generally and in the specific context of the Amu River basin. The main argument presented is that the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Water Convention and the U.N. Watercourses Convention are ineffective in curating inclusive and equitable transboundary river governance frameworks, as their values and goals fall short of the vision espoused by the Stockholm Declaration. In the specific context of the Amu River basin, states use the gaps inherent in these conventions to advance and justify their individual interests over the collective good. This Note begins by providing a brief history of international environmental law before moving on to compare the ideas enshrined by these conventions and those safeguarded in the Stockholm Declaration. The Note then turns to the Amu River and examines how the riparian states engage with the UNECE Water Convention and U.N. Watercourses Convention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being a heavily fished species, little is known about the movements of silky sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis). In this study, we report the longest (in duration and distance traveled) and most spatially extensive recorded migration for a silky shark. This shark, tagged with a fin‐mount satellite transmitter at the Galapagos Islands, traveled >27,666 km over 546 days, making two westerly migrations into international waters as far as 4755 km from the tagging location. These extensive movements in an area with high international fishing effort highlights the importance of understanding silky shark migrations to inform management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the critical hydropolitics literature by introducing the power–interests–identity nexus framework and addresses how it shapes decisions and (re)actions to transform or maintain water conflicts. The framework is investigated using the Helmand/Hirmand river basin, shared by Afghanistan and Iran. It elucidates which factors led to the transformation of Iran–Afghanistan water conflicts and the signing of the 1973 Treaty, as well as the influential factors that have contributed to its maintenance in the 2020s. The results demonstrate using the framework provides comprehensive insight by identifying the influential latent factors of transboundary water arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Border issues, such as sovereignty, territorial claims, and security, play a significant role in transboundary river management. Borders can act as physical barriers that impede cooperation and coordination, and disputes over ownership and control of river resources can exacerbate tensions and lead to conflicts. Transboundary river management is a complex and critical issue that has gained increasing attention in recent years. The management of rivers that cross international borders raises numerous challenges, including political, economic, social, and environmental concerns. Effective management requires the cooperation of all countries sharing the river basin, and it involves the development of legal and institutional frameworks that promote sustainable use, equitable sharing, and peaceful resolution of conflicts. This paper aims to explore the intricate relationship between India's persistent border disputes with China and their far-reaching implications for the management of transboundary rivers. Their unresolved territorial disputes have profound implications for the shared river basins, such as the Brahmaputra Basin, and pose significant challenges to the implementation of effective transboundary river management strategies. Through an interdisciplinary examination of historical, geopolitical, and hydrological factors, this study sheds light on the multifaceted dimensions of India's border disputes with China and elucidates their detrimental impacts on the use of transboundary river resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the topic of borders in the international system of the 21st century, highlighting their importance in the creation and development of nation-states and in international relations. It also mentions exceptions to state sovereignty, such as Antarctica and international waters. The article is divided into three sections that analyze borders from different perspectives, such as regionalism and border control in relation to international migration. Additionally, other topics are mentioned, such as the impact of climate change on maritime delimitations in the Arctic, China's territorial disputes in the South China Sea, border disputes between India and China, hybrid governance in the border area between Colombia, Brazil, and Peru, and the secessionist movement of contemporary maroons in Jamaica and its relationship with the Jamaican state. [Extracted from the article]

This microhistory of a shoreline place in Thailand details the socio-natural process by which a piece of coastal land came to be recognised as private property by the state. It demonstrates that intimate and long-term attention to specificities of how property comes into being has more explanatory power than synoptic theorisations of accumulation and dispossession. Using ethnography, archives and affective co-narration, this paper probes the shifting ground of water and land to show how the fluidity of water plays a key role in the politics and legal procedures of enclosure, and how fluctuating boundaries become an ambiguous arena for property claims contestations amid entanglements of slippery legal semantics. It argues that the expanded notion of agency in the Anthropocene presents new challenges for thinking about property relations, and that thinking from a shoreline place of shifting water-land boundaries engenders novel questions to do with fluid dispossessions at a time of rising oceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the prospects for developing and implementing a binational water management agreement for the transboundary Santa Cruz River that crosses the US–Mexico boundary near the sister cities of Nogales, Sonora–Nogales, Arizona. After considering the geography, history, socio-economic context, and binational agreements affecting utilization of the Santa Cruz River, we review the conditions influencing recent binational progress on another transboundary river, the Tijuana River. Specifically, we ask what conditions created a favorable environment in which a binational agreement for management of the Tijuana River Watershed (TRW) was developed, what specific actions by relevant policy officials took place, and how the final agreement was reached. We then compare the dynamics that unfolded in the TRW with conditions in the Santa Cruz River to identify obstacles hindering progress towards achieving an International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) agreement (Minute) on shared management of the Santa