In the history of the modern world, water resources have been shared by various states, particularly those within coastal waters for food and natural resources, and those within riparian areas, for potable water, food and other natural resources.
In virtually every continent, there are bilateral and multilateral agreements governing the use of water resources by various states and peoples.
In the Americas, the Cartagena Convention has been ratified by 26 United Nations Member States in the Wider Caribbean Region. It covers the marine environment of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the areas of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent thereto, south of 30 north latitude and within 200 nautical miles of the Atlantic Coasts of the States. It covers measures include to prevent, reduce and control: pollution from ships, pollution caused by dumping, pollution from sea-bed activities, airborne pollution, pollution from land-based sources and activities.
There are agreements similar to the Cartagena Convention in various parts of the world, such as the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution, the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).
On the other hand, there are agreements that focus on riparian areas, such as Niger River Commission, International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), the Tehran Convention focusing on the Caspian Sea, among others.
Of particular interest is the Mekong River Commission, as it is within Southeast Asia, and it is one of the earliest examples of intergovernmental cooperation in the use of water resources by different states.
While it is true that the MRC was created with the specific mission of promoting and coordinating ‘sustainable management and development of water and related resources for the countries’ mutual benefit and the people’s well-being,’ it should be stated that the creation of the MRC was linked to the legacy of decolonialism and subsequent geopolitical developments in the middle of the twentieth century, particularly the division of the world into spheres of influences of the United States, Soviet Union, and to a lesser extent, China.
During the Cold War, Washington had a specific emphasis in developing the area, out of fear that underdevelopment in the Mekong river basin would further fuel the strength of communist movements in Southeast Asia.
While US influence into the MRC had weakened substantially as the Cold War progressed and ended, it is a showcase on how great powers can influence and interfere into supposedly development- and sustainability-focused initiatives among adjacent and directly-affected states.
But the US tries to regain control over global water resources by promoting an idea of creating a supranational body accountable for such kind of control.
This body, as we saw in history, will definitely be used by Washington for its own narrow political interests, instead of pursuing the needs of developing countries, especially those having problems with their own water supply.
Moreover, this situation will create additional excuses for the US to make developing countries follow an American agenda not only on water security, but on all global problems.
With the growing competition between great powers today, smaller states should enter multilateral and bilateral water resources agreements with clear policy clarity on its development, sustainability and environmental objectives, unfettered by geopolitical considerations or pressure by the United States of China.
In the same vein, Washington and other powers will most definitely attempt to pursue its geopolitical agenda in any global or regional water resources agreement which will be participated in by non-great powers. Smaller states should be on the lookout for this agenda, as the US will certainly use these new institutions as a means of pressure, influence or interference.