International Nonregimes: A Research Agenda1

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146934/1/j.1468-2486.2007.00672.x.pd

The effects of international agreements on water security: A critical study of EU and MERCOSUR Approaches

The consequences of overuse of the planet´s water supplies are the subject of emerging concern. This chapter aims to critically discuss the effects of different regulatory approaches to water security, comparing the European Union (EU) and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and paying close attention to industrial activity. Water security can be understood as the adequate availability of water to meet the needs of society, the economy and the ecosystem. In this sense, the study intends to: (i) question the legal base, its coercive power and extent; (ii) explore effects of agreements on internal water regulation, focusing especially on the industrial sector; (iii) identify hydro-sustainable policies adopted by governments to control industrial activity taking into consideration domestic and international laws. The chapter employs the critical hermeneutics methodology, examining publications of governments, international organizations, NGOs, academic articles, and international newspapers and magazines. The chapter notes that the most effective treaties with regard to water security are those that have economic coercion clauses, such as the Basel and Stockholm Conventions. It concludes that current regulation and policies, especially in MERCOSUR, need to be urgently revised to ensure the quantity, quality and accessibility of water reserves are to be maintained for present and future generations.Fil: Melo de Carvalho, Kleverton. Universidade Federal de Sergipe; BrasilFil: Minaverry, Clara María. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable; Argentin

Criminology, war and environmental despoliation

The environment is a largely unspoken victim of war. Our soil, rivers, seas, forests and atmosphere have all been damaged by armed conflict. In some cases, this damage persists for decades. The international legal framework for the protection of the environment during war is piecemeal, limited to very specific conditions and incapable of preserving the environment in a large number of circumstances. Despite the inadequacies of the law and the fact that the harm caused to the environment is a global issue that affects the health, prosperity and future of millions of people, criminological literature is predominantly silent on this issue. In response, this chapter draws on green criminology and victimology discourses to examine the exploitation and destruction of the environment during armed conflict