The lack of freshwater resources has made countries around the world pay more and more attention to the protection of freshwater resources.&{}..{}

The "Her-Sinki-Rules" adopted by the International Law Association in 1966 was one of the earliest and most frequently cited international documents on freshwater. The basic principles proposed in Article 4 recognize that every country in the international basin has the right to make reasonable and fair use of water in the basin.

In addition to the principle of fair use, Article 10 also stipulates that States should not cause any new form of pollution to water in international watersheds or aggravate existing pollution levels, which may cause serious damage to the territory of another country in the watershed.

The state should take all reasonable measures to reduce all existing pollution so as not to cause damage in the territory of another country in the basin. However, this rule does not clearly define the issue of how to use and consume water resources and is not binding, so it has been criticized.

Nevertheless, the "Her-Sin-Ki-Rules" are widely referenced and developed at other international conferences.

In the Declaration proposed at the 1972 S-DG-L-MoU United Nations Human-Environmental Conference, Principle 2——"For the benefit of this generation and future generations, the natural resources on the earth, including air, water, land, plants and animals, and especially representative specimens in natural ecology, must be protected through careful planning or appropriate management" and Principle 3——"The protection of earth's water resources and other resources must be strengthened, and the Rio Declaration uses the concept of sustainable development to solve the problem of global resource shortage.

On the one hand, this shows that the international community has further deepened its understanding of the freshwater resource crisis, and on the other hand, it also shows that the freshwater resource crisis faced by mankind is becoming more and more serious.

In 1977, the first UN Water Resources Conference was held in the Argentland Made-Plata and adopted the "Mardelplata Action Plan".

The Assembly recommended that the methodology that could be used to manage shared water resources, develop common plans and implement the mechanisms necessary to coordinate water use. It also proposed that “With the use, management and development of shared water resources, States should consider the rights of each country … to be able to use these rights equally.”

The 1972 S-DG-L-Mo Declaration states that “the ability of the Earth to produce very important renewable resources must be maintained and restored or improved if possible”, which provides a direction for the protection of freshwater resources globally, while the General Assembly’s action plan calls for international cooperation and cooperation to prevent freshwater pollution and protect the entire water resources.

Since then, both the Robi-Bi Xuanyan and the Rio Xuanyan in 1992 also reiterated the protection of freshwater resources.

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio Genelu from 3 to 14 June 1992 adopted the far-reaching Agenda 21.

Agenda 21st Century, in its Chapter 18, “Protecting the Quality and Supply of Freshwater Resources: Adopting a Comprehensive Approach to the Development, Management and Utilization of Water Resources”, has made detailed recommendations and provisions on the Comprehensive Development and Management of Water Resources, Water Resources, Water Quality and Aquatic Ecosystems, in order to meet the needs of all countries for sustainable development.

The Agenda 21st Century stipulates that the overall planning and management of water resources must be carried out. This overall planning must cover all types of relevant freshwater bodies, including surface water and groundwater, and the quantity and quality of water must be appropriately taken into account.

The concept of comprehensive water resources management is that water is an integral part of the ecosystem. Water is a natural resource, a social object and a valuable object. The quantity and quality of water resources determine its use and nature.

The most powerful protection of international river ecosystems is the International Waterway-Non-Non-National Navigation-Utilization-Law Convention. The United Nations International Law Commission, which is responsible for the development and codification of international law, began to formulate laws on the non-navigation-Utilization-Utilization-Utilization-Law Convention in 1981.

In 1990 it adopted the provisions on international water environment protection. On 5 May 1997, in accordance with the provisions of the International Law Commission, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Legal Convention on the Non-Navigation Utilization of International Waterways.

This framework convention includes four categories of provisions: general rules applicable to all international waterways (articles 5-10), procedural rules for the implementation of these rules (articles 11-19 and 29-32). Substantive provisions on protection, maintenance and management of freshwater (articles 20-28). Articles on agreements concluded by waterway countries (articles 3-4).

