Challenges to international waters : regional assessments in a global perspective

This report provides a synthesis of the Global International Waters Assessment (GIWA) regional assessments. The multitude of aquatic transboundary environmental problems is discussed under the concerns of freshwater shortage, pollution, overfishing and habitat modification. The report summarizes the current and predicts the future state of transboundary water resources and associated aquatic ecosystems, the societal root causes and driving forces that engender adverse environmental pressures, and the causal relationships that underpin the deterioration of aquatic environments and their resources. The report identifies gaps in knowledge and presents conclusions relevant to the sustainable management of transboundary waters. This final report of the GIWA project, includes annexes describing the GIWA methodology and its theoretical background. The report is aimed at policy makers at all levels of government, global and regional non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders involved in the use, development and management of transboundary water basins and their aquatic resources.