European basin organizations in the context of climate-induced conflict risks

Susanne Schmeier and Gábor Baranyai

Chapter 10 in Research Handbook on EU Water Law, 2026, pp 157-177 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter explores the legal and institutional basis for the governance of shared basins. It examines basin treaties, basin organizations, and the institutional capacity which they provide, as well as explaining how they contribute to mitigating conflict and fostering cooperation over shared water resources, especially in times of rapid change. Drawing on three case studies of the Rhine, Danube, and Elbe river basins, the chapter identifies key features of institutional capacity, namely joint and integrated planning, the sharing of data and information, and dispute resolution, and it demonstrates how those features are employed in order to address newly emerging challenges, primarily ones related to climate change and the diverging interests of riparian states in the domains of environmental protection and economic development. It also highlights persistent problems and the risk of conflict that arises from the insufficient or ineffective use of these features, which can affect cooperative water governance in the future.

Keywords: Water conflict and cooperation; European transboundary basins; Basin treaties; Basin organizations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035336425
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