The Convention stipulates that waterway countries should use international waterways in a fair and reasonable manner in their respective territories to make the international waterways most appropriate and sustainable use, thereby fully protecting international waterways.

In addition, waterway countries should participate in the use, development and protection of international waterways in a fair and reasonable manner and have an obligation to cooperate in the protection and development of international waterways.

States are obliged to take all appropriate measures to prevent significant damage to other waterway countries, and any State causing such damage shall consult with the affected States to exclude or reduce such damage and discuss the issue of compensation for losses if necessary.

The Convention requires the State of Waterway to protect, preserve and manage international waterways and their water quality, especially the protection of the ecosystems of waterways.

Measures advocated by the Convention include:

a. Determine common water quality targets and emission standards to adopt appropriate techniques and methods for centralized and dispersed sources of pollution, identifying a list of substances that should be prohibited, restricted or monitored.

b. Protecting the biological resources of waterways should be the goal of preventing and controlling pollution.

c. Regarding the management of waterways, the Convention requires the establishment of a common management mechanism.

The ** for the protection of international freshwater resources was the International Year of Freshwater in 2003. In March 2003, the Third World Water Forum was held in Japan-Beijing-Du. Representatives from 165 countries and regions, international organizations and non-governmental organizations were attended by more than 10,000 representatives from 165 countries and regions.

According to the relevant provisions of the Agenda 21st Agenda for the Century, the General Assembly decided that 2003 was the International Year of Freshwater. The Conference conducted extensive discussions on the severity of the water crisis and the urgency of actively taking action to suppress it.

The topics discussed include water supply, water and climate, water and transportation, water and culture diversity, water and sanitation, water pollution and sanitation, water and energy, water and food, water and women's equality, water and environment, water information and management, water and poverty alleviation, etc. The purpose is to enable more people to obtain enough water and drinkable water.

Starting from the late 1960s, regional international organizations such as the United Nations European Economic Commission or the European Council formulated some documents on international rivers, which were generally not binding. In the 1990s, the principles proposed in these documents were converted into treaties.

Europe, as a relatively developed region in integration, is at the forefront of regional freshwater protection.

As early as May 6, 1968, the European Council passed the European Water Constitution. Today it seems that most of the principles proposed are recognized facts.

Shortly thereafter, on September 16, 1968, the European Council of the European Council presided over the adoption of the European Agreement on Restricting the Use of Certain Detergents in Washing Products. The United Nations European Economic Commission also issued several suggestions for protecting water resources, including the 1970 proposal to protect surface water and groundwater from contamination of oil and petroleum products.

In the decade from 1980 to 1990, the Water Group of the United Nations-European Economic Commission drafted a series of documents on cooperation in boundary water. In short, the European Union, which is highly integrated with politics, economy and culture, has set an example for the world in the regional protection of freshwater resources.

(1) European Convention on the Protection and Utilization of Transboundary Rivers and International Lakes

On March 17, 1992, the United Nations-European Economic Commission presided over the adoption of the Convention on the Protection and Utilization of Transboundary Rivers and International Lakes in Hölsinki, also known as the "Hölsinki Convention", which applies to the entire European and Canadian countries and the United States. The Convention has entered into force and has become a model of future agreements on Dornau and other regional European rivers.

The Helsinki Convention is not a formal framework convention. It requires a consistent approach to the use of rivers in Europe and North America. To some extent, it integrates two types of international law rules: rules on transboundary pollution and rules specifically to prevent river pollution.

The Parties to the Helsinki Convention adopted the London Protocol on Water and Health in June 1999, which aims to promote human health protection at all levels, improve water management, including the protection of water ecosystems, and ensure that all people have access to drinking and sanitary water, under the framework of sustainable development.

(2) European Union Tamsui Management - Directive Method

The European Community (the predecessor of the European Union) is a quasi-federal-quality entity that takes into account the territory of its member states as a whole, not just for transboundary waters.

The most important directive of the European Community on water pollution control is the pollution caused by the discharge of certain hazardous substances into the water environment of the Community (including territorial and internal water) (Directory No. 76/464).

