Against the current: transboundary water management in small states on two continents

Abstract

In general, studies on regional integration and transboundary water management (TWM) focus on the relationships between large states. Instead, this paper analyses TWM in relation to two cross-border cases involving small states: Germany–Luxembourg and Mexico–Belize. Small states are significant due to their presumed adherence to regional governance and vulnerability to external shocks, especially those of climate change and environmental threats. Specifically, the article asks: How well do small states implement regional water governance models, especially in cross-border contexts? It concludes that the interpersonal bargaining and consensus-building that characterizes small state governance limits effective TWM.

Keywords:

• Belize
• European Water Framework Directive (WFD)
• Luxembourg
• Luxembourg–Germany border
• Belize–Mexico border
• small states
• transboundary water management (TWM)

Notes

1. Internationally Shared Aquifer Resources Management (ISARM).

2. See http://atlas.media.mit.edu/country/blz/.

3. The authors thank Mr Fabian Gal and Ms Jessica Giro for their assistance with empirical research carried out within the framework of the BRIDGE and HUMENITY research projects.

4. There is also a Mexico–Guatemala IBWC, but its work is not at all coordinated with that of the Mexico–Belize IBWC.

5. Since 1940 Guatemala has been claiming about 12,000 km² of Belize’s territory (Gargallo & Santana, 1993).

6. See http://contralinea.info/archivo-revista/index.php/2009/04/19/mexico-incumple-a-guatemala-y-belice-asf/.

7. See http://www.sanpedrosun.com/community-and-society/2014/03/31/belize-fails-attend-twelfth-session-rio-hondo-basin-commission/.

8. The average rate was calculated by following the Population Department of State of Quintaroo projections from 2010 to 2017 (see http://coespo.qroo.gob.mx/portal/datos_estadisticos_cartograficos/PROYECCIONESPORLOCALIDAD2011_2017.pdf/).

9. Official message from the spokesman’s unit of the State of Quintana Roo (see http://vocero.qroo.gob.mx/uv/index.php/?option=com_content&view=article&id=13550:avanza-nueva-terminal-maritima-de-chetumal&catid=49:noticias-del-dia/).

10. Ibid. (see http://vocero.qroo.gob.mx/uv/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=32&Itemid=134/).

11. See http://ecologic.eu/.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Luxembourg through the BRIDGE (Border Regions in Different Geographical Espaces) and HUMENITY (Human and Environmental Security in Border Regions: Cross-regional Persperctives) research projects.