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Tassin, Virginie J.M. --- "Regulation and protection of water in international law: terrestrial and marine perspectives" [2017] ELECD 327; in Chaisse, Julien (ed), "Charting the Water Regulatory Future" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2017) 105

Book Title: Charting the Water Regulatory Future

Editor(s): Chaisse, Julien

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781785366710

Section: Chapter 7

Section Title: Regulation and protection of water in international law: terrestrial and marine perspectives

Author(s): Tassin, Virginie J.M.

Number of pages: 38

Abstract/Description:

Water surrounds us and creates favourable conditions for the development of ecosystems that can sustain life. Water covers 71 per cent of our blue or ‘water’ planet, with 97. 2 per cent of its water located in oceans and seas. Among those blue spaces, 2.5 per cent is freshwater while 70 per cent of frozen freshwater is located in Polar Regions and glaciers, and only around 1 per cent of the world’s freshwater is accessible for human uses. Solid, liquid or gas, water can take various forms and can be found in many locations, from the surface of Earth to the form of ice, rivers, lake, seas and oceans, and even within its underbelly with the recent discovery of the existence of huge freshwater reserves beneath the ocean floor. All these different forms of water are nevertheless under common threats, first, due to the acceleration of human activities on land and at sea, and, second, to the related effects of climate change. The world demand pushes our society to slowly turn to the sea rich in promises of future treasures that remain undiscovered. Accessing these new resources and forms of energy requires developing new human activities, which will give a central role to water issues. These activities such as deep-sea mining, navigation in polar areas, bio-prospecting and the development of marine renewable energies will cause new types of disturbances and pollution to the marine environment, which might affect water quality.