On December 17, 1979, the European Community adopted another Directive 80/68 specifically for groundwater: The Directive on Protection of Groundwater from Contamination of Certain Hazardous Substances. Both important Directives are accompanied by relevant lists.

The directives on water pollution formulated by the European Communist Party either stipulate emission standards, or conduct quality control, or both. In addition, the European Communist Party has passed many other directives to stipulate quality standards for different water sources and water for different uses.

As mentioned above, global freshwater resources protection has achieved obvious results at the international and regional levels, both at the basin level. However, judging from the current problems encountered by humans in freshwater resources, global freshwater resources protection still has its shortcomings.

1. The current situation of water shortage has not been fundamentally changed.

The current actual situation of freshwater resources is far behind its due state. The available and drinking freshwater is decreasing. Global development and welfare enhancement are far more important than the actual protection of water. Countries will not restrict their own development in order to protect water resources. Sustainable development is an advanced concept. In fact, practice is much less than hype, and it often becomes an excuse to destroy water resources, especially in developing and least developed countries.

2. There is no unified international convention on the protection of global water resources.

Although the declarations adopted by previous Human Environment Conferences focus on the protection of freshwater resources. The "Agenda 21st Century" also specifically sets freshwater protection as a chapter, the protection efforts are far from enough.

Just like the Kyoto Protocol to solve global warming and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which solves ocean problems, the international community needs a unified international water law. International water legislation should be codified and globalized, and coordinate the actions of various countries to guide countries to cooperate in the protection and utilization of global water resources, while bearing corresponding international obligations and responsibilities.

3. The country's environmental and resource sovereignty often has a negative impact on the protection of global freshwater resources.

The international community has long established the "principle of national environmental sovereignty and not damaging foreign environmental responsibility". However, the fact is that national environmental sovereignty has become its substitute.

Many countries seem quite conservative in the global and regional protection of freshwater resources due to their own political and economic interests.

For example, the EU, which has a very high degree of integration, has tried to adopt a comprehensive document to take more powerful measures for member states' freshwater quality control. But this effort was ultimately unsuccessful. Canada also used the name of national environmental and resource sovereignty to completely ban water trade that can effectively resolve the imbalance of distribution in water resources.

4. The issue of water equity involving freshwater resources has not been resolved.

The number of "water refugees" that emerged with the water resources crisis in river basins reached 25 million in 1998, exceeding the number of "war refugees" for the first time.

It is predicted that by 2025, as many as 100 million refugees will be refusal due to water (United Nations-Secretary-General Millennium Report). On the one hand, this is caused by water shortages. On the other hand, it also reflects the injustice of global water resource allocation.

An European-American consumes about 800 cubic meters of water every year, which is about 70 times that of a Ghana-Nean, while an American consumes more than 3,000 cubic meters of water every year.

Water resources are a public goods that belong to all mankind. They should not only achieve fair use of water among contemporary people, but also consider future generations to achieve both fairness within and intergenerational.

5. The understanding of water resources crisis among countries is still different.

In a water resource report released before the Third World Water Forum Conference held in Japan, Beijing in March 2003, the United Nations criticized that political leaders did not take action. Some even denied the existence of the crisis. Water is far less important than oil and stocks, so leaders of various countries pay much more attention to oil and stocks than their concern for water.

6. Regional freshwater protection is limited to Europe and North America, which have high political and economic integration. Other continents such as Asia, Africa and Africa lack regional cooperation systems, so it is necessary to establish, develop and improve regional freshwater protection mechanisms for various continents.

Water is the source of all life!

With it, this blue planet is formed; with it, the whole world has the breath of life; with it, our world becomes full of vitality; with it, we have beautiful mountains, clear streams, and azure oceans? We have everything.

Because of water, the seeds of life have a breeding ground for survival. Life sprouts, continues, and continues to evolve, making the earth lively.

Water flows trickle in our body in the form of life. Water is human, and human is also water. Water flows in the human body, and humans live around the water.