Cruz River in its international reach. We find that the required political conditions that favored an agreement on the Tijuana River are not yet met on the Santa Cruz, although several favorable conditions do exist. We conclude with an assessment of current prospects for advancing binational cooperation that can inform discussion of how an IBWC Minute could be drafted to address water resource management issues in the Santa Cruz River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, water utilities have relied on tried-and-true practices in the design and operation of their infrastructure, tapping new resources and expanding networks as needed. However, as the effects of climate change and/or urbanization increasingly impact both water supply and demand, utilities need new, holistic planning and management approaches. Integrated planning approaches must account for changing policies, technological progress, and unique, setting-specific operating conditions. Based on this notion, an international web seminar with faculty, researchers, and students from nine universities across five continents was conducted. In the 3-month seminar, participants were split into groups and tasked with developing future-proof, sustainable water management solutions for fictitious settings with unique resource availability, climate change predictions, demographic, and socioeconomic constraints. The goal of the seminar was to combine participants' unique perspectives to tackle challenges in developing future water infrastructure, while forming lasting relationships. Water management concepts became more daring or "out-of-the-box" as the seminar progressed. Most groups opted for a holistic approach, optimizing existing infrastructure, integrating decentralized water management, furthering digitization, and fostering the adoption of innovative policy and planning strategies. To gauge their impact on the evolution of ideas, group dynamics and communication were observed throughout the seminar. As a result, the findings serve not only as a compendium of ideas and concepts for holistic design in the water sector, but also facilitate international collaboration, improve communication in cross-cultural teams or guide the development of training programs in water management for researchers, professional engineers, or water utilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrological region 36 in Mexico (RH36) faces significant water stress and tends towards agricultural mono-production. Following the regulation of its main rivers, the Nazas and Aguanaval, through dam construction and canalization, the flow of water in the lower basin of the Nazas River has become negligible, which has altered the riverfronts of major cities in the region. Consequently, Torreón, Gómez Palacio, and Lerdo, which are part of the La Laguna Metropolitan Zone (ZML), have expanded into new territories along the riverbanks and adjacent recharge areas. Establishing the boundaries of specific watersheds is crucial for the implementation of targeted rural and urban intervention strategies. This approach enhances understanding of interactions between the natural hydromorphology of a hydrological region, water infrastructure (dams, canals, reservoirs), and the urban and rural landscape. To effectively plan based on watershed boundaries, it is essential to develop hybrid cartographies that integrate urban, architectural, agricultural, and hydrological delineations. These maps provide valuable indicators for watershed-based planning, which facilitates precise hydrological urban restoration strategies tailored to specific basins. This research focuses on developing and presenting such hybrid cartographies, which combine hydrological, rural, and geographic data. This methodology aligns with the overarching objective of mitigating water stress in RH36 and promoting a transition towards more sustainable forms of agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document presents the findings of a study on the occurrence and distribution of Rice's whales in the Gulf of Mexico. The study used acoustic recordings to detect the presence of Rice's whale calls at three different sites in the Gulf of Mexico. The results showed that Rice's whales were present in both U.S. and Mexican waters, indicating a transboundary range for the species. The study also highlighted the threats faced by Rice's whales, including vessel strikes, oil and gas exposure, entanglement in fishing gear, and habitat degradation. The authors emphasized the need for collaborative management and conservation efforts between U.S. and Mexican environmental agencies to protect the critically endangered species. Further research is needed to determine the full extent of the Rice's whale range and estimate the population abundance in the Gulf of Mexico. [Extracted from the article]

For protonic ceramic fuel cells, it is key to develop material with high intrinsic activity for oxygen activation and bulk proton conductivity enabling water formation at entire electrode surface. However, a higher water content which benefitting for the increasing proton conductivity will not only dilute the oxygen in the gas, but also suppress the O2 adsorption on the electrode surface. Herein, a new electrode design concept is proposed, that may overcome this dilemma. By introducing a second phase with high‐hydrating capability into a conventional cobalt‐free perovskite to form a unique nanocomposite electrode, high proton conductivity/concentration can be reached at low water content in atmosphere. In addition, the hydronation creates additional fast proton transport channel along the two‐phase interface. As a result, high protonic conductivity is reached, leading to a new breakthrough in performance for proton ceramic fuel cells and electrolysis cells devices among available air electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the complexities of International Water Law (IWL) in the Israel Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) context. In the Oslo Accords, Israelis and Palestinians agreed to employ the core principles of IWL in their respective utilisation of shared water resources, in particular, over shared water resources in the West Bank: the principle of equitable and reasonable utilisation of water courses, the principle of no significant harm and the duty of co-operation. This article critically discusses these three principles in the Israel–OPT context and addresses in particular the questions: To what extent these principles are applicable in the Israeli–Palestinian context, and to what extent have they been implemented? The article concludes that there is an evident lack of implementation of such principles which has resulted in adverse effects on Palestinian water rights and have been on the expense of the OPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]