People are the heart of water, and water is the backbone of man. In the dark, we are destined to be inseparable from water.

Lao Tzu once said: "The softest thing in the world is water, and no one who attacks the strong can win. Because it cannot be changed, the weak defeats the strong, and the soft defeats the hardness, everyone in the world is better."

The water is so fragile that it breaks with one touch, and the warm sunlight can easily make it disappear without a trace. However, the water is very powerful.

Look at the dripping springs in the cave. After countless struggles, the weakest water can drip through hard rocks. Then look at the water rolling down from the high cliffs, like a mountain of earth falling, thundering, its momentum is overwhelming, and its roar is sweeping across the mountains and rivers.

Looking back at people, so do people.

French thinker Pascal once said: "Man is the most vulnerable thing in nature. One breath, a drop of water, is enough to kill him, but man is still much more noble than what kills him."

Man can be easily destroyed, but he has a huge power that cannot be ignored like water. It can dominate nature. It can cause earth-shaking changes in the world and even destroy the entire earth.

Water is selfless, it is the source of life. She has raised countless lives in the world with herself, but she does not seek rewards, but just silently and selflessly devotes her bits to humans and creatures.

I really hope that my river of life can flow like water, where it flows through it. It is a harvest field for picking the fruits of dreams.

Maybe in the vast sea of ​​people, I am a tiny drop of water, but I hope I can reflect the brilliance of the sun.

Water nurtures life on the earth, human civilization, people's life and industrial and agricultural production are inseparable from water. If there is no water, people will disappear. On the earth, wherever there is water, there will be life. All life activities originate from water.

The moisture in the human body accounts for about 65% of the body weight. Without food, people can live longer (estimated to be two months). If they don’t even have water, they can live for about a week at most.

Plants also contain a lot of water, which transports nutrients to plants; water keeps the branches and leaves of plants in a graceful shape; water participates in photosynthesis to produce organic matter; water evaporates water to keep plants at a stable temperature and not be burned by the sun. Plants are not only full of water, but crops consume water throughout their lives.

1 kilogram of corn is watered with 368 kilograms of water; similarly, wheat is 513 kilograms of water, cotton is 648 kilograms of water, and rice is as high as 1,000 kilograms of water. One seed is placed in the ground, and tens of thousands of grains are returned to the warehouse. The agricultural harvest has made considerable contributions!

Some people say that our earth should be called a water ball. This makes sense, because the planet we live in has water, and 71% of the surface area is occupied by water.

The amount of water on the earth is very huge, with a total amount of 1.386 billion cubic kilometers. Although the amount of water on the earth is huge, it is pitifully small that can be directly produced and used by people in life.

First, sea water is salty and bitter, cannot be drunk, cannot irrigate the ground, and is difficult to use in industry. Secondly, freshwater only accounts for about 2.6% of the total water volume, and the vast majority of it (99%) is frozen in the north and south and frozen soil far away from humans and cannot be used. There is less than 1% of freshwater, which is scattered in lakes, rivers and underground. Compared with the total water bodies in the world, the amount of freshwater is really as good as a drop in the tank.

Water is so precious. But people also waste water and pollute water extremely.

The World-Sustainable Development Conference held in South Africa not long ago listed the water crisis as one of the most severe challenges facing mankind in the next 10 years.

According to the materials released by the General Assembly, 2.4 billion people worldwide currently lack sufficient water sanitation facilities, and 1.1 billion people have not been able to drink safe drinking water. The United Nations predicts that by 2025, nearly half of the population will live in water-deficient areas, and areas with water scarcity or water shortages are now expanding.

Nowadays, people are becoming less and less expensive to use. Maybe when will the broadcast send out such an alarm: "In another 4 months, the water will disappear." Only then did they find that the price of a drop of water is equivalent to the price of a drop of blood. What a terrible thing.

Therefore, saving water and protecting water resources have become the top priority now!

Each of us has to start with me and start with now.
To be continued...